Hello! I'm a design strategist + researcher with an entrepreneurial mind.
Currently a Master of Design student @ the Institute of Design, Chicago.
Previously @ Deloitte Consulting, Relish Works, FEG DRIVE, and ChiByDesign
with a background in Business Economics, Entrepreneurship, and Digital Humanities @ UCLA
Along the way, I’ve built brands, launched ventures, and helped organizations navigate ambiguity.
I explore and transform ideas into real-world impact through a blend of
psst…try hovering over here!
Companies I've worked with, places I've learned from…
🌟 selected work
Projects done between 2022 - 2025
Below is a collection of my favorite projects: complex problem-solving with thoughtful research, synthesis, and impactful storytelling
Equipped our partner with a blueprint, 6 design principles, and 2 user models that exposed key gaps, clarified opportunities, and laid the foundation for future development.
What does it take to design online counseling that fits the lives of working adults in Taiwan?
BLUEPRINTING A NEW OFFERING FOR A HEALTH ECOSYSTEM
Product Strategy
Blueprinting
Journey Mapping
User Research
Workshop Design & Facilitation
Concept Prototyping
What could help a global coffeehouse chain improve employee survey participation and overall engagement?
INCREASING SURVEY PARTICIPATION FOR BETTER DECISION-MAKING
Story Coming Soon
Mixed-Methods Research
User Testing
Multi-Intervention Strategy
How might we co-design early childhood services in Illinois with the most marginalized families?
DESIGNING SERVICE DELIVERY FOR A NEW STATE DEPARTMENT
In Progress
Service Design
Co-Design
Research Design & Planning
How might we develop a growth model that helps an aging-in-place program to scale sustainably?
HELPING AN NATIONAL PROGRAM THINK THROUGH GROWTH
Story Coming Soon
Diagramming
Ecosystem Mapping
Framework Development
Over the years, I've developed a community of 10K+ creatives on my Instagram page, @sammys.journal, where I share my illustrations, journal pages, and other creative pursuits.
Sammy's Journal: My Creative Community
Visual Art
Content Creation
An interactive game as a learning companion for 6th-graders learning biology . Students learn through a combination of digital and tactile experience, optimized for immersion and inclusivity. The experience is delivered on an tablet-based app and physical gameboard.
Bloxology: Inclusive Design through Gaming
Inclusive Design
Game Design
A TV remote that mirrors the clickable parts of your TV’s interface using novel haptic technology, creating a dynamic, tactile surface that acts as your TV remote. What possibilities does this unlock for entertainment creators and consumers?
Morph: TV Remote Reimagined
Emerging Tech
Concept Design
A small business centered around memory keeping, created to empower people to preserve their memories through storytelling. Launched in December 2020, our photo journals are now loved in 8,000+ homes across 26 countries.
Project Memory: A photo journal brand
Business Venture
Brand-Building
As a kid, I was drawn to creating things and building around them. These explorations are no different. Some emerged from my design work, others from curiosity and moments of inspiration.
🌱 side quests & explorations
Designers come in all styles. After collaborating with teams and people of different disciplines worldwide, I’ve figured out mine.
These are the strengths I lean on… especially when things get messy.
I'm a visualizer.
When things get abstract, I gravitate towards whiteboards and markers. I've aligned and unblocked teams in synthesis with my little drawings. I won't just sketch out my thoughts — I'll give shape to yours too!
I ask great questions.
A natural clarifier, I spot gaps in logic and ask the questions that moves us in productive directions. It took me a while to fully appreciate the power of a good question, but now it’s how I start contributing from day one.
I can handle tough conversations.
I’ve asked tough questions, managed expectations, spoken up for myself and others, and worked well with all kinds of personalities, thanks to clear communication, positive intent, and years of experience under my belt.
Some things I deeply believe about design.
We need to design responsibly, now more than ever.
Everything in our modern world is built by humans, for humans. Yet our systems and built environments are far from human-centered. As design moves beyond aesthetics into complex systems, we must champion solutions that promote equity and sustainability.
Design's greatest value is in its thoughtfulness.
A strong design process doesn’t rush to conclusions. It makes deliberate choices with people at the center. A good solution won’t solve everything, but what sets it apart is when you can say, “Yeah, that was a tradeoff we intentionally made,” instead of, “Oh… we didn’t think of that.”
The best design research tell sticky, compelling stories.
If decision-makers don’t remember the insights, what’s the point? Designers often advocate for those not in the room, and telling their stories is half the work—whether through stellar visuals, unconventional deliverables, or immersive prototypes.
Prototype early, prototype fast, and get out of the lab.
Having straddled both the world of doers (startups, entrepreneurship) and deep thinkers (design), I believe in striking a balance. At some point, ideas need to be out in the world, so we can learn, adjust, and move forward. That point might be sooner than we think!
✍️ a glimpse into my mind
Testing and Evaluation Methods in Design
As designers increasingly work within complex systems and beyond aesthetics, the responsibility to provide evidence that a design works as intended grows.
As part of my last year at the Institute of Design, I've joined an academic research effort that aims to map the current landscape of testing in design and offer a conceptual model of testing, alongside a curated list of tools to help designers generate evidence before implementation.
Coming Soon
Faculty Research, Institute of Design Equitable Healthcare Lab
Blog Post
Lessons learned while building a business
Podcast feature
We talk about our experience launching a photo album brand
Press | Daily Bruin Newspaper
Project Memory combines photo books and journaling to create a community
Blog Post
5 things my life at UCLA taught me
see more blog posts
👋 thanks for visiting!
I'd love to hear from you. Email me at samantha.chandra@gmail.com