What I've learned
Thinking Beyond Just The Design
I learned that projects like this go beyond just creating something that looks good. It’s about thinking through how the design will actually be used long term. Creating a mascot as a system instead of a one-off design made a big difference in how valuable it becomes for the brand. I also learned how important it is to balance creativity with sensitivity, especially when working with a mental health organization.
WHAT'S THE REQUEST
HOPE FOR THE DAY
From Mission to Real-World Impact
Hope For The Day (HFTD) is a non-profit dedicated to proactive suicide prevention and mental health education, with a focus on making conversations more accessible within youth and creative communities. Hope For Streaming, a gaming-focused initiative within the organization, extends this mission into the streaming space by partnering with gamers, creators, and online communities to raise awareness and funds for mental health initiatives through live streaming, community engagement, and collaborative brand partnerships.
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
The HFTD mascot reimagines the compass from their logo as a humanoid character, maintaining strong brand recognition while introducing a more expressive form. Designed with a clean, minimal approach, it functions as a modular system that can adapt and evolve across sub-brands and campaigns while keeping a consistent core identity. A secondary mascot derived from the compass light was also introduced specifically for the streaming subdivision, extending the system while staying rooted in the same visual language.
Client
Hey, we’re looking to get a mascot for our streaming division tied to our donations. We want something humanoid that connects back to the gaming community.
Me
That sounds like a fun project. Are you looking for a mascot just for the streaming side, or something that could expand across your brand and work within your other sub-brands too? Something more interchangeable but still represents HOPE FOR THE DAY as a whole.
Client
That actually sounds better than what we were thinking haha. Let’s go with that direction. We do want the character to be as simple as possible though, so we can switch up the costuming and have it dressed as different gaming characters.
Me
Got it, that makes sense. We can build something simple at its core but flexible enough to adapt into different versions while still feeling consistent to the brand.
1
DISCOVER
Understanding The Brand and Audience
First I analyzed the brand inside and out. I looked at how Hope For The Day presents themselves visually, especially their vintage and punk style, and where that hasn’t been used consistently. I also focused on understanding their audience—mainly the gaming and streaming community—and how they interact with visuals, characters, and identity. At the same time, I had to be mindful that this is a mental health organization, so the design couldn’t feel too gimmicky or unserious.
2
STRATEGY
Expanding The Idea Into A Full Brand System
After pitching the idea of creating a mascot for the overall brand, I started thinking about what their audience would actually connect with. Since they already have a vintage design style that hasn’t been used in a while, I wanted to bring that back into the mascot. The goal was to create something simple, humanoid, and flexible—so it could work across streaming but also across all their sub-brands. The main focus was making sure the character could be interchangeable while still feeling consistent and recognizable.
3
DESIGN
Creating A Simple and Flexible Character
In the design phase, I explored different directions that balanced simplicity with meaning. I focused on building a humanoid character with a clean structure so it could easily be adapted into different versions. I also experimented with ways to subtly bring in emotion and storytelling without overcomplicating the design. Texture and graphic elements were pulled from their vintage style to help tie everything back to the brand. The final direction focused on making sure the character could live across multiple formats while staying visually consistent.
Cohesive Visual Identity
The final mascot aligns with HFTD’s brand by blending a clean, minimal structure with vintage-inspired textures and styling. This creates a character that feels both modern and rooted in the organization’s history.
Interchangeable System
A modular design system was established, allowing the mascot to adapt across campaigns and platforms. Costuming variations enable seamless integration into gaming culture while maintaining brand consistency.
Reviving Brand Language
The project successfully reintroduced HFTD’s underutilized vintage/grunge aesthetic, translating it into a character-driven format. This helped unify their visual presence while reinforcing brand authenticity.