Hi! I’m Sanjana, an illustrator and graphic designer based in Chicago with a background in organizational and social psychology (BA Psychology & Art Practice at UC Berkeley, MSc in Organizational-Social Psychology at London School of Economics). My work visualises the invisible currents that shape human experience — emotions, relationships, cultural narratives, and collective ways of being — to build impactful, people-centric visuals. I’ve created brand identities, art directed social media and web campaigns, illustrated for international editorial publications, and led communications strategy for social impact organizations, multinational companies, and academic institutions. What sets me apart: I approach every brief with both a designer’s eye and a researcher’s mind. I don’t just make things look good — I understand why visuals impact people, and I design accordingly. Available for illustration, branding, editorial design, and communications strategy projects.

Sanjana Bakre

Hi! I’m Sanjana, an illustrator and graphic designer based in Chicago with a background in organizational and social psychology (BA Psychology & Art Practice at UC Berkeley, MSc in Organizational-Social Psychology at London School of Economics). My work visualises the invisible currents that shape human experience — emotions, relationships, cultural narratives, and collective ways of being — to build impactful, people-centric visuals. I’ve created brand identities, art directed social media and web campaigns, illustrated for international editorial publications, and led communications strategy for social impact organizations, multinational companies, and academic institutions. What sets me apart: I approach every brief with both a designer’s eye and a researcher’s mind. I don’t just make things look good — I understand why visuals impact people, and I design accordingly. Available for illustration, branding, editorial design, and communications strategy projects.

Available to hire

Hi! I’m Sanjana, an illustrator and graphic designer based in Chicago with a background in organizational and social psychology (BA Psychology & Art Practice at UC Berkeley, MSc in Organizational-Social Psychology at London School of Economics).

My work visualises the invisible currents that shape human experience — emotions, relationships, cultural narratives, and collective ways of being — to build impactful, people-centric visuals.

I’ve created brand identities, art directed social media and web campaigns, illustrated for international editorial publications, and led communications strategy for social impact organizations, multinational companies, and academic institutions.

What sets me apart: I approach every brief with both a designer’s eye and a researcher’s mind. I don’t just make things look good — I understand why visuals impact people, and I design accordingly.

Available for illustration, branding, editorial design, and communications strategy projects.

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Work Experience

Freelance Illustrator at Chr. Michelsen Institute
March 1, 2026 - Present
Creating bespoke editorial illustrations for published international research essays, developing original visual concepts from close reading of complex written narratives. Collaborating with researchers and editors through iterative concept and feedback cycles, incorporating revisions while maintaining the integrity of the original visual direction.
Graphic Designer and Communications Strategy Consultant at Social Alpha, Foundation for Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (FISE)
January 1, 2026 - Present
Developing distinct visual identities for social impact programs; concepting and executing full campaign collateral from brief through final production, managing all stages of the design process independently. Extending partner brand guidelines for collaborators, including Pfizer and Intel, to maintain visual consistency across a broad portfolio.
People, Organization, and Culture Consulting Associate at ANSR Global
September 1, 2024 - November 1, 2025
Sole designer on a consulting team, concepting and producing branded presentations, reports, and employee communications for 13 multinational clients including Heineken, Dr. Martens, and American Airlines. Managed multiple stakeholders, routed materials for approval, and delivered polished outputs on schedule in a fast-paced, client-facing environment.
Project Assistant at Greater Good Science Center, University of California
August 1, 2022 - July 31, 2023
Maintained visual identity of a multi-university network spanning UC Berkeley, UCSF, and Harvard (the Network for Emotional Wellbeing) across website, email newsletters, pitch decks, and findings reports, ensuring design consistency across institutional communications. Commissioned and coordinated visual assets across a multi-university network, developing experience working with contributors and managing creative output across multiple stakeholders.
Head Designer and Peer Reviewer at Undergraduate Journal of Psychology at Berkeley
August 1, 2022 - January 31, 2023
Led cover and interior layout design for a peer-reviewed publication, developing strong typographic judgment and print production sensibility. Managed the full design lifecycle from concept through print-ready file preparation, ensuring professional presentation of published work.
Marketing Communications Intern at Social Alpha, Foundation for Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship (FISE)
June 1, 2021 - August 31, 2021
Led rebranding for seven social-impact startups, designing logos, visual identities, websites, and pitch decks — developing fluency in building cohesive visual systems from the ground up.

Education

MSc Organizational and Social Psychology at The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
September 25, 2023 - September 23, 2024
BA Art Practice & Psychology at University of California, Berkeley
August 26, 2019 - May 13, 2023

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Education, Professional Services, Healthcare, Life Sciences