XOMD
Challenge
How do you design packaging for a product that doesn’t exist yet — not in the market, or in its final formulation? That was the task for XOMD™, the world’s first Moodceutical™, a skincare line inspired by oxytocin and created to spark confidence, connection, and chemistry.
When the team came to us, the product was still in development. There was no brand and no bottle. Just a bold ambition from two of the most respected names in aesthetics: Dr. Steven Dayan and Dr. Sabrina Fabi.
Solution
We started not with packaging, but with purpose. We built a brand platform and visual brief that captured both the science and the story: confidence you can feel, chemistry you can see. From there, we developed a full identity system and packaging architecture designed to signal something entirely new: emotional skincare that goes beyond the surface.
Together, we created packaging that doesn’t just look good on a shelf — it speaks to the consumer before the product ever touches their skin.
Approach
This wasn’t about checking boxes. It was about creating a first impression that’s magnetic. Everything, including the structure, symbolism, and texture, was considered in collaboration with the founding doctors.
Founder Collaboration
We worked closely with Dr. Dayan and Dr. Fabi to build a brand that reflected their vision, values, and expertise. Through live working sessions, we unpacked the science behind facial aesthetics and the psychology of attraction, translating it into a visual and verbal system rooted in confidence rather than cliché. Every insight shaped the creative direction. And every color, typography choice, and message was intentional.
Understanding the Audience
Insights > Assumptions. To build a brand that truly connected with consumers, we started by listening. We conducted in-depth user research with prospective customers to uncover what caught their attention, what felt premium, and what built trust.
Secret shopper experiences gave us a clear view of how people encounter and evaluate aesthetic brands in the real world. When the clinical trials concluded, we took things a step further, engaging directly with trial participants to test and refine messaging based on their lived experiences.
The Visual Brief
As with all of our work, design began with the visual brief — itself rooted in the brand platform: Mission, Vision, Values, Personality, and Promise. They aren't just words; they’re the foundation for every creative decision. No color, typeface, or structural choice was made without a clear link back to strategy. That discipline is what ensures the final expression feels not only beautiful, but purposeful.
A Package Deal
We designed the full packaging experience — from structure to surface — with the brand’s emotional and aesthetic intent at the center. We engineered a custom mold in CAD to create a silhouette that felt modern, sensual, and elevated on the shelf. The exterior packaging featured a balance of soft-touch finishes for intimacy and warmth, paired with UV spot gloss to create contrast and visual tension. We explored materials and coatings that would feel luxurious in the hand, while also signaling clinical-grade efficacy.
Hidden Science
Inside the box, we included a subtle pattern based on the molecular structure of oxytocin — the hormone linked to trust, attraction, and emotional bonding. It’s a small detail, but an intentional one. It connects the science of the formula to the design of the experience. The goal was to show that science isn’t just in the ingredients, but in every part of the brand. Even the inside of the box has a purpose.
Multisensory Experience
Designed for shelf appeal and bedside confidence, this is packaging you pick up, hold, and leave out.
Impact
- Created a new category of skincare called Moodceuticals™.
- Recognized by People Magazine in the 2025 Hall of Fame Star Products, right alongside icons like @fentybeauty, @covergirl, and @chanel.beauty.
- Built a visual identity that reinforces the clinical credibility and emotional appeal of the brand.
Credits
Joe Wangler + John DeLuca + Christina Downey + Nancy Mines + Austin Bond + Sadie Van Wie + Amanie Safadi + Cat Janky + Sheetal Meher + Jake Schott + John Geletka + Sabrina Fabi + Steven Dayan