Polina Starygina Multidisciplinary designer, illustrator, and animator. A fourth-year student at the HSE Art and Design School. Winner and finalist in professional competitions, including HSE CREATIVE OPEN, Golden Bee, DAFES, the Dobrovinsky Award, and others.
What I Specialize In
I create strong concepts using vivid, memorable imagery that resonates emotionally with the target audience. I frequently employ visual metaphors to infuse projects with deeper meaning and spark greater interest in the viewer—an approach that helps capture attention and foster loyalty.I work with interactive videos, animation, and illustrations for various platforms—including video-hosting sites, social media, print publications, and others.
The goal To create alternative opening credits for a film that reflect its content without retelling the plot. The objective is to spark the viewer’s interest and encourage them to watch the film.
The Solution The main objective is to illustrate the synthesis of life and visual cinematic illusion in the titles. To achieve this, animated illustrations of everyday urban scenes are distorted using glass, which functions as a camera lens.
Recognition Finalist in the Credits category of the Golden Bee 17 Global Biennial of Graphic Design.Finalist in the DAFES Choice competition. December 2025.
The goal Show a childhood memory of a small park in your hometown. It’s about a time when everything seems a little brighter and bigger than it really is, and an ordinary trip to the park turns into a real holiday.
The Solution To evoke a sense of «returning to childhood, ” the space was designed in Blender as a 3D pop-up book. The texture of crumpled cardboard alludes to the carefree and slightly chaotic atmosphere of youth, while objects that gradually increase in size reflect the unique way a child perceives the world. The project is presented as a 360-degree video, allowing for complete immersion in the atmosphere.
The Result The interactive video was presented at the Yandex Museum Festival in September 2025.
The Goal To coordinate teamwork and find a balance among the visions of three different designers, creating an engaging explainer video about the intricacies of memory designed to keep viewers watching until the very end.
The Solution Dividing the work into areas of responsibility. My role: developing the concept and visual metaphor, creating 2D illustrations, and preparing assets for animation.
Result Finalist in the HSE CREATIVE OPEN '26 competition.
The Goal To develop unconventional, flower-themed holidays and create a series of illustrations for the Wild Gardener flower shop. These illustrations must evoke positive emotions and strengthen customer loyalty.
