Our studio has always been a scrappy little setup. It’s like the library room of a messy writer’s home. It’s like the workstation of an artist’s outhouse. Paint stains on the floor. Dusty carpet. Papers, Books, sheets, and markers all around. Inspiration references stacked in all corners. A couple of wilting plants.
We don’t necessarily build the most cutting-edge designs or experiences. We don’t always get it right. Our solutions aren’t flawless or perfect from any angle. Our opinions and recommendations aren’t always backed by strong proof points. We work on a bit of intuition, a bit of gut, a bit of unbiased observations, quite a few honest conversations and a whole lot of soul. That’s probably why we have had organisations partnering with us since 2015.
Soul in every email we draft. Soul in every little post we put out. In every little thing we create. Soul in each hug and smile we give someone when we meet them. Soul that’s so honest, pure and true, that it sometimes muddies up our understanding of whether we are approaching an action from a professional or a personal outlook. It drives the way we want to find answers in a meeting, or find solutions for anyone’s problem. It's our grit, grind and chase to find the best answer that helps us match up to (or sometimes outrun) the ones with more talent and skill. This is why the studio has survived and stayed (relatively) relevant for 9+ years.
Without soul, we aren’t relevant. There is enough great talent in the world to swap out with. There are better-run firms around us. The soul we bring to our every action at the studio makes us special.
The team is skilled in research, field documentation, writing, design, and strategy. Everything is built in-house. Our goal is to invest in projects that have the potential to drive long-term impact. We take pride in designing solutions that are honest, practical and sustainable. The team functions at an extremely fast pace, following a rigorous planning and implementation process. We run like a high-intensity kitchen.
We are a no-fluff, no-bullshit, no-jargon setup. We keep everything real. We call out things that we aren’t aligned on, or comfortable with. We speak up. We dig, dig, dig, and dig further for better answers. We are all researchers in our own way. We are shy. We are humble. We question everything that we rep, and that’s awesome. We are cynical and extremely critical. We have judgements, but function from a deep level of empathy. We listen. We remember. We fight. We are willing to undo, change and reset for a better solution at any time, and at any cost. We adapt. Help others adapt. We push for change with deep humility and respect.
Our studio has a reputation for maintaining extremely high standards of quality and precision across all aspects of our work. It’s an inclusive work practice with our partner orgs and beneficiaries and collaborators all being at the centre of each discussion. This style of working has been Studio Subu’s trademark and the reason for all its success so far. The people working with us have made Studio Subu what it is.
Partner, Business & Strategy Head
Background
Meghna Rakshit has over 20 years of experience in marketing and communications with corporate and social sector companies. She is passionate about leveraging communications to drive social change. Meghna holds an MBA from the Indian School of Business and a BA in Marketing and Psychology from Hamilton College, NY. She brings extensive experience in user-centred problem-solving, communications, business planning and design thinking to her work. She sits on the advisory board of ATMA and has been a speaker at several dev sector forums. Prior to Studio Subu, Meghna previously worked as a communications director at Womanity Foundation and Teach For India. Her corporate experience includes working as a media planner at Mindshare New York & Mumbai and as a marketing strategist at 9.9 Media, and Anand Bazaar Patrika.
Partner, Creative Head
Background
Harish has been working as a researcher, designer and creative strategist for 15 years. His work focuses on building accessible and inclusive experiences stemming from user behaviour studies. Harish started working as a mixed-media freelancer at 19. He has experimented with a varied set of creative gigs ranging from assisting multi-media artists, to curating wall murals, branding small enterprises, and apprenticing in print shops. Before starting Studio Subu, harish worked in advertising at JWT NY, and led design at an education non-profit — Teach For India. Harish holds a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His work has been internationally recognised and awarded the William Drenttel Award for Excellence in Design (2016).