Design and Communications
For Social Impact
Design and Communications
For Social Impact
The studio is built like an experimental lab
Over the past 9 years, the studio has morphed into different shapes and sizes with a singular goal of pushing and innovating on what research, design and communication is, and can be in the Indian social impact space. We have preferred to keep Studio Subu nimble, fluidic and exploratory as a setup. It allows us to push hard and fast. It allows us to pilot ideas, and experiment with concepts that are hard to implement in a standard agency / organisation.
We focus on building rapid prototypes backed by honest research. It’s an inclusive work practice, with our partner orgs and beneficiaries and collaborators all being at the centre of each discussion.
We function like a "SWAT Team"
We are a team of researchers, designers, writers, and strategists doing targeted work to drive long-term impact. We are a lean team working on limited, targeted projects each year. We spend weeks with our partner organisation on pre-project preparation work. It allows us to ensure every day is meticulously mapped out and we're able to fire at high-intensity from the get go.
Our team functions at an extremely fast pace, following a rigorous planning and implementation process. 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.
Our Team
Harish Subramanian
CEO, Creative Head
Harish has been working in the social Impact space as a researcher and designer for 11 years. His work focuses on building accessible and inclusive experiences stemming from user behaviour studies. He uses human-centred design principles as his framework to develop design strategies and improve engagement. 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). Harish credits all his work and accolades to the vision and knowledge shared by his mentor Aaron Padin.
Meghna Rakshit
Head of Business & Strategy
Meghna Rakshit has over 20 years of experience in in marketing and communications with corporate and social sector companies. She is passionate about leveraging communications to drive gender equality and empower women. 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 planing 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 include working as a media planner at Mindshare New York & Mumbai, and as a marketing strategist at 9.9 Media, and Anand Bazaar Patrika.
Siddhika Nagwade
Head of Operations
Siddhika's professional journey has intertwined with operations, education, and the non-profit sector for over 14 years. Her experiences in the operational landscape, combined with a profound passion for early education, have shaped a unique perspective on the power of knowledge to drive positive change. She thrives in fast-paced environments developing, implementing, and analyzing strategy. Prior to Studio Subu, she worked with Phio Tech, an ed-tech organisation as the COO and co-created a tool to support early education.
Rhea Antony
Senior Communications Designer
Rhea is a communication designer with a passion for culture, social impact, and sustainability. Her varied experience spans from working at an intergovernmental organisation in Singapore to documenting tribal practices in the Nilgiris. At the global sustainability think tank, WRI, she worked on communicating challenges around urban design and road safety in Indian cities. After freelancing for a year and a half, she now brings her expertise and innovative approach to the Studio Subu team.
Speaking Engagements
Speaker at Navigating the Fundraising Landscape (Narrative for Fundraising)
Hosted by Sattva Consulting
Online Oct 2021
Mentor + Collaborator: Future of Impact Collaborative [Mentorship Program]
(Communications support for organisations)
Online Nov-Dec 2020
Speaker at Accelerate for Impact Initiative (Communications for Fundraising)
Hosted by Sattva Consulting
Online Nov 2020
Speaker at National Innovation Summit (InnovatED)
hosted by Teach For India
Delhi 2019
Session on Branding & Entrepreneurship Hosted by Future School of Performing Arts (FSPA) Mumbai 2018
Speaker at National Innovation Summit (InnovatED)
hosted by Teach For India
Bangalore 2018
Speaker at Design For Development
hosted by Parivartan Stories
Mumbai 2017
Jobs At Studio Subu
As a studio, we care less about the number of hours we clock in, and more about how we motor towards meeting targeted deadlines. It's a people focussed setup.
The studio cares about you — you having all the things you need to maximise your time at work, you having a personal life, you having time for other interests. In return, it expects you to stay locked in and push hard every minute you spend in the "lab". It will feel like working in a high-intensity kitchen. If you don’t have your foundational skills in place, it will be hard, especially in the beginning. It will be a steep learning curve, but the team will have your back.
Our studio has a reputation for maintaining extremely high standards of quality across all aspects of our work — not just the end solution, but the process, as well as the working experience we provide our org partners from day 0 to project-wrap. While it will be intensive, if you hack it, you will love it.
We have 2 openings at the moment.
[1] Senior Operations Manager
[2] Senior Visual Designer
200+ orgs
Thematic Areas
Child Health & Safety
Youth Leadership
Health & Nutrition
Education
Women Empowerment
Gender Rights
Community Development
Vocational Training
Housing & Water
Road Safety
Aangan Trust
Akanksha Foundation
ATE Chandra Foundation
ATMA
By The Way — Parsi Kitchen
Cipla Foundation
Dalberg
Dasra
Forbes Marshall
Future School of Performing Arts
Global School Leaders
Google
Habitat For Humanity India
IDFC Institute
IDinsight
IMC Ladies Wing
India School Leadership Institute
ITeach Schools
Kautilya School of Public Policy
Leadership For Equity
Language Learning Foundation
Manndeshi Bank
Manndeshi Foundation
Mentor Me India
Parinaam Foundation
PVR Nest
Rangsutra
Save Life Foundation
Save The Children India
Seniority (RPG Group)
Seva Sadan Society
Simple Education Foundation
SNEHA Mumbai
Sriguruji Art Academy
Social Venture Partners
Teach For India
The Coach Crew
Toybank
Treelife Consulting
Ummeed
University Of Chicago
Villgro
Womanity Foundation
321 Education Foundation
