First Light

First Light is a self-help app in development designed to serve as a first aid kit for everyday psychological challenges. Its primary message is that your life is worth living and things can be way better.

The first challenge was to make the design elements warm and inviting while being surprising and somewhat unfamiliar. It needed to immediately elicit positivity and also seem like a solution that was different from what came before. The UI also needed to be extremely simple and intuitive, keeping the barrier to entry as low as possible so as to maximise “compliance” (scare quotes because this isn’t a medical product).

I used two bright, contrasting colours, making the distinction between the two sections of the app as easy to grasp and recognise as possible. The typeface is punchy and, especially in thicker weights, just the right amount of playful. I see the design as analogous to a conscientious, well-dressed, and handsome mentor who always makes you smile.