About the practice - Studio Otherness

Studio Otherness has a mandate to refuse the easy answers of contemporary design by engaging with the complexities that manifested your brand in the first place.

By prioritizing research into the histories and details of your creations, we initiate a process of intuitive design that feels right for your product and the way you move through the world.

Founding and maintaining a brand is an arduous process, and we’re eager to facilitate the collaborative exploration of all potential angles for presenting your work, collecting the nuances of your brand into seamless visual interpretations.

We focus on sculpting your story with meaningful references, intentions and insights, creating identities that speak to the audiences you want to reach—without sacrificing your core vision.

Joel Derksen
Founder & Design Director

Originally from Canada, Joel’s design practice is filled with complex and nuanced visual solutions for clients who demand sensitivity, insight, and communicable differences in the market.

Start-ups, scale-ups and established brands benefit from his "no stones unturned" approach to problem solving, and his appreciation that complex situations bring forward unique perspectives.

Before founding Studio Otherness, Joel’s focus on executing brand strategy led him to consult on refreshes and re-imaginings for companies such as Bosch, Elsevier, ING and Salomon. He previously worked with consultancies and agencies such as IDEO, HUGE and Landor.

Joel is a consistent presence in the international design scene, sporting over 60 international publications, awards and features in his decade of work.

Select Clients

Aero
Bayer
Bosch-Siemens
Bud Light
Dow Jones
Elsevier
Four Seasons
ING
Kinfill
Medable
Nike
Salomon
Stella-Artois
Virgin Atlantic
Zalando

Select Press

Behance
Cannes
ComputerArts
David Eggers: Unnecessarily Beautiful Spaces for Young Minds on Fire
TheDieline
Graphic Design USA
Graphis
HOW Intl. Design Awards Annual
idN
Lürzer's Archive
MindSparkleMag
OneShow
Underconsideration
Webby
Working Not Working

Studio Otherness has a mandate to refuse the easy answers of contemporary design by engaging with the complexities that manifested your brand in the first place.

By prioritizing research into the histories and details of your creations, we initiate a process of intuitive design that feels right for your product and the way you move through the world.

Founding and maintaining a brand is an arduous process, and we’re eager to facilitate the collaborative exploration of all potential angles for presenting your work, collecting the nuances of your brand into seamless visual interpretations.

We focus on sculpting your story with meaningful references, intentions and insights, creating identities that speak to the audiences you want to reach—without sacrificing your core vision.

Joel Derksen Founder & Design Director

Joel Derksen
Founder & Design Director