Branding humans as the next platform.
Role: Head of Design
Create an iconic brand
Create and manage visual and brand identity system
Lead and manage design projects
Scale design team with contractors/full-time hires
Implement design processes across org
Champion and advocate design thinking and culture
Design and release with speed
H.V.M.N. is Health Via Modern Nutrition
We’re leading at the forefront of modern nutrition. We apply cutting edge metabolism & physiology to support your health and performance goals.
Our products
Go beyond products, they involve lifestyle & habit upgrades that help you become a better, healthier version of yourself.
Our community
Ranges from biohackers, to busy moms, to high powered execs, to super athletes, and more. What they all have in common is an obsession with self improvement using the highest standard of modern nutrition.
Creating an visual and brand identity system.
HVMN Design Philosophy
1. Pioneering
HVMN is the leading voice and persona in the modern nutrition industry. As pioneers, it's our responsibility to be the expert. We do the research, filter through scientific literature and redefine limitations when crafting new products. Our creative and art direction always work towards positioning us as the experts who are pushing the boundaries. Our creative deliverables inspire trust that we've thought thought the details so you don't have too, and the belief that the product you see is the best in the industry.
We choose very stark colors (all black, all white, all red) for brand level AD, to come across as authoritative and decisive. This maps to the hard science that dictates metabolism, nutrition, performance.
3. Delightful
Delight brings character to our brand. It offsets the cold personality normally associated with being the expert and always striving to be better. Its the warm and fun energy found in our clever copy, photography, and packaging.
An example of our duality can be found in our brand vs. flavor colors. For the product level, we take a different approach, going for an individualized approach to communicate what’s delightful and special about that product, its benefits, flavors, etc. This maps to the way that each individual is unique, and has their own unique goals and ways of doing things.
3. Simple & Intentional
Our creative and art direction is simple because we believe in maximizing the intentionality of our message. There is always a clear sense of focus in our creative deliverables that points to a story, product, or subject. This maps to the way we are rigorous on simplifying our product ingredients.
Our brand characteristics
As we think about the characteristics of our brand, these are the terms we want to use to describe the brand and the personality of Health Via Modern Nutrition:
Red
Modern
Food is medicine
Pinoneering
Coach
Delightful
Expert
Clever
Opinionated
Community driven
Passionate
Intentional
Transparent
Research driven
Decisive
Integrity
60% mobile customer base
Role:
Initially set foundation of website as lead UI/UX and transitioned into Design Manager & CD/AD.
UI/UX:
Michael Lee, Sergey Jani, Ahsen Nadeem, Denis Rostolopa, Galia Fesenko
Design System Manager:
Sergey Jani
Copy:
Kate Messinger, Josh Schneider
A|B testing culture
At HVMN our design decisions are made with a combination 3 areas of insight, customer research, data, and qualitative feedback. A|B testing was used as an objective measure for testing our designs and messaging across landing pages, checkout flows, ads and more. It also created a culture around iterative accountability.
UX research
HVMN’s ecommerce platform was initially custom built, UX research was a critical part of our process. Customers are spending less and less time on websites and creating seamless ways to improve the commerce experience had a measurable impact on ROI. As part of our UX process we leveraged:
Fullstory to audit customer behavior
Competitive analysis to draw inspiration on novel features
Sacrificial concepts to quickly iterate and learn from qualitative feedback
Quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to model persoas
Design system
Creating a design system was a big priority at HVMN. Our sketch component library consistency and efficiency considerably increased the output of design and the ease of bringing on new creative talent to work on different areas of the website.
Launching HVMN Ketone Ester
Role:
Wore a lot of hats being one of 2 design resources on the team during the launch of HVMN Ketone Esters. Prmarily owned customer development, packaging, creative & art direction and managed UI/UX.
Creative & art direction:
Michael Lee
Customer development and research:
Michael Lee, Paul Benigeri
UI/UX:
Ahsen Nadeem, Michael Lee
Packaging:
Lead-Designer: Michael Lee
Co-Designer: Gavin Banks
Illustrator: Alexis Marcou
3D Designer: Thomas
Manufacturing Lead: Chrissy Ensly
Copy:
Kate Messinger
Photography:
Ed Ng (Director & Producer) Tutu Lee (Photographer)
Zach Ancell (Photographer)
Video:
Sister
Gosh Damn
Challenges
When we were first preparing to launch HVMN Ketones in 2017, we didn’t know who our customers were going to be.
There were 3 promising personas from human trials and scientific research standpoint:
1) Athletes
2) Cognitive, nootropic market
3) Metabolic health, weight loss market
Our marketing and design team was gearing up to spend 700k+ in content creation and ad spend post launch.
Customer research
In order to spend over 700k+ in content creation and ad spend it effectively and efficiently, customer research was no laughing matter.
We created a pre-order page many months in advance to the launch, after capturing our first 200 pre-ordered we ran a quantitative survey to learn about the demographic, story, needs and pains of our customers.
We were able to model out a persona using the data and information gathered. In addition we interviewed a dozen of pre-order customers and lookalike non-customers to dive deeper into the psychology behind endurance athletes and triathletes.
Launch Video & Website
Million views on Facebook
The launch was a huge sucess. More so than Youtube, our video on Facebook was stirring large amounts of conversation and interest.
In collaboration with Sistar
We worked with Sistar in San Francisco to produce the video.
Outcome:
400% ROI from launch campaign
We invested 200k in creating content and over 500k in ad and marketing spend. We saw a 400% ROI, our marketing and design deliverables fit our customers like a glove. We experience a very difficult time keeping the product in stock.
Vittoria Bussi Breaks UCI World Record Campaign.
While cyclists everywhere can join Vittoria through Strava, “The Hour” is a truly grueling physical feat existing in a microcosm of isolated physiology. Unlike outdoor cycling and most other sports, “The Hour” is uniquely absent of variables.
A PhD in Mathematics from Oxford, Vittoria also takes a special approach to the velodrome–such as the angles she rides or the tradeoffs of attempting at altitude. She also attempted “The Hour” previously, falling 400 meters short of history.
HVMN x Strava partnership
We partnered up with Strava (a social network for athletes to track running and cycling), and created the HVMN Hour Challenge for cyclists across the globe, giving them the opportunity to win unique prizes, like a trip to the Dolomites, where Vittoria trains at altitude.
The challenge begins on September 5–one week before Vittoria’s record-breaking attempt on September 12. In that week, cyclists nationwide will join Vittoria’s pursuit and ride for different durations and distances to win various prizes.
10,000+ email signups
Featured on Cycling Weekly, GQ, The Times, Inc, Outside Magazine, Business Insider, CNBC, Cyclist, Techcrunch, The Atlantic, The New York Times, and many others…
Launch Video MCT Oil Powder & Keto Collagen+
Role: Executive creative, art direction and design manager.
Creative & art direction:
Jason Yeh, Ed Ng
Customer development and research:
Michael Lee, Paul Benigeri
UI/UX:
Sergey Jani
Packaging:
Lead-Designer: Cammeron Jennings
Copy:
Kate Messinger, Josh Schneider
Photography:
Ed Ng (Director & Producer)
Video:
Massive Assembly
Customer research
We deployed a similar strategy for when we launched HVMN Ketone Esters. Creating a pre-order page to create a base of customers to ran quantitative surveys to learn about the demographic, story, needs and pains of our customers.
We were able to model out a persona using the data and information gathered. In addition we interviewed a dozen of pre-order customers and lookalike non-customers to dive deeper into the psychology behind people living the ketogenic lifestyle.
Design Management and Process
Leveling up design org
As a design leader my champion and facilitate design think. At HVMN we leverage briefs, personas and templetized document structures to align team on problem, key objectives and measurements of success. Design was an intergral part of decision making across the company.
Written communication
There is arguably nothing more valuable to a projects outcome than process and communication. Other than that, I take damn good notes and alot of them. Transparent and consistent spread of information is key to avoid confusion and align all members of the team.
