Reset: Building Empathy Through Motion

Studio Dumbar2023ProjectInterview

28 Oct

Project

Building Empathy Through Motion: Studio Kiln’s Identity for Reset

Published
Oct 2026

For Reset, a technology-led weight loss platform focused on helping people make progress on their own terms, Studio Kiln developed a distinctive brand identity centred around an unlikely companion: a character made entirely from geometric blocks.

Named Ester, the character brings warmth, personality and a sense of companionship to an experience that can often feel overwhelming. Rather than relying on traditional human expressions, Ester communicates entirely through shape, movement and behaviour.

At the heart of the identity is the idea that everyone experiences weight loss differently.

Ester’s modular construction allows the character to shift, rotate and rearrange, creating a playful language of movement that reflects the emotional ups and downs of the journey.

Blocks cascade, shuffle and transform to communicate everything from uncertainty to encouragement and small victories, focusing on how people feel rather than how they look.

By avoiding familiar facial expressions or physical transformations, Studio Kiln created an abstract character that leaves room for users to project their own emotions and experiences onto it.

Rather than treating Ester as a standalone mascot, Studio Kiln used the character’s construction and movement as the foundation for the entire visual identity.

The same geometric forms and revolving behaviours influence everything from the wordmark to the digital interface, creating a cohesive system that continually shifts and adapts alongside the user.

The motion becomes more than a visual flourish. It’s how the brand communicates empathy, responds to different emotional needs and builds a recognisable personality without relying on human-like characteristics.