Mama Club: A bold and playful brand identity
A few years ago I stumbled upon Mama Club through a mutual friend, Kristen from Bobby Dazzler, and I immediately fell in love with what Chelsea was offering.
Mama Club is basically everything I wished for when my babies were babies, so of course I was very, VERY aligned, not to mention excited, when Chelsea popped into my instagram DM’s! I am pretty sure there was some super enthusiastic voice memos from me to Chelsea for a few days there :)
Mama Club is the brain child of the lovely Chelsea, from the Geelong/Surf coast area of Victoria. She started Mama Club off the back of not having mum friends within 'popping in' distance after having her son in 2021. So she decided to create something to fill a gap that was desperately needed to be filled - A meet-up that is specifically created with the purpose of making friends.
Mama Club is the ultimate hub for millennial moms seeking genuine connections, support, and fun in their motherhood journey. Mama Club provides a vibrant and inclusive community where mums can connect with like-minded people & make long- lasting friendships.
The beautiful journey
Before
Chelsea had a great logo & colour palette already, that she DIY’ed very well herself at the beginning of her journey. I already felt that her logo & colours set Mama Club apart from other similar ideas out there which is a great starting point - but Chelsea had bigger dreams and goals for her business.
She had loved what I had created for our mutual friend, Kristen from Bobby Dazzler, and then told me she was struggling to create a brand she really loved, that looked fun but also professional & not DIY. Chelsea found it would take forever to create an instagram post graphic because she just kept getting frustrated that it didn't look good enough to convey Mama Club authentically.
During
We began by diving into Chelsea's motivations for starting Mama Club, her personal struggles as a new mum, and the unique experiences she wanted to create for other mums. We created a set of core values that the brand stands for - and will live & breathe on a daily basis. We also looked at Mama Club’s competitors and identified key points of differentiation that could be reflected in the visual identity.
Together, we established that Mama Club’s core purpose was to create a hub for genuine connections and joy, helping mums reduce feelings of isolation and positively impact their mental health. We wanted to make sure that the brand not only connected with mums but also respected the presence of babies and toddlers in their events.
We established that Mama Club primarily targets millennial mums aged 28–40 who are looking to make new local friends, rediscover themselves in the midst of motherhood, and benefit from a supportive community.
I then created an ideal client persona, also sometimes referred to as a “buyer persona”. This is description of a fictional individual who you would love to work with, over & over again. This really helps us to envision this person and create an emotional connection with them. It also helps us connect with them every time we are writing copy for our website, creating new offers for our business, or creating marketing to get their attention.
We worked out that Mama Club’s brand personality is rooted in authenticity, playfulness, and inclusivity. We chatted about messaging & tone of voice that was relatable and welcoming for her target audience, with a tone that felt fun but also compassionate. Chelsea wanted mums to feel seen and understood when they engaged with Mama Club, so we established that we wanted the copy friendly and inclusive, while avoiding anything that felt too serious or heavy.
Once it comes to the visual identity part of the strategy, I (obviously) love this part & go into visual heaven! But I have to tear myself away from pinterest at the beginning, because first I like to get inspired by images that are not related to design. I look at ideas and keywords relating to the brand & the industry, and start looking at images that are linked with these keywords, to get inspired in a broader way.
I also love to explore quotes or philosophies related to the brand, audience, or the industry - this is one of my favourite parts of the process too, because I love words, and I love analogies!
I also always gain inspiration from the personal style & interests of the amazing people behind the brand (if it is appropriate) whenever I launch into a brand strategy. Chelsea loves the beach, nature, craft, vintage markets & tea, so I explore images relating to these areas, then I see if there is any alignment between the ideas.
Then I fell in love with this quote I saw, and the rest is history you might say!
"In the tapestry of life, we’re all connected. Each one of us is a gift to those around us helping each other be who we are, weaving a perfect picture together" from Anita Moorjani.
The visual direction for Mama Club stems from this beautiful notion of interconnectedness. I then created a moodboard around this quote which included exploring ideas around interconnectedness such as intersections, connection, woven, splicing, touch - as well as weaving in elements related to community, playfulness & comfort. I loved the idea of creating an identity that felt like a warm, fun hug! And a space for mums to breathe, relax, and connect.
This was the moodboard Chelsea chose for Mama Club.
In terms of the colour palette, Chelsea loved the lilac colour she already was using (so did I) but she was keen to explore some additional complimentary colours.
During this stage of developing logos and assets, sometimes this part goes super smoothly - and then other times they don’t always go as planned, and the ideas in my head can go a little off course! Which sometimes means I don’t always nail the visual identity straight away - which I consider a normal part of the process. Because I also feel like everything happens for a reason - and that this journey is a true collaboration. We will always come up with a better result with two brains than one.
I also welcome honest feedback to tell me exactly how you are feeling at all stages of the journey - because the last thing I want is for you to go into the world with a brand that you are only 95% sure of - I want you to be 100% sold, 100% in love, 100% happy.
And this was one of those situations. Chelsea openly gave me her feedback at every stage of the journey, and we kept working away and refining the ideas until the day came that it was 100%. This was a great learning experience for me - and Chelsea agreed that she also learnt a lot throughout - quoting: “it was really easy to talk to you about what I did and didn't like. I felt comfortable and listened to and enjoyed the process”.
After
Chelsea started using her new assets straight away, including quickly creating a beautiful flyer for an event she was preparing for. She now creates things much quicker in Canva without the frustrations & said she loved the experience of working with me: “It was such a positive experience and a special time digging deep into the Mama Club brand and how to present it to the world in the way she truly deserved”.
I feel like the colour palette is a lovely balance of depth and vibrancy, with Mulberry providing a sense of trust and reliability, while Lilac is still there for the playfulness and creativity. Candy Pink adds joyful femininity, and the bright Watermelon brings a fresh, playful energy. Together these colours create a blend of warmth, fun, with a modern twist, perfectly aligning with the brand's target audience of modern mums.
The relaxed curve of the wave logo visually represents the idea of "weaving" and community - as well as a nod to the waves of the water. The simplicity of the typeface in the stacked version ensures clarity and legibility, making it feel casual and welcoming.
The boldness of the block letters symbolises confidence and strength, which aligns beautifully with with the brand’s message of empowerment and community, while the rounded edges of the hand drawn letters make it feel soft and approachable.
The spacious layout was intentional, giving ample breathing room, making the visuals feel calm and organised. This use of space allows each colour and element to shine without overwhelming the viewer, providing a sense of relaxation and openness - qualities that the target audience will hopefully appreciate.
The colour palette, shapes, and typography work together to make Mama Club feel like a place where joy, authenticity, and inclusion are the staples of the brand, without ever feeling corporate or patronising. The visual identity is fun, vibrant, and inclusive, with a modern & clean feel that is timeless and flexible.
Chelsea gave me some more beautiful feedback after we worked together (so grateful!):
“I loved the ideation stage, seeing your concepts and copy about Mama Club - you really captured the essence and it was super exciting to start the process. I loved seeing the Mama Club brand transform into something I'm excited about and love sharing with the world.”
Thank you so much Chelsea - for letting me inside your world and allowing me the honour to create something beautiful for you & Mama Club. I will always be a cheerleader for Mama Club - and will be sending every new mum your way until the end of time. I am so inspired by you and what you have created, and it was such a pleasure for me to come along on the journey!
