Simoul Alva’s Story of Purpose and Possibility: Designing the Future, One Pixel at a Time

We finally spoke with Simoul Alva this week, after days of juggling time zones and shifting calendars. From the very beginning, something about her presence was unmistakable. Simoul listens. Not just with patience, but with care. She doesn’t rush to fill silences or interrupt. Instead, she holds space for your words, paying close attention even to the ones you didn’t mean to say out loud.

Her responses feel like slow, steady exhalations. Thoughtful, complete, and quietly certain. Even when your questions trail off or fold into one another, she never loses the thread. She remembers. She considers. She answers fully. There is a rare attentiveness in her that reveals itself not just in conversation, but in her work. It is this deep sense of awareness that makes 

Simoul Alva not only a brilliant designer, but a deeply grounded and intentional human being. 

Simoul Alva has always been a visual thinker, an only child raised in Mumbai by a teacher mother and a father with a background in finance. She found her first creative outlet in drawing. Films and books became early companions, offering her a window into worlds that would later influence her imagination as a designer. But it wasn’t until a senior in high school introduced her to the National Institute of Design (NID) that Simoul saw a future in design. She would go on to be one of around 100 students accepted each year into the prestigious program.

What followed was a series of defining moments, each laying a brick on her path toward becoming one of the most recognizable Indian names in global design today.

At NID, Simoul stood out early, representing India at the 44th WorldSkills Competition in Abu Dhabi, where she competed in packaging design, editorial, and visual identity, earning a medallion of excellence. Soon after, she landed coveted internships with Pentagram and Samsung’s Think Tank team, where she discovered her love for translating complex tech into accessible visual narratives. One of her earliest heroes, Michael Bierut, became a mentor during her stint  at Pentagram while working in his team, a chapter that continues to be deeply influential in her journey.

Simoul moved to the U.S. right before the pandemic and joined the high-impact creative team at &Walsh, working directly under Jessica Walsh. There, she helped craft the visual identity of Geltor, a biodesign firm, where her ability to merge organic forms with modern visual storytelling was widely acclaimed. Her design drew inspiration from the tree of life, encased in vibrant glass orb terrariums, earning attention from Fast Company, It’s Nice That, and Creative Boom.

Her editorial work, crisp, conceptual, and full of wit, first appeared in The New York Times in 2019. Since then, her illustrations have been featured across The Washington Post, WIRED, MIT Tech Review, Bloomberg Businessweek, YouTube, Harvard Business Review, and more. Whether it’s a piece on Slack replacing email or the nuances of financial technology, Simoul brings clarity, precision, and metaphor to every visual she creates.

In 2021, Simoul joined Robinhood as a Senior Visual Designer, where she led the design identity for the Robinhood Retirement project, work that later won the San Francisco Design Week Award. She now leads Brand Design at Ripple, shaping their visual identity across flagship events and products, including Ripple USD.

Despite her rapid rise, Simoul remains grounded in her roots. A recipient of the Helen Lansdowne Resor Scholarship and the Ratan Tata Foundation Grant, she’s part of an elite group of young Indian designers leaving an indelible mark on global design. Her art was recently commissioned for the Museum of Living History by the Mahindra Group in Mumbai—a 3D illustration titled Bridges of Tomorrow, an interactive installation celebrating innovation and purpose.

Her accolades include the Forbes India 30 Under 30, D&AD Next Illustrator Shortlist, DesignxDesign 20 Under 35, and a Certificate of Typographic Excellence by the Type Directors Club, among many others.

Simoul credits her parents for their unwavering support, which has encouraged both her academic and creative pursuits equally. “As a Bunt, I think industriousness is in my DNA,” she says with a smile. But for Simoul, success isn’t just about recognition. It’s about finding harmony, a balance between meaningful work and a fulfilling life.

She’s also deeply inspired by those she’s worked with—Jessica Walsh, Michael Bierut, and fellow Indian designer Khyati Trehan, who continue to shape her perspective on what it means to be a creator in an ever-evolving world.

Design, for Simoul, is not just a career. It’s a way to make sense of the world, to translate the complex into the beautiful, and to always, always, stay curious.

Simoul Alva’s story is not one of hardship overcome or battles fought in the dark. It is the story of a girl who believed. A girl whose dreams were not questioned, only nurtured. A young woman who moved through the world with curiosity as her compass and discipline as her guide.

She did not need to shout to be heard. She listened, she learned, she worked with care. She asked the right questions, stayed open to answers, and surrounded herself with people who inspired her to grow. Her success was not sudden. It was layered, built over time, shaped by intention and trust—in herself, and in the people who stood beside her.

Simoul is proof that strength can be quiet, ambition can be gentle, and a life well-lived can hold both purpose and peace. She is not the exception. She is a reflection of what is possible.

Simoul's Portfolio: https://simoulalva.com/