THE CHALLENGE

We had to build trust in a platform that was affordably offering something that many assume to be an expensive, large-scale medical procedure. People were concerned that it seemed too good to be true. Plus, it was a large undertaking to pursue online.

OUR APPROACH

We did all that we could to understand the long and intensive process of smile alignment in the name of creating a truly empathetic digital experience. We had our own mouths scanned, made molds of our teeth and wore aligners ourselves while also speaking with dozens of users about their experiences to understand the full scope of this large user journey.

I. BRAND STRATEGY

Exceeding the orthodontist office via personal empowerment.

Between our personal experiences and hours of in-depth user interviews we realized that using imagery and language of orthodontics was no path to credibility.

We could exceed the Orthodontist’s office by leaving behind medical imagery and jargon entirely, focusing instead on an individual's personal empowerment in the process.

I. BRAND DESIGN

A brand identity that smiles.

We set out to create a visual system that would pay off on the core strategy: expressing a feeling of empowerment and transformation.

A bright color system of blue and a distinctive “blurple” gave the brand a shining brightness.

An illustration style of simple faces is a playful reminder of the joy of a beautiful smile, which includes expressions that empathetically acknowledge the difficult and frustrating parts of the journey as well.

II. ART DIRECTION

A joyful, approachable experience.

Focusing on a great outcome, we set out to show smiling people; people beaming authentically who radiated the joy of a new smile. Rather than the gloom and doom of before and after imagery which focuses on the negative, we focused on the positives of the final product. 

We set out to express the texture and physicality of medical objects to make them approachable. To achieve this we shot them alongside physical elements which accentuated their textures and brought them into the natural world.

II. ART DIRECTION

Creating situationally aware content.

We shot everything with exact consideration for its primary home, with people reacting to their content boxes and elements laid out to respond to text.

Additionally, the content was designed to scale to a wide range of touchpoints so it would get mileage on site, in printed materials, digital ads, and on the NY subway.

III. PRODUCT DESIGN

Holding people’s hands during a daunting undertaking.

The digital product had to convey a large amount of information to build trust about a long-term and expensive procedure.

By breaking down information into digestible chunks and anticipating every next question a user might have we were able to create an experience that held a customer’s hand into a difficult but exciting experience.

IV. PACKAGING DESIGN

Empowering the user.

The SmileDirectClub smile kit puts the user in control of making a mold of their own teeth. It is simple to use but can seem daunting at first. So, the packaging sought to make the experience a fun, empowering alternative to a visit to the orthodontist office—as opposed to the budget alternative.

The box had to clearly lay out all of the elements and arrange them in a way that would make the mold-creating process foolproof. We conceptualized a two-tiered tray set to hold everything alongside its label and matched elements to an accompanying guide-book. 

We adorned the box with smiley illustrations and conversational copy to help people ease up and enjoy the experience of taking their care into their own hands with us by their side.

THE OUTCOME

The new standard.

Our fun, empowering approach to smile care saw rapid adoption. When the experience was fun and trustworthy, it became a no-brainer approach to the expensive and inconvenient alternative.

Currently, tele-orthodontics are quickly emerging as the new standard in teeth straightening, with an army of copycats popping up, while SDC continues to lead the pack.