Today we’d like to introduce you to Shanmathy Kumaravel
shanmathykumaravel@gmail.com, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Shanmathy Kumaravel, a graphic designer originally from a serene coastal village in Tamil Nadu, India, now thrives as a designer and storyteller in Baltimore, MD. Her expertise spans typography, print design, branding, identity systems, and book design, but her true superpower lies in crafting stories that connect people through her work. Every project she undertakes is a thoughtful narrative, blending artistry with purpose to evoke emotions, spark memories, and create meaningful impact.
Growing up in a technology-free environment, Shanmathy honed her creativity through observation, imagination, and resourceful exploration. Her upbringing amidst the vibrant cultural and natural landscapes of her hometown profoundly shaped her worldview and passion for design. However, pursuing a career in design wasn’t an obvious choice. Coming from a family of educators and engineers, she faced the challenge of proving that her artistic calling was not just a hobby but a meaningful career. With unyielding determination and a deep belief in the transformative power of design, she charted her own path, one step at a time.
Her educational journey brought her to the prestigious Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), where she earned her Master’s in Graphic Design in 2023. At MICA, Shanmathy’s passion for storytelling deepened, and she discovered a love for book design. Her thesis project, Voice, was a poignant magazine that addressed unspoken topics like trauma and therapy, accompanied by a sound installation. This work allowed her to blend her personal experiences with Baltimore’s rich community narratives, embodying her belief in design as a tool for empathy and connection.
Shanmathy’s cultural roots and upbringing are woven into her creative process, offering her a unique perspective. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she created localized awareness posters to bridge communication gaps in her community—an example of how she adapts design to solve real-world problems. Her ability to see emotions as colors, a result of her synesthesia, adds an additional layer of vibrancy and depth to her work. For her, color is more than a visual element; it is a medium of storytelling, shaping the mood and character of her designs with intuitive precision.
Her work has been recognized for its innovation and impact. She was a Top 3 student winner at AIGA 2023 for her branding project Fuse and contributed to the vibrant graduate thesis wall for her MICA cohort, celebrating the diverse voices within her class. Today, she continues to create meaningful work as part of the City of Baltimore’s team, where she recently collaborated with Made in Baltimore on a magazine celebrating over 125 local vendors. The project, close to her heart, encapsulates her mission as a designer: connecting communities and amplifying unheard voices through her craft.
Whether it’s designing a magazine, crafting an identity system, or reimagining a typographic experience, Shanmathy’s work is driven by her love for storytelling and her innate ability to see beauty in the unnoticed. Her journey—from the shores of Tamil Nadu to the creative landscape of Baltimore—illustrates her resilience, passion, and the enduring power of design to build bridges and bring stories to life.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Grad school was supposed to be the dream—my golden time to grow and explore. But what came after? That was the real adventure. Trying to land a job in a bad market as an international student wasn’t just tough; it felt like climbing a never-ending uphill battle.
After graduation, all my friends scattered across the country for their own job hunts, and I ended up crashing at my brother’s place to save on rent. Living in a house full of engineers who didn’t get what I did? Let’s just say it wasn’t easy. Every dinner conversation somehow circled back to questioning the worth of a designer: “What do you even do? Was all that money spent on school worth it?” And when you’re not landing jobs, those questions hit differently.
Every morning, I woke up with this constant knot in my stomach, questioning my choices, my portfolio, my entire existence as a designer. The rejection emails kept piling up, and I started doubting everything.
But even in that haze, I knew I had to show up for myself every single day. I started working out to stay sane—it gave me structure when everything else felt chaotic. After that, it was straight to the grind: 9–5 of cold emailing, LinkedIn messaging, portfolio tweaking, and job applications. There were days I’d go to bed feeling like I’d moved an inch forward and miles back.
After eight months of this uphill slog, I finally landed a job. And in that instant, everything shifted. My freedom came back, my portfolio suddenly felt like it had a glow-up, and life started to make sense again. That job didn’t just give me a paycheck; it gave me back my confidence, my independence, and my belief in what I do.
Looking back, that struggle shaped me. Job searching is brutal—it forces you to question everything, but it also teaches you resilience. It’s a reminder to trust the process, keep showing up, and know that even when you feel like you’re stuck in the dark, there’s light at the end.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on is the Baltimore Lookbook, a collection showcasing over 125 local vendors. Growing up in a small, nature-filled village in Tamil Nadu, India, storytelling came naturally to me. With limited access to technology, my creativity thrived on imagination and observation. From crafting handmade books to designing for communities, it has always been about connecting people through stories.
Moving to Baltimore for my master’s at MICA felt like stepping into another world. I kept wondering, Will the stories that shaped me—the ones rooted in my culture—matter here? Can I design something that truly captures Baltimore’s soul?
When the Lookbook project landed in my hands, it felt huge. I had only been in the city for two years, yet I was responsible for representing its creators authentically. Every page needed to reflect Baltimore’s resilience, creativity, and heartbeat. The pressure was real, and I spent most of the process second-guessing if I was doing it justice.
But then came launch night. Watching people flip through the pages, celebrating the stories, and connecting with the work—it was pure magic. Seeing the city’s creators being recognized and knowing I played a role in that? That was a full-circle moment that reminded me why I became a designer in the first place.
What are your plans for the future?
Always just want to do more of what I’m doing now—travel the world, meet incredible people, fall in love with golden-hour skies, and capture it all through my travel zine. That’s the plan. Work-wise, I want to keep things fluid, let my style evolve, and build a space where people can see my stories and feel inspired to share their own. I’ve always been drawn to the stories that get lost in the noise, the ones people don’t always stop to notice. If the universe is listening, I hope it keeps choosing me to find them and bring them to light.If fate’s feeling playful, I hope it keeps sneaking lost stories my way to bring into the light.
Keep an eye on my website—new things are always on the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shanmathykumaravel.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shanmathy_k/?hl=en
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanmathy-kumaravel-0600521b3/
