Hey! This is Sahil Balani. I am an industrial design senior at RISD. I am eager and interested to use my skills from my educational and professional experiences to create products, brands, and campaigns.
Outside of the studio, I am a journalist for the Brown Daily Herald and have written various articles and film reviews. I also lead a team of eight people to manage and enlarge the Herald's presence on various social media platforms.
Interested in the blend between design and storytelling am currently looking for opportunities to learn and collaborate with other creative folks and create impactful wonders.
Education
Rhode Island School of Design
BFA Honors Industrial Design '24
GPA 3.89
GPA 3.89
Awards
XFM Spur Award
Awarded $2000 for research related to forced
displacement and refugee crisis around
the world. Primary focus on the migration
of people during the India-PakistanPartition of 1947.
displacement and refugee crisis around
the world. Primary focus on the migration
of people during the India-PakistanPartition of 1947.
Skills
Software Skills
Fusion 360, Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator,
Premiere Pro, InDesign, Google Suite, Rhino,
Solidworks, Procreate
Premiere Pro, InDesign, Google Suite, Rhino,
Solidworks, Procreate
Fabrication Skills
Laser Cutting, Wood Working, Sheet Metal
Working, CO2 Casting, Sand Casting,
3D Printing, Sewing.
Working, CO2 Casting, Sand Casting,
3D Printing, Sewing.
Design Process Skills
User Research, Research Mapping,
Rapid Prototyping, Typography, Wire-framing,
Sketching, Writing, Market and Comparative
Research, Color Study
Rapid Prototyping, Typography, Wire-framing,
Sketching, Writing, Market and Comparative
Research, Color Study
Soft Skills
Team Working, Communication,
Problem Solving, Organization,
Time Management
Problem Solving, Organization,
Time Management
Work Experiences
Product Design Intern | Petpooja | July '23 - Aug '23
As the product design intern, I worked directly with engineers and marketing team members to work on Petpooja’s consumer electronic products. My tasks included:
- Created mood boards for a variety of devices, aiding in visual inspiration and design direction.
- Employed hand sketching and Fusion 360 to redesign the Waiter Calling Device, enhancing both its form and functionality.
- Modified design challenges in the Waiter Calling Device to meet injection molding manufacturing specifications.
- Conceptualized and sketched the token device, a proposed addition to the company's product lineup.
- Utilized Adobe Illustrator to design packaging for the Payroll Device and the Waiter Calling Devices, keeping in mind the different printing processes
Social Media Chief | The Brown Daily Herald | Sept' 22 - Present
As social media chief, I lead a team of 10 students to keep the social media platforms of the newspaper, running. As a team, we collaborate to brainstorm various campaigns to increase the organization’s online presence. Keeping in mind the organization’s color palette and theme, I have developed multiple layouts and templates for various news events. Some of my posts have garnered over 600 interactions.
Editorial Writer | Fashion@Brown | Sept 2021 - Present
Interviewed various local artists from Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Conducted intensive secondary source research to write about representation in fashion community and trends that have lasted over decades, such as investigating the relation between food and fashion. Covered Brown Fashion Week, where I interviewed, model and actress, Brooke Shields and fashion journalist, Laura Brown.
Visual Communication Design Intern | Petpooja | July '22 - Aug '22
During my time as a visual communication design intern, I accomplished a variety of tasks ranging from:
- Created clear and user-friendly blog-site layouts, incorporating feedback from content writers and software engineers, resulting in successful prototypes.
- Utilized Google Analytics and insights from Petpooja's social media to contribute to the conceptualization of effective marketing strategies.
- Designed diverse social media and billboard advertisements for the company, using the Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. These designs were created keeping in consideration with the type, and printing constraints.