We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Soumya Wagle a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Soumya thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

One of the most meaningful projects I worked on is the first book I designed. It’s a children’s book called “The Adventure of Your Feelings” and follows the story of an ice-cream cone, Scoop. It goes on a roller coaster ride, and throughout the ride, it experiences a range of emotions, including fear, surprise, joy, and excitement. This story aims to inspire young children to recognize different feelings and encourages them to be aware of their emotions, both good and bad.

I worked closely with authors Nour Petite and Amira Soofi and designer Jainam Gala on developing the book from scratch, working on concept art, character art, book layout, and typesetting. I had a lot of creative freedom, which meant that the possibilities were endless.
Over the course of a few months, we went from rough sketches to fully fleshed out illustrations, depicting Scoop in various scenarios.

Eventually, Scoop came to life, and the book was published! Through several iterations and explorations, it taught me a lot about design and illustration. I heavily resonated with the story and its purpose — helping young minds develop emotional awareness and intelligence. Although the words were not my own, this book became and remains close to my heart.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a US-based graphic designer and illustrator, and I enjoy strategizing, crafting conceptually robust visual identity systems, and incorporating humor and storytelling in my work. Originally, I trained as an artist and an engineer, and have always had (too) many interests. Brands, social media, marketing, advertising, you name it. Right at the beginning of my career, the contrasting paths of art and engineering converged, opening up another path to the world of design. I was driven by curiosity and wanted to learn by doing, so I interned and eventually freelanced for companies and clients situated in different spaces, including non-profits, fintech, social media influencers, and independent authors. The type of design I worked on and its purpose changed with the change in these spaces, but one thing remained clear: I was passionate about using design as a tool to communicate and bring joy into the world.

After earning my engineering degree, I moved to Baltimore, Maryland, to pursue an MFA in Graphic Design at the Maryland Institute College of Art. During my time there, I further cultivated my love for brand identity, storytelling, and illustration, exploring projects that spoke to diverse audiences. Two years of grad school, including my MFA thesis year, allowed me to expand my role beyond that of a designer; I discovered how I work as an art director, an illustrator, a photographer, and even an author.

Since then, I have worked across multiple facets of design: print collateral and packaging, as well as digital experiences such as apps, websites, emails, and social media. My clients range from news platforms such as Vox to tourism authorities from the Caribbean islands. My work has been recognized by AIGA, Communication Arts, Creative Quarterly, International Design Awards, Indigo Awards, and The One Club for Creativity.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I used to believe that as a creative, you had to find your “niche” and grow within it. As someone who grew up with social media, I constantly came across artists and designers who had distinctive styles and strong, recognizable voices in their work. In contrast, I was always drawn to projects that were drastically different from one another, so each required a unique design approach. As a result, I did not develop a single specific style. At first, I thought it might hinder me from establishing myself as a creative. But over time, I realized that you should do what works best for you. Not having a niche has been liberating and instrumental in my growth as a designer, allowing me to adapt and take on a variety of projects.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

My generation has been fortunate to grow up with the Internet — and as a result, we’ve had the world’s resources at our fingertips. The constant availability of resources online can be overwhelming, which gets to a point of oversaturation and trends, often moving us away from originality. I have realized that looking for inspiration in our daily life, beyond the screen, is often overlooked, yet it’s something that helps us create fresh, original work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://soumyawagle.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soumyasf
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soumyaw