Born in the city of Ismayilli, Rizvan Bagirli completed his secondary education at Secondary School No. 3 in Ismayilli. From 2000 to 2004, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Economic Relations at the Azerbaijan State University of Economics, and later completed his Master’s degree in the same field between 2004 and 2006.
After graduating, he began his career at Herba Flora, initially working as a Sales Manager, where he also gained his first experience in graphic design. Shortly after, he shifted his focus from economics to design and spent six years working as a graphic designer within the same company.
After gaining experience in print advertising design and production environments, he joined the global advertising agency Organic Ogilvy in 2011 as a graphic designer. After only nine months, he was recruited by another global agency, McCann Baku, where he worked for six years as a graphic designer and later as an art director. During this period, he collaborated with international brands such as Alpen Gold, Milka, Mastercard, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Eti, and Unilever, as well as local brands including Bakcell, Nar, Gilan, Neftchi PFK, Norm Cement, and Kristal Absheron. He also served as a graphic designer and art director for major events such as the World Chess Olympiad and the Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku.
Since 2018, Rizvan Bagirli has continued his career as a freelance designer and later co-founded the design studio Marka. From 2018 to 2025, he also worked as a lecturer at Code Academy, where he has trained over 200 designers. His students now work as graphic and UX/UI designers, art directors in both local and international companies, and some have founded their own studios or continue teaching in the field.
Rizvan’s mission to develop strong Azerbaijani designers will continue through Marka Education, which he co-founded.
Throughout his career, Rizvan Bagirli has participated in various forums, seminars, and radio programs on graphic design, UX/UI design, and advertising. He has also served as a jury member and jury chair at design and advertising festivals.
In recent years, he has focused on the theoretical foundations of design and is the author of the “Designer’s Desk Book” series, a three-volume collection covering Typography, Composition, and Design Grids.
