Who we are
Studio Mansa is a multidisciplinary research and design studio driven by our passion for Ghanaian culture, early education, and literacy. We value experimentation and curiosity, with cultural consideration at the heart of our philosophy. We work with designers, illustrators, educators, and organisations to create innovative products, learning spaces, and experiences for children.
Our educational resources and books for children are available in The Design Store.
Vision
A world where children discover the richness of global cultures, starting with Ghana, through an immersive exploration of architecture, cuisine, engineering, design, and storytelling
Core Values
Creativity: We believe in using creativity to design innovative and engaging educational experiences for children
Collaboration: Our collaborations with different stakeholders allow us to continuously explore new mediums while having fun in the process
Cultural Awareness: We believe in the power of cultural exploration to broaden horizons, spark creativity, and nurture a deeper understanding of our interconnected world
Corporate Social Responsibility
We understand how a well-designed learning environment impacts a child’s development and educational outcomes. We pledge to invest 10% of our proceeds towards educational product development and support in underserved communities across Ghana. Through this initiative, we aim to create accessible learning spaces and provide educational materials to schools. We welcome partnerships with individuals and organisations who share this vision — together we can expand our reach and create lasting impact in children’s education.
Founder and Chief Product Officer
Mansa (Akua Serwaa Amankwah) is a writer, designer, product manager, and the founder of Studio Mansa, where she develops innovative and purposeful products, learning spaces, and experiences for children. Mansa’s goal is to explore the intersection of architecture, design, culture and cuisine, history, and literature, and create worlds of adventure and learning through these.
Mansa has an MPhil in English (Literature) from the University of Ghana, Legon, where she taught undergraduate-level courses as a graduate assistant. She has been published in A Mind to Silence, Resilience, and Kenkey for Ewes anthologies.
She won the Inspire Us writing competition in 2019, and the imagining Early Accra competition in 2021.
Between 2022 and 2024 she spearheaded the SDG Changemakers Series project, where she managed and authored thirteen books in a collection of seventeen children’s stories exploring diverse Sustainable Development Goal themes.
I like the quiet life sometimes. I also love a bustling press conference sometimes as well.
Building Studio Mansa
In 2019, while in graduate school, I rediscovered my love for (Ghanaian) literature and culture through my Autobiography, Advanced Seminar in Literature, and Postcolonial Literature courses. Isidore Okpewho’s Call Me by My Rightful Name and The Last Duty made me giddy with excitement. I devoured Ama Ata Aidoo’s short story collections, and I began to collect vintage photographs. It came as no surprise that my thesis focused on the intersection between Ama Ata Aidoo’s texts and James Barnor’s photographs from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s. Through these incredible experiences, I discovered Ghanaians and Africans who had done phenomenal work and I began to document my discoveries.
Inspired by this cultural awakening, I founded Aesop Studios, a gift curation business focused on children. When sourcing creative Ghanaian and African educational resources proved challenging, I decided to create my own. I liaised with a graphic designer/illustrator to create different products including the Letters of the Alphabet, Colours, Fruits & Vegetables, Days of the Week and Months of the Year, and the Map of Ghana posters. The enthusiastic feedback led me to take a step back, recalibrate and restructure my business. This would take two years, and Aesop Studios became the multidisciplinary design Studio Mansa.
What sets Studio Mansa apart is its comprehensive approach to children’s creative development. Our three interconnected worlds of learning—Bloom (ages 2-8), Design (ages 8 -12), and Craft (ages 8 -14)—guide children through their creative journeys, with each phase building on the previous one. Although designed for specific age ranges, children can transition between levels based on their interests and abilities. Each product works perfectly on its own or as part of a complete learning experience.
Our service offering, Play, focuses on designing and creating engaging learning spaces for our clients while our product line, Make, features curated collections of accessories, gifts, and stationery.
Each of our products and services has been carefully researched and crafted, and we hope you enjoy them.
Akwaaba — there’s a lot of fun on this side!
Let’s Work Together
We advise educational institutions/organisations on curating inclusive and diverse content for children.
Our work transcends beyond stories, we create age-appropriate and functional spaces for children that allow them to play and express their creativity.
We create varied concepts that take your children on an unforgettable adventure.