Calm was founded in 2012 as a meditation app. Over the years the company expanded its offerings to include sleep stories, music, masterclasses, movement exercises and even physical products. It was time to shift the perception of the brand from a meditation app to a lifestyle brand that exists to calm the world, one mind at a time. Data shows that nature (and especially open landscapes) calms the mind and plays an important role in human wellbeing by giving us a sense of belonging. Visually the brand has always leaned into nature through photographs. For this Rebrand, we kept this essence and elevated the visual system: the core idea is to use nature as a trigger to take your mind to a place of calm, through immersive imagery and abstract color landscapes.
* Ultimately the company decided to keep its current visual system
and the Rebrand was not implemented.
Organic gradients are inspired by landscapes. Like an invitation to look inwards, they evoke a sense of calm and transformation, alluding to a journey of self-discovery.
The photo library brings a feeling of immersion — a 360º view of a user's journey and experience with nature.
The new mark is a fresh take on its original script: more human and authentic, while preserving the equity in Calm’s blue.
With a provocative tone of voice, the brand engages with users by creating moments of pause from the outer world to focus on your inner self.
Gradients in motion help users in breathing exercises.
Ultimately the brand expands its presence to physical products, spaces and (why not) an island of Calm.
Design Studio: Calm Brand Studio | Creative Director: Andrew Schapiro | Design Director: Ty Whittington | Designers: André Coelho*, David Nguyen, Enes Alili, Jenna Carando
Motion Designer: Habin Koh | Copywriter: Tyler Sharkey | Photo Lead: Marcella Iulo | Product Design (collaboration): Chris Delbuck | Calligrapher: Yomar Augusto | San Francisco, 2021
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*As a Design Lead, I led the creation of a new brand system in collaboration with a team of creatives.