Nexgen
Visual identity | UI/UX design | Strategy & Research
Nexgen is a next-gen communication platform designed to make online gaming safer, fairer, and more inclusive — especially for Gen Z players. Rooted in the realities of gender discrimination within gaming communities, this project reimagines interaction itself: replacing biased, text-heavy systems with a universal, emoji-based language. By prioritizing emotional expression, accessibility, and community-building, Nexgen empowers players to connect beyond words — and beyond bias.
New Talent Awards 2025 - Honorable Mention
Indigo Design Award 2025 - Gold Winner in Apps for Social Change
Indigo Design Award 2025 - Silver Winner in Mobile App
Strategic FrameworkResearch showed persistent gaps in the gaming space, from gender bias to a lack of safe, expressive environments. Mapping user behavior and competitor patterns made the need clear: players want identity protection and healthier ways to interact. Nexgen is designed directly in response to these findings.
Logo Design
The identity centers on a kinetic “X”, a fluid mark that abstracts a leaping figure in motion. Its intertwined strokes echo a flexible, double-helix structure, expressing evolution, agency, and non-binary openness. The logo visualizes NexGen as a space where movement, expression, and inclusivity are built into the system itself.
Icons and Emojis
The system shifts from representation to abstraction by using cyber-purple, stylized avatars that remove racial and gender cues and focus attention on expression rather than appearance. The icons follow the logic of RPG action tokens, each functioning as a clear visual unit of emotion or intent. Together, they form a simple, safe, and bias-free way for users to communicate without relying on words.
Key Features
The interface builds safety directly into the interaction. By using a curated emoji system and limiting open text, the app filters out harmful language before it happens. Clear modes, equal-weight identity choices, and game-inspired visuals make communication intuitive, balanced, and comfortable for users across different emotional states.
Posters
The posters reframe inclusivity through the energy of competitive gaming. Instead of presenting diversity as a message, they treat identities as heroes and the platform as a world to explore, using familiar visual cues from esports and sci-fi maps. This approach turns social awareness into something active, immersive, and exciting for Gen Z audiences.
MerchandiseThe merchandise functions as physical identity markers. Techwear-inspired bags, streetwear pieces, and ID-style badges give users gear that represents their role within the Nexgen faction. These objects act as real-world extensions of the app’s ecosystem, creating instant recognition and a sense of shared territory.
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