Headspace overhauls visual identity to become mental health all-rounder

The Headspace look is famous. It’s run with the orange smiley (which was apparently inspired by the “robes worn in the Buddhist tradition of meditation,” according to the brand) and breath-driven animations since conception. But now it’s expanding from meditation, rolling out a one-on-one coaching service after a $3 billion merger with mental health service Ginger in 2021, and with it comes a brand redesign.

The focus has clearly been on creating a more professional persona; the playfulness is still there but more photography has been incorporated to show its new services – a risk considering how impactful that lone animated floating head was. According to the team behind it, “evolving as a mental health brand exposed the need to evolve the identity to be kind, warm and welcoming to our members who may be looking for support on a wide range of need states – from better sleep, to everyday stress, to supporting members with care for more complex issues like anxiety and depression.”

The rebrand was developed in-house with support from Italic Studio, while Colophon Foundry created the new proprietary typeface, a “Headspace-ified version of their famous Aperçu typeface”. Headspace chose it for its ability to “flex from playful to clinical” as it prepares to operate across more health markets and speak differently in each. The letterforms are “playful... friendly but functional,” with curves have been designed to mimic the shape of the Headspace smile.

That Headspace face hasn’t been retired just yet either. “Headspace has always led as an illustrative and animated brand, and it makes us extra eye-catching in the digital wellness (and now, mental healthcare) space,” the brand says. An evolved illustration style has been developed to include a “range of faces expressing a range of emotions beyond a smile... not just joy — but stress, sadness, contentment, and every mood in between.” The brand’s animations have also been maintained throughout to “help simplify complex ideas”.

The colour scheme has also adjusted, still leading with its signature orange but with a supporting palette to again “better represent the range of human emotions” as well as being more mindful of accessibility in terms of contrast and colour combinations. The colours are intended to be bright, uplifting, bold and lively, which certainly stands out in the mental healthcare space, a “dreary sea of blues and greys” Headspace describes.

Generally, the personality-filled persona of Headspace may seem out of place when dealing with more serious mental health challenges, but the brand hopes this approach “can help destigmatise seeking care by making talking about mental health feel approachable and normalised”.