Ami
Building a mental wellness platform for a new generation of employees in the APAC region.
Project Information
Workplace burnout isn’t a new thing. But since the onset of the pandemic, and subsequent changes to the nature of work, many employees have reported stronger feelings of isolation and an erosion of barriers between work and life. This, on top of a culture of overwork and stigma regarding mental health, has lead to the highest levels of burnout the Asia-Pacific region has ever seen.
Ami believes the only path forward is through demystifying and destigmatizing the mental health space. There are hundreds of years of stigma to overcome, but thankfully, with a new generation of workers and a “new normal” workplace has come a new focus on mental health.
Ami combines technology-driven solutions with human coaches to provide it's users with a mental wellness program that is specifically tailored to each individual. They offer highly qualified and vetted, licensed clinical psychologists, and a proprietary algorithm to match you with the best coach and program for your needs.
And unlike internal company solutions, their coaches have no skin in the game. They aren’t your HR rep, and have no vested interest in keeping you at the company, so you can feel more free to speak your mind without fear of your struggles or criticisms making it back to your employer. By providing this un-biased, highly educated mental wellness platform, Ami hopes employees will find a safe place to share their stressors before they become more serious problems.
The Challenge
So how does a brand redesign help Ami overcome hundreds of years of generational stigma? Well, it doesn't. But to demystify and destigmatize the mental health space, it does become pertinent to break the cycle. Talk about it. Be open. And learn to communicate on multiple levels to ensure everyone feels heard. My challenge was to create a brand that breaks through the wall of sterility and sameness that currently occupies the space. And hopefully, in the process, give Ami a few extra tools to tackle this problem head-on.
Credits
Agency - Freelance
Client - Ami
Role - Brand Identity, Design Direction, Art Direction, Web/Mobile Design
Design Inspiration
With any life change, it’s often that first step, that first conversation that’s the most daunting. We wanted to create a logo inspired by that contact between user and coach, and the winding journey that follows.
We use the Ami logo’s “m” form to tell that story. In its Primary state, it’s meant to represent two individuals connecting, while it’s Extended and Custom variations show the same connection through the complex, ever-changing journey towards contentedness.
The Ami “m” form further served as inspiration for a framing device to help templatize and brand future ad units.
Themes
That specificity - contentedness, not happiness - has been integral to developing the Ami brand. Their team had a clear point of view on mental health: it’s okay to not be okay. There’s no obligation to be happy - only an obligation to be working towards a healthier you. And that path looks different to everyone. This distinction led us to three major themes for photography and tone: Wellness, Burnout, and Disconnection.
With these themes comes a sort of hierarchy based on how receptive you are to the idea of wellness coaching.
Wellness is the most straight-forward. See wellness, want wellness. It leans into the aspirational - seeing that light at the end of the tunnel through candid, vulnerable moments of others experiencing strength and joy.
Burnout speaks to those who feel like photos of people smiling is disingenuous or unrealistic for them at the moment. It’s more of a mirror. We showcase the raw exhaustion and despondence that can come from burnout.
Disconnection is for those who may be frozen by the stigma associated with mental health period. They feel like they don’t need help, or don’t realize something’s even off. By using humor, and dissociating emotion as a human experience, we hope to break down face-saving tendencies, and give moments of self-reflection.
