level published by Daylon Hicks
level, founded by Creative Director Nichole Rouillac, is a design studio grounded in the belief that meaningful collaboration, clear purpose, and emotional resonance are fundamental to good design. Beyond functionality and aesthetics, the studio recognizes that products must connect with people on a human level, instilling trust, delight, motivation, or comfort through thoughtful interaction. Rather than prioritizing appearance alone, the team approaches each project through the lens of usability, performance, and feeling. For the studio, successful design is not simply about how something looks, but how it works, how it serves, and how it makes users feel in their everyday lives.
One example of this philosophy in action is their work on Dandi, a modern oral-care system designed to make flossing more accessible and intuitive. The product rethinks traditional dental tools by integrating portability, ease of use, and clarity into a sleek, compact device. Beyond its minimal exterior, the design addresses behavioral challenges, encouraging healthier habits through convenience and approachability. Its refined form and tactile qualities help reduce friction around daily routines, reinforcing both functional efficiency and emotional ease.
In the medical space, their work with AliveCor demonstrates their function-driven yet emotionally sensitive approach. Known for portable electrocardiogram technology, their devices emphasizes precision and reliability, but they also require trust. level’s design contributions help translate complex medical functionality into accessible, human-centered products that feel calm, intuitive, and dependable. In healthcare, emotional reassurance is as critical as technical accuracy, and the studio ensures that both coexist seamlessly.
Across these projects and many others, they maintain a consistent ethos: design must be collaborative, purposeful, functional, and emotionally intelligent. By working closely with engineers, founders, and end users, they ensure that products are not only visually refined but also intuitive, durable, and meaningful. They continue to demonstrate that impactful industrial design emerges when performance and emotion are considered together, where beauty is the natural outcome of thoughtful intention and human-centered problem solving.