Do Me a Favour Buddy

London-based Do Me a Favour Buddy (DMAFB) inspires global kindness through design and technology, launching a brand identity and mobile app rooted in founder Don Diffang’s transformative experience.

Role: Lead Brand Strategist & Information Architect

  • Led visual identity synthesis through mood boards and desirability testing.

  • Conducted user interviews and visual preference surveys.

  • Synthesized insights from 23 survey participants to inform visual direction.

  • Collaborated on wireframes and style guide development.

  • Developed app-wide information architecture for clear, intuitive navigation.

Techniques

Brand Strategy | User Interviews | User Surveys | Desirability Testing | Information Architecture | Wireframing

Tools

Google Surveys | Figma

challenge

DMAFB needed a warm, inclusive visual identity and clear information architecture to support its mission: helping users practice kindness toward themselves and others. As the app's concept evolved, our goal was to create a digital experience that reflects DMAFB’s values through both look and feel, while ensuring intuitive usability.

Through user research, I discovered three primary challenges:

  1. Aligning UX with a Values-Driven Mission
    The app needed to reflect DMAFB’s core values, kindness, community, and growth, through both visual identity and user experience. This required a design that felt warm, uplifting, and trustworthy without slipping into cliché or superficial positivity.

  2. Balancing Simplicity with Emotional Resonance
    Users sought an app that was easy to navigate but still emotionally engaging. The challenge was to create a minimalist interface that didn’t feel sterile or impersonal, especially for a mission centered on emotional wellness and social connection.

  3. Defining a Unique Brand Voice and Aesthetic
    With no existing brand guide, we had to establish a visual and verbal identity from scratch. This involved synthesizing user preferences and mood-board feedback to land on a style that stood apart while resonating deeply with the intended audience.

mood board exploration

To shape DMAFB’s visual identity, nature-inspired mood boards were created using colors like green, blue, orange, pink and white: evoking greenery, water, sunlight, and compassion. User feedback favored these visuals for their warmth and grounding energy, helping establish a brand that feels calm, kind, and emotionally supportive.

The information architecture (IA) diagram for DMAFB was thoughtfully designed to establish a clear and intuitive user experience. Key features were organized into a streamlined structure that reduced cognitive load.

Through early mapping of user flows, the navigation was intentionally shaped to feel natural, especially for first-time users, while maintaining a supportive and accessible emotional tone throughout the app.

information architecture

solution highlights

  • Grounded Visual Identity: Nature-inspired graphics and bold colors like green and salmon pink reflected user desires for warmth and optimism. Feedback such as “Plants make me happy” affirmed growth as a central visual metaphor.

  • Consistent, Calm UI: Simplicity and cohesion in typography, icons, and layout reduced friction and supported emotional ease.

  • Desirability Testing: Emotion-driven word selection helped validate early designs, aligning visuals with kindness, approachability, and warmth.

  • Intuitive Information Architecture: A streamlined layout reduced cognitive load, prioritized key features, and supported trust-building from first use.

Designing for DMAFB allowed me to blend two of my strengths: brand identity and user-centered design. I especially enjoyed translating the values of kindness and emotional support into a calming, visually resonant experience.

One of the main challenges was defining the scope early on, as the project could have expanded in multiple directions. By anchoring our decisions in user feedback and clear design goals, I was able to focus the scope and prioritize effectively within our timeline.

This project deepened my skills in visual storytelling and information architecture, reinforcing the importance of simplicity, consistency, and emotional clarity in building trust with users.

key takeaways