Designing a playful, user-friendly website and visual identity for a psychotherapy practice that blends professionalism with a warm, game-inspired atmosphere to build trust and improve client engagement ✨

Context & Goal

Building the foundations of Mind Inn

Mind Inn Therapy is a unique psychotherapy practice that combines professional mental health services with a fun, approachable tone inspired by video games and board games. The client approached me to create a full brand identity and website that reflect their core values of empathy, humor, acceptance, and comfort.

⚡️ The Goal: Design a digital experience that communicates trust and emotional safety while embracing a sense of adventure and playfulness.

A key challenge was striking the right balance by ensuring the design remained professional and respectful of serious topics, while integrating whimsical, game-like elements without being mistaken for an actual gaming site.

My Contributions

• Developed a complete visual identity and branding system
• Designed a fully responsive website from concept to prototype
• Created a marketing strategy aligned with the client’s values and tone of voice
• Produced supporting print materials for promotion and offline presence

To design an effective brand and website for Mind Inn Therapy, I first needed to understand both the mental health industry and how therapists, particularly those with a younger target audience, build their client base.

The client expressed a clear desire to attract individuals between the ages of 18 and 35, drawn to the practice’s unique, game-inspired brand personality.

Research Goals

• Understand the goals and values of the business
• Identify user needs and expectations from a therapy website
• Analyze how modern therapists find and connect with clients
• Evaluate competitors’ branding, content strategies, and user experience

Expert Interviews

I conducted short, informal interviews with five independent therapists, each running their own practice. The conversations focused on how they market their services, reach new clients, and the role their websites play in that process.

Key Insights

• Word of mouth remains the strongest channel for acquiring new clients
• A consistent and authentic presence on social media (especially Instagram and TikTok) is crucial
• Websites serve as credibility hubs, used mostly by potential clients after discovering the therapist elsewhere

Competitive Research

I analyzed the branding, content, and website design of several well-known therapists, both locally in Serbia and globally. Many had active online profiles and created engaging content that addressed serious topics in short, digestible formats.

When reviewing their websites, I noticed a recurring pattern: many were outdated or lacked a clear visual identity. While functional, they often didn’t reflect the engaging personality shown on their social channels.

Conclusion

This research highlighted an opportunity to position Mind Inn Therapy differently: with a modern, warm, and user-friendly website that reflects the brand’s playful yet professional tone.

By combining competitive analysis and interview insights, I was also able to define a basic marketing strategy and brainstorm future content ideas that aligned with both business goals and audience needs.

Young clients often feel intimidated or disconnected from traditional therapy websites, which tend to appear clinical, outdated, or overly formal. Mind Inn Therapy needed a welcoming, trust-building digital experience that retained a sense of professionalism while embracing the brand’s fun, game-inspired personality.

Primary Users

Individuals aged 18 to 35 seeking therapy in a space that feels approachable, engaging, and emotionally safe. This audience is likely to be familiar with digital culture, games, and storytelling, and is drawn to a therapist who feels relatable and modern.

Business Goals

• Build a strong and credible online presence
• Increase visibility and client intake through clear communication of values
• Use storytelling, much like in games, to introduce the therapist’s personality, methods, and practice
• ”Seal the deal” for potential clients who arrive via social media or word of mouth
• Maintain a tone that feels both professional and friendly, with modern and playful visual elements

Design Challenges & Considerations

One of the biggest challenges was striking the right balance between fun and serious, playful and professional. The brand draws inspiration from gaming culture (e.g., Dungeons & Dragons, board games), but it was crucial that the website not be mistaken for an entertainment or gaming platform. Instead, it needed to convey emotional safety and therapeutic credibility while still embracing personality and creativity.

Another design constraint involved the development process. The client planned to collaborate with a developer friend but wasn’t certain when the site could be coded and launched. To address this, I designed a clean website that could easily be implemented using drag-and-drop tools or a simplified development process.

The client published the site using Canva, following my visual direction and documentation. I also provided implementation guidance to ensure consistency once the site is officially developed.

“How Might We” Questions

• How might we create a safe, trustworthy space that still feels fun and adventurous?
• How might we present serious topics in a way that resonates with younger audiences without losing credibility?
• How might we guide visitors through a story-like experience that reflects the therapist’s approach and values?

Through close collaboration with the client, we explored multiple directions for the visual identity and website design using brainstorming sessions, moodboards, and early sketches. Guided by the insights gathered during research and aligned with the client’s business goals, we ultimately defined a direction that balanced storytelling, professionalism, and playful brand personality.

To reflect the game-inspired nature of the brand, we incorporated quest-like language, fantasy-influenced illustrations, and a calming color palette reminiscent of indie and board games.
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Testimonials were intentionally excluded, as we discovered that word of mouth and public comments on social media already played a major role in building trust with potential clients.

The homepage was structured like a narrative, divided into sections that felt like chapters as an intentional nod to storytelling in games. Instead of hard-sell CTAs, the tone gently invites visitors to learn more and reflect, ultimately encouraging them to book an appointment at their own pace.

Brand Objective
The brand needed to express a safe, comfortable space, whether in person or online, where clients could feel free to explore their thoughts and emotions. While primarily designed for a digital-first audience, the identity also considered practical aspects such as color use and typography readability for potential print applications.

Logo Design Process
After multiple rounds of iteration, we selected a logo that conveys curiosity, openness, and the subtle transformation that comes from therapy. The mark features a gender-neutral figure standing in front of an inviting doorway, symbolizing both the 'inn' and the moment of insight or clarity often experienced in therapy. This visual metaphor reflects the 'Aha!' moment of personal growth, while keeping the form simple and instantly recognizable.

Color Palette
The brand colors combine warm beige and orange tones, evoking the cozy, welcoming feel of an inn or board game, with a balanced purple hue that symbolizes the mind, creativity, and the digital world. Together, the palette communicates both comfort and professionalism, while supporting the playful, fantasy-inspired theme.

Typography
Typefaces were chosen for their readability and friendly, approachable forms, with subtle fantasy cues that echo the brand's narrative tone. They support both clean layout structures and playful micro-interactions, depending on context.

Supporting Elements
The custom illustrations draw inspiration from the storytelling style of indie games. They are carefully sequenced throughout the site to create a visual journey, from the hero section to the character of the innkeeper, who represents the therapist himself. Even the therapist is illustrated as part of the world, inviting users into the experience. These illustrations add personality and warmth, while the overall layout maintains clarity and structure, striking a balance between a traditional therapy site and something far more imaginative.

Brand Voice & Tone
The tone of voice is reassuring, gently curious, and subtly adventurous. Messaging is crafted to educate and invite self-exploration, using storytelling elements to guide users through the experience, just like a well-paced narrative or quest.