Daily Inspiration: Meet Riya Shah

Today we’d like to introduce you to Riya Shah.

Hi Riya, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always been a creative kid. Growing up, I was super curious and constantly chaotic. I wanted to touch, taste, smell, and observe everything around me. I was obsessed with textures, street food smells, the way things were designed, and the clever copy on billboards.
I was born in the US but grew up mostly in India, and honestly, growing up in the most populated country in the world just builds something in you. You’re always hustling. But at the same time, you’re surrounded by so much culture, color, and layered perspectives that it’s impossible not to absorb that. My parents are both creative in their own ways, so when I turned out to be the wild creative in the family, unlike my more science-driven brother, they didn’t try to tame it, and only encouraged it.
I started with drawing and eventually joined classes with a teacher we called Tai, which means older sister in my regional language, Marathi. She probably had no idea how much she changed my life. She helped me see that design wasn’t just about making things look good. It could shift perspectives and actually make a difference. That was the first time I saw creativity as a real path.
That led me to the National Institute of Fashion Technology, where I studied Fashion Communication. It was one of the most intense and creatively charged environments I’ve ever been in. I met students from all over India — from rural towns to big cities — all of us just trying to create something meaningful.
However, even though I loved the world of fashion, I realized it wasn’t fully clicking for me. I kept going back to the ads I grew up seeing and the way they made me feel. I wanted to be the person behind them. I wanted to drive campaigns and build brands with strong stories. That clarity led me to transfer to SCAD in Atlanta.
Now I’m an incoming senior doing my BFA in Advertising and Branding with a minor in Graphic Design, and it’s been the best decision. I’m constantly experimenting with how I can push ideas, whether that’s through AI, storytelling, or design thinking. I love geeking out about packaging at Trader Joe’s, pointing out fonts to my friends, or doing stick and poke tattoos with them just for fun. Recently, I won two International Design Awards for some of my graphic work, and right now I’m working on the brand identity for an entire conference using only AI. It’s been chaotic, frustrating, and incredibly fun — and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m always looking for what I can learn next and how I can keep creating better.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not really, but I don’t think it was ever supposed to be. I’m not someone who likes to dwell on struggles too much. In a very cliche way, I see them as things that just happen along the way, like weird detours that end up teaching you something or leading you somewhere better. I also have this habit of mentally deleting the bad stuff because I know there’s always something more exciting coming next.
That said, there have definitely been some bumps. I come from a huge family filled with engineers and doctors, so saying I wanted to be a designer was not the most obvious path. But my parents have always seen how much I love creating, and they’ve been incredibly supportive from the start. Whether it was me staying up all night for art exams, choosing design school, or deciding to move across the world to study branding, they’ve always had my back.
Moving to the US was a big leap. It was exciting, but also super overwhelming. I had moments where I questioned everything. Like, did I just leave my whole life behind to chase something that might not even work out? There were days I felt totally lost, creatively and emotionally. I’ve been rejected from internships I thought were perfect for me, and I’ve had moments where I just sat with that feeling of not being enough. Plus the usual personal chaos like heartbreak and self-doubt.
But honestly, I’ve been lucky. I’ve always had people around me who’ve grounded me — my parents, my brother, my closest friends. They’ve been there through every high and low, always reminding me why I started and what I’m capable of.
Over time, I’ve learned that things not working out is never the end of the story. The internships I didn’t get? They led me to projects that helped me grow way more. The low moments? They made me reflect and push myself harder. Even when it’s tough, I’ve seen that something better usually shows up after.
So no, it hasn’t been smooth. But I’ve grown a lot through the messy parts. I’ve just learned to keep moving, keep creating, and trust that it’s all building towards something.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m an Advertising and Branding major with a minor in Graphic Design, and I float between being an art director, designer, and strategist depending on the day. I love hopping around between ideas and diving into anything that feels bold, fun, or slightly unhinged in the best way. I’m definitely the person who throws out the crazy idea in the room just to see where it goes.
Lately, I’ve really fallen in love with creating campaigns, especially for consumer product brands. A lot of my work ends up circling around food for some reason, which honestly makes it more fun. The project I’m proudest of right now is one I worked on with a group of classmates last year. We created the full branding for a new grocery store opening soon in downtown Atlanta, in collaboration with the Mayor’s office. It was part of a larger initiative to tackle food insecurity in the city. The store had to serve a super diverse audience — everyone from unhoused folks to government workers — and designing something that spoke to all of them required a ton of research and empathy. That project taught me a lot about how design can directly impact people’s lives.
Aside from that, I’ve interned at an ad agency where I got to work on some iconic southern food brands like Texas Pete’s and Pal’s, and I’ll be spending this summer interning at a company that owns brands like Dunkin, Baskin Robbins, Arby’s, and Sonic. It’s been cool seeing the behind-the-scenes of how massive brands operate and how much fun you can still inject into them.
My work tends to lean into what one of my professors called “authentic and contagious,” but honestly, I just think of it as being shameless. I like to see how far I can push something — whether that means making branded toilet paper rolls as swag, or throwing bright, loud color into a project that’s usually expected to be subtle. I don’t like being predictable, and I think that’s a big part of what sets my work apart.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
There’s no way I could have gotten here alone. I am a big people person and genuinely thrive off the people I surround myself with. I’ve had some incredible cheerleaders along the way, and they’ve meant the world to me.
First off, my family. I’ve been insanely lucky to have parents who’ve supported me through every wild creative decision I’ve made, even when it meant moving halfway across the world or diving headfirst into something that didn’t look “stable” on paper. They’ve supported me emotionally, financially, and energetically — always reminding me that if I believe in something, I should go for it. My brother has been one of my biggest supporters and is almost my life coach. He’s more data-driven and strategic in how he thinks, but he’s always been able to give me the best perspective when I’m stuck. He’s the person I call when I’m having a meltdown, when I need help making a decision, (or even when I just need someone to Venmo me because I spent too much on things from local artists!).
I’ve also had some amazing teachers who’ve shaped how I think as a creative. Judy Salzinger has taught me so much about how to push my ideas and challenge the first solution I come up with. Gauri Misra-Deshpande made me see how culture, language, and intention can drive meaning in design, and Michelle Ducayet has helped me refine my ability to craft campaigns that aren’t just beautiful, but actually make people care. They’ve all asked me tough questions, given brutally honest feedback, and helped me level up without ever making me feel like I couldn’t do it.
Then there are my friends — past and present — who keep me going. The ones I grew up with, who are truly my biggest pillars of support. The ones who you don’t have to talk to for months but will always be your biggest cheerleaders. The friends from NIFT who were in the trenches with me during those chaotic all-nighters. And the ones I’m surrounded by now, who are artists and designers and filmmakers and writers, and who inspire me every day just by being who they are. They’ve helped me through breakdowns, brainstormed with me when I hit creative blocks, and reminded me of my voice when I was doubting it.
I genuinely think the people around me have shaped my work just as much as my own ideas have. Every critique, pep talk, inside joke, and brainstorm session has left a mark. So even though my name might be on the work, it’s never just mine.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.riyashahdesign.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riya.jpeg/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/riya-shah-b09996291/

Image Credits
Samridhi Jain