Be your best self.

Otherness is a creative and design studio for brand leaders who understand they’re not like everyone else.

The best brands understand that their otherness is their strength.

Start with what’s true, embrace your own beautiful entanglements, and you’ll unlock the kind of power and potential that nobody else can match.

Led by Joel Derksen, Otherness works with caring and passionate B2B and B2C leaders and founders. We offer a trusting relationship and world-class work for partners who are driven by urgency and their own unique passions.

We listen (closely), research (deeply), communicate (clearly), and execute (really, really reliably) to deliver scalable and adaptable systems in which every detail matters.

What to expect

Our Services

Strategy
Branding
Packaging
Art Direction
Digital

Strategy

Branding

Packaging

Art Direction

Digital

Aero

Settle in, relax, keep the real hustle hidden.

Medable

Put a little lifestyle back into life sciences.

“The new brand design is really impressive — seeing something that has been missing for a while. There have been some attempts — but none of them really captured Medable right.”

NORA VOLGER,
SVP OF MARKETING, MEDABLE

68%

of our clients were self-identified female, queer or POC founders

Famile Elastique

The strongest ideas are bound with elastic.

Blair — Chahley — Klassen

Acting conservative doesn’t get the big things done.

50%

of our clients & projects were bootstrapped

Confidential

Even a shower cap can have a sense of place and purpose.

Conversations to have

What do they mean when they tell you, “simplicity”?

Is monolithic simplicity fit for purpose in a modern era? With all our fractured mediums, multiple screens, and liquid timezones? Is it fit for purpose for the new Nikes and Apples of today, operating in their garages, and looking at the horizon?

Thoughts on Strategy

Joel Derksen

I think I owe you an explanation about the logo.

An artboard filled with Experimental Jetset, MoMa rebrand concepts, immaculate, smoothed, infinite expanses of white and well-proportioned rectangles, housing negative space and art. I’d wanted a project like this for years. Coveted it, even.

Thoughts on design

World Brand Society

2024

The Gorgeous Spice Company

World Brand Society

2024