Shape Friends Chat Theme
Messenger
Brought in to expand the Messenger chat theme library, I developed three directions informed by art and design trends, making sure the new theme occupied its own visual space among existing ones.
Discipline: Art Direction & Design
Tools: Procreate, Figma, Illustrator, Photoshop
A key constraint throughout was ensuring the artwork supported the chat experience rather than competing with it. The color palette had to feel expressive without overwhelming the conversation, and the shapes needed enough restraint to stay in the background. Green became the natural anchor: universally associated with positivity, it gave the theme a clear emotional tone while keeping the overall energy balanced. I also curated the chat bubble colors to ensure proper contrast against the artwork and a cohesive look across the full screen experience.
The result merged two of those directions into a playful take on smiley faces rendered as abstract shapes. The shapes are awake in light mode and fall asleep in dark mode, a small detail that gives the theme a personality of its own depending on the time of the day.