The Challenge
Gen-Z is tired of curated self-care aesthetics, because that's not what mental health looks like all the time. Mental health isn't always soft pastels, cute emojis, and minimalistic yoga vibes— where's the ugly crying? The organised chaos? The everything else?
When it comes to mental health, Gen Zs want something real, raw, and slightly chaotic. And to further fit into the crowd, we need to deliver a vibe that feels like emotional first aid that's delivered via memes and zine aesthetic.
The Concept
Chaos Club isn't here to "fix" you— it's here to help you feel a little less alone in your mess. Think: meme therapy, live vent rooms, anonymous journaling, zine-style content drops, and weird but wonderful affirmations. This is emotional first aid by people who get it.
The Goal
To build a brand identity that speaks directly to Gen Zs navigating emotional chaos in a way that's honest, humorous, and deeply human.
How do we make Gen Zs feel seen without being preachy? How can we make mental health feel more like a group chat than a self-help book? Can this look purposely unhinged?
The Process
Discovery
I started my research process by asking myself: What would therapy look like if it had a spam account? I explored Gen Z mental health conversations across various platforms (think Reddit, TikTok, meme pages, and Discord), and taking note of tone, language, and content gaps.
Insights Captured
Gen Z is hyper self-aware, but still deeply struggling. They also don't want to be "fixed" per se, rather they want to be heard first and foremost. They also use humour as a coping mechanism, and they don't take it as a distraction.
Development
With that, I developed a visual identity that embraced the emotional contradiction. Soft pastels mixed with glitch textures, scribbles over serif fonts, and an intentionally "broken" logo system.
But why? Because this reflects the duality of chaos and care and feels anti-polished— which is quite literally the whole point of this brand. Plus, it gives the brand flexibility across platforms and moods whilst still retaining true to its identity and resonating with its audience.
The Outcome
A fully fleshed-out brand concept that feels real, raw, and rebellious— which is exactly what our target audience wants.