Joyous Brand Strategy & Identity
A brave new brand for a ketamine therapy tech company
The Client
Joyous PBC
This was completed for my graduate program and has no affiliation with this company.
My Role
Research and Insights Brand Strategy Brand Identity
Project Team
Solo Project
About this project
The Goal
Rebrand Joyous to address an active reputation crisis
Joyous is a telehealth company that provides at-home, low-dose ketamine therapy to treat mental health issues like depression and anxiety. They are a Public Benefit Corporation and the most affordable, accessible option for ketamine therapy, serving over 80K customers so far. The patient experience is driven by an AI-powered digital platform that provides personalized recommendations and guidance.
The Problem
A trust architecture failure
AI and Digital Therapeutics (DTx) are the new norm in everyday healthcare customer experiences, but while brands are optimizing, patients are scrambling to retain a human connection with their care providers. I conduct a patient sentiment analysis on Reddit, TrustPilot, and BBB and there were opposite two themes: the medication works wonders, even for treatment-resistant patients, but patients are really frustrated by logistics, support, and not being able to reach a human when they have a problem. After auditing the brand identity and voice, it was clear that through chasing efficiency, the company had lost that human element. Mental health patients who are vulnerable and looking for support need an experience that doesn't feel cold or clinical.
Joyous has the potential to become the market leader in this category, but they need to restore trust. Not just as a retention lever, but to future-proof against regulatory uncertainty.
The Solution
Rally the company behind the purpose to prove that no one is unhealable.
30% of people who have depression and anxiety are treatment-resistant, and Joyous provides the only daily therapy that helps patients heal when everything else they tried failed. This powerful insight inspired me to build the brand around this idea, that no matter who you are or what you have been through, there is a way to heal. The copy was written to be supportive, whole-hearted, and brave to show up for people who are losing hope. The visual identity represents the healing journey, each line visualizing the non-linear path of rewiring the brain. Every photo is a person caught in a moment of peace, joy, and contentment, showing what's possible on the other side of that breakthrough.
The Impact
Deliverables included a full brand platform, visual identity system, verbal identity and tone of voice guidelines, packaging, OOH campaign, patient portal redesign, and a generative Path Generator tool. Developed as part of graduate work at ArtCenter College of Design.
About this project
