Living with

Anxiety & Depression

Creative Direction

When tasked with creating an online course covering anxiety and depression, we rejected the typical clinical approach. Instead, we designed a vibrant, playful experience that made difficult topics approachable while respecting their seriousness, resulting in over 25,000 enrollments and exceptional engagement.

The Vision

Looking at existing anxiety, depression, and mental health content, we identified a pattern: muted colors, cliché imagery, and an overly clinical tone. We wanted something genuinely different—a course on anxiety and depression that felt refreshing, calming, and approachable without diminishing the seriousness of the subject.

Key Responsibilities: Creative Direction, Art Direction, Production Design, Directing

Project Online Well-being Course

Scope 5 Lessons, 42 Activities, 13 Videos

Client mPulse Mobile (self-produced)

Creative Direction Paul Conigliaro

Instructional Design, Writing Nate Matson

Design, Illustration Jeff Yang

Motion Design, Illustration Allison Howle

Production Rikshaw Films

The Production

We created a vibrant environment featuring a tone-on-tone teal set punctuated by yellow and green accents. This visual foundation was complemented by loose, playful illustrations that simplified complex concepts while maintaining emotional depth.

Our talent and expert, Elisha Goldstein, was terrific to work with and brought a great energy to the screen. The environment allowed his natural warmth and playfulness to shine.

“It looks Excellent! Loving my memories from being with you all.”

-Elisha

View some examples from the course below…

The Results

This deliberate departure from typical approaches transformed what could have been just another piece of mental health content into an engaging experience that resonated with users:

Over 25,000 course enrollments
Average video retention rate exceeding 60%

By thoughtfully challenging expectations, we created a learning environment where the audience felt invited rather than instructed—proving that mental health education doesn't have to choose between being serious and being engaging.