Vanessa Pessato
Profession
MA Narrative Environments alum
College
Central Saint Martins
Person Type
Alumni
Biography
Vanessa Pessato studied MA Narrative Environments at Central Saint Martins, graduating in 2025. Her practice focuses on spatial storytelling, exploring how environments shape perception, emotion and experience.
Interview
Please can you tell me a little bit about yourself.
I am a designer whose practice focuses on spatial storytelling guided by ethical commitment and social responsibility. With a background in interior design, I draw inspiration from fine art, photography and fashion to craft environments that encourage dialogue and reflection.
I am particularly interested in how space can influence perception, emotion and behaviour, and how design can quietly challenge the systems it sits within.
Why did you choose to study MA Narrative Environments at Central Saint Martins (CSM)?
After completing my BA and working for two years in an architecture practice as an Interior Designer, I became increasingly aware that I was drawn to the human perception of space — how environments affect emotion, behaviour and interaction — and I wanted more freedom to explore that creatively. I was designing functional spaces, but I wanted something more vibrant and experience-led, something that placed human engagement at the centre.
Narrative Environments felt like exactly that. It focuses not just on space itself, but on how we experience space: socially, emotionally and politically. Central Saint Martins also felt like the right place to explore that. The reputation, the mix of disciplines and the atmosphere of the campus made it feel incredibly alive and inspiring.
What have you been working on since graduating?
I am currently working on personal projects while applying for roles, with a much clearer sense of who I want to be and where. I know now that I want to be part of a creative team, ideally within experiential design, event production or more concept-driven interior environments. I am looking for studios where ideas are tested physically and collaboratively — spaces where storytelling, atmosphere and materiality come together.
What was the most interesting project you worked on during your time on the course?
My major project, REYALITY was probably the most challenging and rewarding experience of the course. It was developed with a collaborator, and while we were aligned on the type of environment we wanted to create, finding the exact research question and the story we wanted to tell took time.
It was a formative journey: full of research, different attempts and shifts in direction, until everything finally aligned. This process taught me patience and the value of dialogue. I am very proud of how it evolved, both conceptually and spatially. It also showed me how beneficial collaboration can be; having another perspective constantly pushes the work further.
What important piece of advice would you give to students thinking of studying this course?
Narrative Environments is part of the Spatial Practices programme, but it is not only about designing a space — it is about designing meaning. It asks you to think critically about context, audience and impact.
I would say: embrace the first year fully, especially the collaborative projects. Your peers are incredibly diverse, and learning from people with different backgrounds is one of the richest parts of the course. Be open, be curious, and don’t waste time doubting yourself — the two years go by very quickly.
What was the highlight of your Central Saint Martins experience?
The atmosphere of the campus itself. CSM has such a distinctive energy: dancers rehearsing at night, students from different disciplines working side by side, Coal Drops Yard and the canal in the summer. The studios can feel a little chaotic at times, but in the best possible way. It feels like a place where creativity is genuinely alive. I already miss that energy.
What is the most important thing you learnt on the course?
I have learnt how to build storytelling within space, whether for a temporary installation or a long-term environment. More importantly, I have learnt to develop a critical position and stand by it, understanding that design is never neutral, and that spatial practice carries responsibility.
Links
Connect with Vanessa on LinkedIn