Sahaana Shankar
Midlands-based, India-born Junior Designer creating work shaped by empathy for connection, comfort, and the little moments that matter.




(Work Index)


01     The Break-In Kit



02     Denial Magazine



03     BWF Shuttle Time Seniors - 8-week Guides



04     because_



05     To Touch Is To Tell



06     Expresso Minds





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Expresso Minds





(Context)

Expresso Minds reimagines emotional support for students by making connection feel natural again.

(Scope)

Campaign Design
App Design




Set around casual café meetups, the app uses coffee culture as an emotional bridge, creating spaces that feel familiar, safe, and human.

Built on emotional UX principles, it helps users check in with themselves and connect with others through gentle, conversation-first flows.

Every interaction prioritises warmth over clinical formality, quietly holding space for vulnerability in a way that feels easy, supportive, and real.




Try the app below!



Beyond the app, I extended Expresso Minds into real-world touchpoints to build emotional visibility and encourage organic engagement.

From café-branded cups to tote bags and public-facing posters, every element was designed to reinforce the mission of informal emotional support.

The tone stayed playful, warm, and non-clinical, inviting students to feel seen without pressure.

These extensions helped weave the brand’s values into everyday environments where students already gather, making support feel natural, approachable, and most importantly, human.
















The Expresso Minds cloud mascot draws from the idea of steam, rising, shifting, releasing, mirroring how emotional expression can feel light, natural, and human.

I illustrated a full mascot set to bring warmth, approachability, and emotional permission into every interaction.

Alongside this, I created a Bingo card for playful engagement and developed a 3D AR filter on Snapchat to extend the brand into casual digital spaces.

Every touchpoint invites students to express themselves openly, without pressure or formality.










© Sahaana Shankar