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Mother Design Gives Psychic Platform Keen A Folk Art Rebrand That Takes On Minimalist Wellness
The rebranding of Keen by Mother Design emphasizes a shift from traditional psychic services to a more approachable and human-centric wellness brand. By incorporating folk art and vibrant design elements, the strategy aims to broaden Keen's appeal and position it as a relevant part of modern wellbeing practices, moving away from the minimalist aesthetics commonly found in the wellness industry.
Creative Boom: Mother Design gives psychic platform Keen a folk-art rebrand that takes on minimalist wellness The independent studio reframes "psychic guidance" for modern life, with stunning illustrations by María Jesús Contreras. When I saw the name Keen land in my inbox on Wednesday night, I immediately thought of the dorky-turned-cool footwear brand I love so much. Alas, it wasn't. Instead of walking shoes and unconventional sandals, this Keen is known as a leading online marketplace that connects people with spiritual advisors. Good lord.
There must be a lot of money in psychic services because they've just had a rebrand courtesy of Mother Design, part of the Mother family. The brief was, quite simply, to help broaden the appeal of psychic services, presumably to cynics like me, and establish Keen as part of a normal routine. Hey, I'm open-minded. If it tells you what might be coming next year and makes you happy, I don't see the problem. My mother's side is said to have "the gift", and my Nana used to tell me some crazy stories.
A good friend of mine, a Buddhist monk for many years who lived in Tibet, now lives in a 16th-century home near Wales and has told me stories of soldiers marching through his living room. I'm not entirely convinced of spirits or an afterlife, but I also know I don't know everything. Besides, with a brand this good-looking, I might just start believing. Though it turns out...
crystal balls and messages from beyond aren't really what Keen is selling. Given the unusual subject, Mother Design did some research beyond the usual category and spotted a cultural shift: people are increasingly turning to things like AI and coaching platforms for daily guidance, but what they're really seeking is perspective and support that helps them become unstuck. This informed the brand's strategic positioning, shifting psychic services from predicting the future to helping people gain clarity in their lives.
Keen's network of spiritual advisors can help in ways AI and algorithms never can, so Mother Design leaned into this "human guidance" angle. They wanted to reposition Keen as a wellbeing brand but avoid the usual minimalist design that features too prominently in the category, supposedly to evoke calm. "Wellness has become surprisingly uniform," says Jo Tulej, creative director at Mother Design. "White space, muted palettes, rounded typography and gentle promises have become the category default.
We wanted Keen to feel just as calm and approachable, but in a way that was richer, warmer and unmistakably its own." So Mother Design went in the opposite direction from the usual chill vibes. The result? All-out hippy, psychedelic glory. I'm sorry, but I'm getting flashbacks of misspent youth here, rolling around Glastonbury's stone circle in a fuzzy mess. I like what I see. Nothing about this work is pared back.
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The article discusses a significant rebranding effort that challenges industry norms, making it highly relevant and novel for brand strategy professionals focused on wellness and design.