2023
Hoop
Building a proactive wellness brand for young India.
Hoop is a consumer wellness brand developed by a small startup in India called Hedso, designed to make everyday pain management feel more approachable, relevant, and enjoyable for younger Indian audiences.
Working with a multidisciplinary team at Elephant Design, I helped translate consumer research into a distinctive brand identity, packaging range and scalable visual system across products for pain relief, sleep, stress and everyday wellbeing.
Outcome: Brand positioning and strategic direction. Brand identity design and packaging for their product range. The result positioned Hoop as a contemporary alternative to traditional pain-management brands, one that combined the credibility of healthcare with the energy and accessibility of a modern lifestyle brand.
Project Partners:
“Our vision is to transform how young India manages daily health conditions by building a consumer health brand for the future.”
~ Twinkle and Saharsh (co-founders of Hedso Hoop)
The Context and brief
Pain-management products in India have traditionally been presented through highly functional, clinical and often dated visual languages. Although these brands were familiar and trusted, they did not always reflect the lifestyles, expectations or emotional needs of younger consumers.
Hedso wanted to create a new kind of consumer health brand: one that responded to contemporary concerns such as stress, sleeplessness, fatigue and workout-related pain, while making everyday healthcare feel less intimidating and more integrated into daily life.
Competitive landscape
We analysed established domestic pain-relief brands to understand how the category communicated efficacy and trust.
Most competitors relied on familiar conventions such as:
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Strong clinical language
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Literal representations of pain
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Repetitive relief symbols
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Aggressive colours and visual cues
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Product-led rather than lifestyle-led communication
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Overpowering sensory associations, particularly strong smells
Although these conventions supported recognition, they also made the category feel visually repetitive and disconnected from younger consumers.
Primary Research
To understand the consumer behaviour in terms of pain and fatigue, we had to gather user data. From age groups 22 to 35, we interviewed around 5 to 6 male and female consumers. These users were working professionals, young adults and people with active lifestyles.
Location: metros and mini-metro cities.
Research Methodology: One-on-one virtual in-depth interviews and Visual triggers.
The research explored:
How might we reposition everyday pain management as a proactive and enjoyable part of modern self-care?
Persona's developed:
Identifying consumer trends for a better design output
Key Insights
Designing the identity
The name Hoop naturally suggested movement, flow, continuity and energy. These ideas became central to the visual identity.
The overlapping “o” forms created a distinctive brand mark while also representing connection, rhythm and support. Rather than appearing like a distant clinical authority, Hoop was designed to feel like a dependable companion.
A contemporary sans-serif typeface supported an accessible and youthful personality, while the predominantly lowercase wordmark made the brand feel less formal and more conversational.
The dark teal base colour was selected to balance freshness with credibility. It felt contemporary and distinctive without relying on the harsh reds, greens and medicinal blues typically associated with the category.
Some logo identity explorations presented to the client.
The final identity chosen:
Creating a scalable packaging design system
Hoop’s portfolio covered several needs, including pain relief, sleep support, stress relief and body care. The identity therefore needed to work across different product formats, pack sizes and categories.
We created a flexible system built around consistent brand elements and product-specific visual codes.
Brand consistency
The wordmark, colour structure, typography and hierarchy created strong recognition across the range.
Product differentiation
Each product received its own combination of ingredients, imagery, symbols and benefit-led messaging.
Ingredient storytelling
Natural ingredients were prominently incorporated into the packaging to make formulations feel understandable and transparent.
Benefit-led communication
The design made the product’s purpose immediately visible, helping consumers navigate a wide and potentially unfamiliar portfolio.
Mnemonic devices
Symbols and visual cues were used to connect each product with a particular need, such as energy, sleep, recovery or stress relief.
Portfolio flexibility
The system was designed to accommodate future products without losing coherence or requiring the identity to be reinvented.
The design system was guided by two core principles: relatability & trustworthiness. Hoop was positioned as a reliable support system, featuring active natural ingredients prominently.
Designing a system
Consumer recall: Hoop's product portfolio catered to a wide range of needs, from pain relief to body wash and sleep assistance. Adapting to this diversity, our packaging system incorporated unique codes and mnemonics that reflected the specific category and enhanced product recall.
Purpose-driven design: We seamlessly bridged the gap between proactive and reactive healthcare, ensuring that each product communicated its purpose clearly.
Consumer transparency: To demystify the unique ingredients used in Hoop products, we integrated storytelling elements into the brand's nomenclature.
User-friendly symbolism: Symbols and mnemonics were inspired by the brand's tagline, "Live Active," adding depth and character to the packaging. From Epsom Body Wash to Cinnamon/Menthol Pain Relief, every product told a compelling story, making it easy for consumers to understand the benefits.
Brand that stands out: The brand's unique identity, relatable packaging, and innovative mnemonics ensure that Hoop stands out in the competitive wellness and pain management landscape.
Human-centric approach: The brand embodies the essence of being a trusted companion on the journey to holistic well-being, making healthcare an enjoyable part of daily life.
Final deliverables presented to Hoop.
My contribution and reflection
I was involved across the development of the brand, from early research and strategic exploration to the creation and rollout of the visual system. Working closely with a startup team also gave me exposure to the wider product lifecycle, including strategy, design, production, printing and market application.
This project strengthened my understanding of how research, strategy and visual design work together to shape a brand.
It showed me that packaging is not simply a surface or promotional asset. It can help people navigate unfamiliar products, understand ingredients, recognise benefits and build trust in a new category.
Working directly with founders and a multidisciplinary team also taught me how closely design decisions are connected to production, marketing and business strategy. The most valuable part of the process was translating a complex health proposition into a system that felt both credible and human.