Founded in the mid-1980s by Lejla Mulabegović, Dalida and Bojan Hadžihalilović while they were still students at the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo, the TRIO design group quickly gained prominence. Before the Bosnian War (1992-1995), their work was highly visible, notably in album designs for renowned Sarajevo pop and rock bands like Bijelo dugme, Plavi orkestar, Bombaj štampa, and Đino banana. They also created striking posters for theater productions at the Yugoslav Drama Theatre in Belgrade, the YU Fest Theatre Festival (directed by Ljubiša Ristić), and numerous other cultural events. Additionally, they designed several covers for the Slovenian magazine Mladina.
During the war, TRIO remained in Sarajevo, contributing to the magazine DANI with cover designs. They also produced a series of posters, “Greetings from Sarajevo,” expressing the resilience of Sarajevo’s citizens and emphasizing the city’s role as a repository of global civilization values. These posters, later printed as postcards in early 1994, garnered international acclaim, including the ICOGRADA Award, significantly boosting their international recognition.