ROOTED IN CALM, BUILT ON CLARITY.
We Design with joy, intention and ease.
BRAND ETHOS
I’m Mallika - a designer, creative director, business owner and mother of two.
Design Bay began in 2011 as an independent practice and slowly grew into a multidisciplinary studio. Over the years, I’ve worked with 150+ clients and built a team of 20+ collaborators, creating work across branding, packaging, spatial design and digital experiences.
But the most important evolution hasn’t been professional — it’s been personal.
Life has shaped how I design today. Marriage. Motherhood. Pausing when things felt overwhelming. Restarting when things felt right again.
I now bring a different lens to my work - one rooted in patience (children will do that to you), emotional intelligence, and a strong sense of self-awareness. I’m no longer interested in rushing, over-designing, or proving anything.
I’m interested in work that feels grounded. Thoughtful. Long-lasting. Human.
Work that grows with a brand instead of burning it out.
Design Bay today is where structure meets intuition and strategy meets soul. It’s a space where stories matter, collaboration feels easy, and the work has room to breathe.
This isn’t about starting over.
It’s about continuing - with clarity. ♥️
OUR WAY OF WORKING
LISTEN
Uncover emotions, values, and positioning
SHAPE
Layer ideas into identity, strategy and visuals
FLOW
Create systems that are clear, adaptable and long-lasting
founders note
Design Bay started in 2011.
Back then, it was just me, a laptop, far too much confidence for my age, and the very real belief that I could build something meaningful with design. I had studied at Sophia Polytechnic, done a short stint at work, and then decided, very calmly and rationally, to work for myself.
Marriage followed in 2014.
Life sped up.
Work grew.
Design Bay grew into a proper studio, with a beautiful team, wonderful clients, long days, late nights and the kind of momentum you don’t question - you just ride.
Then life added more layers.
My first child, Samar, arrived in 2020.
and then Kabir in 2023.
Somewhere between building a studio, building a family and building a life, I didn’t lose Design Bay, but I did lose me for a bit.
By 2022, the studio was still going strong. But I knew I needed to pause. To step back. To breathe. To sit with myself long enough to hear my own thoughts again.
So, I took a sabbatical.
And in that space - messy, loud, quiet, emotional, grounding - I came back to Mallika. A slightly older, far more self-aware version. Less reactive. More patient. Still emotional. Still opinionated. But clearer.
Design Bay restarted in 2025 - not as a comeback, but as a continuation.
Just wiser. Calmer. More intentional.
Today, I design differently. I listen better. I ask more questions. I care deeply about relationships - with clients, collaborators and myself. I value joy as much as outcomes and process as much as polish.
This version of Design Bay is built with everything life has taught me so far.
And honestly - it’s just getting good.
