Sofia Pusa is a Finnish-born creative working globally across branding, illustration and strategy.

From bold, story-driven brand identities to dreamlike illustrations, her work transforms ideas into unforgettable visuals.

Sofia’s path to design wasn’t exactly a straight line. From studying Latin and aesthetics (unexpectedly useful) to business school (less so) to finally finding her way back to art and design, every step shaped her perspective. Having lived and worked in six countries, Sofia sees the world through many lenses. Mexico, in particular, left a mark, and its rich colors and energy still echo in her work today.

Empathy and curiosity are her superpowers. They help her shape abstract ideas into something deeply human, allowing brands to not just be seen but understood. Now, as a creative director and illustrator, she builds visual worlds that give brands their voice. Her work isn’t just about aesthetics – it’s about emotion, connection, and meaning. 

Sofia’s work has earned awards from ADC Awards (US), Applied Arts Design Awards (CA), and the 3x3 Illustration Show (US), among others. She has also been a jury member for Vuoden Huiput, Finland’s leading creative competition. As a Community Advisory Board Member for Adobe, she helps shape industry standards for transparency and content protection in the digital age.

Selected Clients

&Walsh
Adobe
‍ASUS 
‍Buck
Finland Ministry of Justice
Google
Lumene 
Ruisrock Festival
The City of Helsinki
The National Museum of Finland 

services

Art Direction
Brand Strategy
Brand Identity
Creative Direction
Editorial Design
Illustration
Motion Graphics
Packaging
Pattern Design
Print & Collateral
Website & Application Design

selected press

AIGA Eye on Design
Communication Arts
Creative Boom
Httpster
Mindsparkle Mag
Page
Sara Caldas: Palette Perfect
The Design Kids
The Brand Identity
Trendland
Typewolf
Visual Journal

Awards

3x3 Illustration Show
Merit Award
USA, 2025

3x3 Illustration Show
Honorable Mention
USA, 2025

Illustrator of the Year
Jury Member
Finland, 2024

Vuoden Huiput
Jury Member
Finland, 2020

3x3 Illustration Show
Merit Award
USA, 2019

Applied Arts Awards
Winner / Editorial
Canada, 2019

Vuoden Huiput
Silver
Finland, 2019

Finnish Book Art Committee
Beautiful Book Prize
Finland, 2018

ADC Europe
High Potentials
Spain, 2018

Adobe Design Awards
Semifinalist
USA, 2018

ADC 96th Annual Awards
Silver / 2017 Young Ones
USA, 2017

Helsinki Book Fair
Campaign Image Winner
Finland, 2017

Adobe Design Awards
Semifinalist
USA, 2016

exhibitions

Color & Light Festival
Group Exhibition, 2025
Asbury Park, New Jersey, USA

Adobe Creative Spotlight
Group Exhibition, 2024
Protein Studios, London, UK

Adobe MAX
Group Exhibition, 2024
London, UK

Fillin Global Annual Art Show
Group Exhibition, 2023
New York State Gallery
New York, USA

PolyOne NFT Exhibition
Group Exhibition, 2022
Citadel of Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq

Lahti International Poster Triennial
Group Exhibition, 2022
The Museum of Visual Arts Malva
Lahti, Finland

Iconic – Portraits of Artists
Group Exhibition, 2021
Superwood Festival, Finland

Iconic – Portraits of Artists
Group Exhibition, 2021
Roasberg, Helsinki, Finland

selected talks and live interviews

Adobe Creative Spotlight
Protein Studios, London 2024

Creative Connection Live
Adobe MAX, London 2024

We Love Graphic Design
Copenhagen 2021

Adobe Live, 2021 

High Potentials
ADCE Festival, Barcelona 2018

education

Lahti Institute of Design
Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design
Lahti, Finland

Aalto University
School of Arts, Design & Architecture
Doctoral Student in Graphic Design
Helsinki, Finland

Aalto University
School of Business
Master of Science in Marketing
Bachelor of Science in Economics
Helsinki, Finland

Selected Clients

&Walsh
Adobe
‍ASUS 
‍Buck
Finland Ministry of Justice
Google
Lumene  
Ruisrock Festival
The City of Helsinki
The National Museum of Finland 


Art Direction
Brand Strategy
Brand Identity
Creative Direction
Editorial Design
Illustration
Motion Graphics
Packaging
Pattern Design
Print & Collateral
Website & Application Design

Services

AIGA Eye on Design
Communication Arts
Creative Boom
Httpster
Mindsparkle Mag
Page
Sara Caldas: Palette Perfect
The Design Kids
The Brand Identity
Trendland
Typewolf
Visual Journal

Selected Press

Awards


Merit Award

3x3 Illustration Show

USA, 2025



3x3 Illustration Show

USA, 2025

Honorable Mention

Jury Member

Illustrator of the Year

Finland, 2024


Jury Member

Vuoden Huiput

Finland, 2020



3x3 Illustration Show

USA, 2019

Merit Award


Winner / Editorial

Canada, 2019

Applied Arts Awards

Silver

Vuoden Huiput

Finland, 2019



ADC 96th Annual Awards

Silver / 2017 Young Ones

Finland, 2018

Campaign Image Winner

Semifinalist

Adobe Design Awards

High Potentials

ADC Europe

Spain, 2018


Semifinalist

Adobe Design  Awards

USA, 2018


Finnish Book Art Committee

USA, 2017

Beautiful Book Prize


Helsinki Book Fair

Finland, 2017


USA, 2016


Exhibitions

Color & Light Festival
Group Exhibition, 2025
Asbury Park, New Jersey, USA

Adobe Creative Spotlight
Group Exhibition, 2024
Protein Studios, London, UK

Adobe MAX
Group Exhibition, 2024
London, UK

Fillin Global Annual Art Show
Group Exhibition, 2023
New York State Gallery
New York, USA

PolyOne NFT Exhibition
Group Exhibition, 2022
Citadel of Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq

Lahti International Poster Triennial
Group Exhibition, 2022
The Museum of Visual Arts Malva
Lahti, Finland

Iconic – Portraits of Artists
Group Exhibition, 2021
Superwood Festival, Finland

Iconic – Portraits of Artists
Group Exhibition, 2021
Roasberg, Helsinki, Finland

Selected Talks and Live Interviews

Adobe Creative Spotlight
Protein Studios, London 2024

Creative Connection Live
Adobe MAX, London 2024

We Love Graphic Design
Copenhagen 2021

Adobe Live, 2021 

High Potentials
ADCE Festival, Barcelona 2018

Publications

education

Lahti Institute of Design and Fine Arts
Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design
Lahti, Finland

Aalto University
School of Arts, Design and Architecture
Doctoral Student in Graphic Design
Helsinki, Finland

Aalto University
School of Business
Master of Science in Marketing
Bachelor of Science in Economics
Helsinki, Finland

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