Why Otherkind’s founders built the design studio they wished existed

Most design studios promise creativity. Otherkind, the interface and brand studio from Vanessa Bahk and Daniel Park, was built to protect it. After years watching vision give way to growth tradeoffs as companies scaled, the duo launched a practice structured around what they call “the tennis rally model” – collaboration where ideas get shaped through conversation rather than delivered through handoffs. Their partnership mirrors this dynamic: Park floats in abstraction and possibility while Bahk stays anchored in texture and form. One opens doors, the other builds the room. The studio’s founding philosophy treats design as a function of philosophy rather than execution, shaping everything from client selection to how the team structures working hours. Here, Bahk and Park discuss creating space for uncertainty and play, why rushing never helps, and their ambition to build a place where designers do the best work of their lives. TBI: Hi Vanessa, hi Daniel! How are you both? DP: The year has been rough for both of us with a lot of transitions, but we’re feeling excited! Thanks for having us!