Interview with Defne Kaynak, Product Designer at Work & Co: Lovers Magazine by Spaces

Defne Kaynak is a Brooklyn-based Turkish digital product designer and educator. She is currently creating digital experiences at Work & Co and teaching interaction design at Parsons School of Design.

She/Her • New York, United States • June 27, 2026

What led you into design?

I grew up in a creative family. My aunts are painters, my uncle is a graphic designer, and my mom has always had a deep appreciation for art and design. I was encouraged to be creative from a young age, but I was also always very analytical. In school my favorite subjects were art and science. Over time my journey evolved from enjoying drawing, to thinking I wanted to be a fashion designer, to eventually discovering the world of graphic design. After graduating from college, I found myself naturally drawn to digital product design, which gives me the chance to balance creativity, technology, systems thinking, and problem solving every day.

What does a typical day look like?

I always start my day with some breakfast and tea. Afterwards I either log onto work from home or head to Dumbo to spend my day at the Work & Co office. Every day looks a bit different depending on the project I’m working on. I’m usually either heads down designing and prototyping, or I’m on calls talking to my team or clients. Some evenings I head to Parsons School of Design to teach my digital product design class in the BFA Communication Design department. I also make sure to make time for chats to connect with other designers or reconnect with past students.

Though I’m on my computer a lot, I love the human side of the work I do, whether its collaboration with multidisciplinary teams, or time spent in class with my students.

Outside of work I enjoy dabbling in photography, going to the movies, trying out new spots in the city, and more recently learning to knit!

What's your workstation setup?

My workstation is a little corner in my Brooklyn apartment. Pretty minimal but works perfectly for me. Plus, I have the cutest sidekick — my cat Roka.

Where do you go to get inspired?

There are some great platforms out there that I regularly use, like Mobbin, though I think the best type of inspiration comes from the most unexpected places out in the real world. I love art books and going to museums. I try to be open to unique experiences, stay observant in my day-to-day life, and snap a picture of anything that catches my eye. I have too many pictures on my phone!

What product have you recently seen that made you think this is great design?

I’m always inspired by the work that my coworkers create at Work & Co. A recent one that made me say “I wish I made that” was the JW Anderson website.

What pieces of work are you most proud of?

A recent one that we designed and launched at Work & Co is Health Answers by Pfizer. It is an AI-forward product that helps extend the reach of information around health and wellness to all people. Users can ask any health question and get personalized, trustworthy answers and actionable next steps. We started working on this project right around the time when generative AI was becoming a big presence, which created a moment of opportunity. It was exciting to explore new paradigms and create this transformative, big industry project that was a powerful example of how AI can be paired with thoughtful design to push the boundaries and drive meaningful, positive impact.

Another one that I’ll always be proud of is FreshDirect’s digital ecosystem redesign. This was one of the first projects I was a part of at Work & Co. It was exciting to work with a brand that has such a strong presence in NYC. Digital products change and evolve over time, so what is live today looks a bit different, but I still remember this project fondly every time I order groceries from FreshDirect!

What design challenges do you face at your company?

Being in the agency environment means constantly collaborating with different people across a range of projects. Every project has its own complex design challenges, and each one is a learning experience. For me, it’s what keeps the work interesting and exciting. I love learning about various industries, collaborating with new groups of people, and solving unique problems each time.