INVESTIGATE
↑

→ EXPERIMENT

CURATE ←

↓
LEARN

We break the brief, test the truth, and stretch the idea—until it lands as a story people feel, remember, and act on.

ABOUT

Senior-led,
hands-on design practice.


My work begins with curiosity—asking the questions that reveal the deeper shape of an idea and making it tangible early through visual thinking. I design by testing: translating concepts into forms that can be seen, felt, shared, and refined in context. Each project moves fluidly between research, experimentation, expansion, and environment-building, because strong work rarely comes from a single lens. When Iuliia joins the process, her illustrative voice adds clarity, wit, and emotional charge—lifting ideas beyond structure into something memorable and alive. Together, insight and image meet, shaping work that doesn’t just look resolved, but resonates and holds.


Daria Nikolaeva
founder of niko

DARIA NIKOLAEVA
Design + Strategy + Creative Direction

IULIIA KONOPLEVA
Illustration + Design

Our Process

  • Geometric drawing of an outline square with sections divided by vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines.

    Investigate

    We dig to the roots by going back to the origin of the ask—questioning assumptions, tracing intent, and uncovering what truly needs to be solved. Research, references, and structured inquiry help reveal patterns and truths before deciding what form the work should take.

  • Geometric drawing of an outline square with sections divided by vertical, horizontal, and half circle lines.

    Experiment

    We think like scientists, treating ideas as hypotheses that only become clear once they’re tested. Sketches, models, prompts, and prototypes challenge initial thinking and allow the work to adapt as evidence and insight emerge.

  • Geometric drawing of an outline square with sections divided by vertical, horizontal, and circle lines.

    Learn

    We expand the imagined by using new tools, skills, and perspectives to stretch what the work can become. Learning isn’t a separate phase—it’s how ideas evolve, gain depth, and move beyond their first shape.

  • Geometric drawing of an outline square with sections divided by vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines.

    Curate

    We design the context around the work, shaping the conditions it needs to land, live, and thrive. Through collaboration, facilitation, and creative direction, ideas are supported, amplified, and guided into the world they’re meant for.

CLIENTS, COLLABORATORS, FORMER HOMES, AND WORK WE DEEPLY ADMIRE

  • "From workflow charts to genetic network illustrations, the team took the time to understand my research, asked thoughtful questions, and transformed dense, complicated material into designs that were both scientifically accurate and visually beautiful."

    Former Customer, Ph.D, MD Anderson Cancer Center | Houston, TX

  • "Daria is a brilliant listener and incredibly generative in her work, which is always of the highest quality."

    Former Customer, Managing Partner in a Venture Fund | Salt Lake City, UT

  • "Designed and produced our studio publishing project, diving into all aspects of managing the production details between the author, Seth Goldenberg and the publisher Penguin Random House.”

    Former Collaborator + Senior Designer | Chicago, IL

  • "Visual design and creative direction by niko design studio for my concert 
‘How It Feels to Be Free’ surpassed all expectations. Their work was instrumental to two sold-out performances at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City."

    Former Customer, Drummer + Musicologist + Ph.D. Candidate at Brown University | Providence, RI

Interested in working together, or curious to see more?

Let’s talk.