Project Brief
Overview
PlayBreak Entertainment: A Brand Built for Play
Branding, Product Design & Web Concept Case Study
Role: Brand, Product & Web Designer
Industry: Entertainment, Lifestyle, Event Experiences
Timeline: 4–6 weeks (Active)
Duration: March 2025 – May 2025
Setting the Stage
Project Type: Branding, Product Concept Development, Website Concept
Tools Used: Figma, Canva, Photoshop (optional for mockups), Squarespace
Skills Applied: Branding, Visual Identity, Product Design, UX Concepting, Web Layout
At PlayBreak Entertainment, we believe play isn’t just for kids — it’s essential for everyone. In today’s world, finding ways to unplug and reconnect through creativity and laughter matters more than ever.
PlayBreak was created to bring handcrafted games and immersive experiences back into daily life. Our focus is on adults (without excluding families), blending tabletop games, live-action events, and lifestyle products into a bold, welcoming brand.
PlayBreak makes play not just an activity — but a lifestyle.
Identifying the need for meaningful play experiences in today’s world.
02. Goals
Defining the mission behind PlayBreak’s brand, products, and user experience.
Exploring inspirations, trends, and strategy to guide the brand direction.
04. Brand Strategy
Establishing the mission, voice, and core values behind PlayBreak.
05. Visual Identity
Developing the logo, color palette, and design system.
06. Product Concepts
Showcasing original tabletop games and experiential ideas.
07. Website Concept
Designing a digital presence to extend the PlayBreak experience.
08. Early User Testing & Feedback
Initial control group feedback on products and website usability.
09. Final Thoughts
Reflecting on the process, challenges, and next steps.
Link to the complete PDF version for detailed review.
Packaging & Extras (Optional)
Creating additional brand touchpoints through product design.
Problem, Opportunity, Goals
Today’s entertainment landscape is flooded with passive experiences — endless scrolling, binge-watching, and surface-level engagement. While "play" once meant active connection, creativity, and collaboration, it has slowly become a forgotten part of adult life.
The opportunity is clear: create a brand that reintroduces meaningful, immersive play — designed primarily for adults but welcoming to all — through handcrafted games, curated experiences, and events that bring people together without screens or distractions.
Reclaiming Play as a Lifestyle
PlayBreak Entertainment set out to achieve three core goals:
Build a brand that positions play as essential, stylish, and socially engaging for adults.
Create original products that blend strategic thinking, movement, and social interaction.
Design a web experience that invites users to explore, discover, and participate in PlayBreak’s world — both physically and digitally.
Finding the Gap in Modern Entertainment
Research & Insights
Learning from Play, Culture, and Community
To design a brand that reintroduces play into modern life, I researched both the history of traditional games and current trends in entertainment and lifestyle experiences.
Key insights included:
Historical Games: Ancient tabletop games like Hnefatafl, Ard Ri, and Five Field Kono showed the long-standing role of strategy, storytelling, and social connection in play.
Modern Trends: Today’s cultural shift toward nostalgic, real-world activities (like board games, escape rooms, and DIY kits) reflects a growing desire to unplug from digital life.
Play Psychology: Research from the National Institute for Play highlights how regular play boosts creativity, improves relationships, and strengthens resilience — especially important for adults balancing work and life.
Wellness Insights: Sources such as PsychCentral support how creative activities (like music, storytelling, and play) can lower stress and improve emotional health, further validating the need for meaningful, joyful experiences.
These insights confirmed the need for a brand like PlayBreak: one that blends handcrafted tradition with modern playfulness, offering a meaningful way to reconnect through play.
Brand Strategy
Defining the Heart of PlayBreak
Mission:
Bring back meaningful, strategic, and spirited play into everyday life — blending handcrafted games, immersive events, and joyful experiences for adults and families alike.
Visual Identity
Crafting the Look and Feel of PlayBreak
Moodboard:
A collection of playful, nostalgic, and energetic visuals that set the tone for the PlayBreak brand — blending handcrafted charm with a modern, adventurous spirit.
Logo Development:
Focused on combining traditional tabletop imagery (dice, cards, boards) with a bold, structured design that feels lively and approachable.
Full Brand Style Guide:
For a detailed look at the complete PlayBreak brand system — including logo usage, extended color palettes, and typography rules. View the Full Brand Style Guide →
Vision:
To build a world where play is not a luxury, but a lifestyle — a daily reminder to connect, create, and celebrate the moment.
Color Palette:
Primary: Greyscale (for printing + clean early branding)
Future expansion planned for playful accent colors (e.g., teal, orange, green) to reflect lively energy.
Typography:
Primary Font: Clean, strong sans-serif for readability and structure
Accent Font: Playful, rounded type for headers and highlights
(You can specify exact fonts if you’ve chosen — if not, leave placeholders for now.)
Product Concepts
Bringing Play to Life
PlayBreak’s first wave of product concepts reimagines traditional tabletop games with modern twists — blending strategy, creativity, and social interaction.
Highlighted concepts include:
QuarterPong
A fast-paced tabletop game inspired by beer pong and quarters, designed for quick play and high energy at parties and gatherings.
Tac-Battle Command
A proprietary strategy game merging tactical movement with dice-based chance, perfect for game nights or casual tournaments.
Bear Hunt / Globe (Optional third if you want)
An updated take on ancient strategy games, designed with flexible rulesets to allow multiple styles of play.
Each product emphasizes easy setup, intuitive play, and maximum social interaction — designed to pull people away from screens and back into real-world fun.
Website Concept
Extending PlayBreak into the Digital World
The PlayBreak website concept was designed to be as lively and welcoming as the brand itself. Focus areas included:
Landing Page:
Quickly introduces PlayBreak’s mission, invites users to explore games, events, and join the community.
About Page:
Shares the story behind PlayBreak, its mission, and values — positioning play as a lifestyle choice.
Game Center:
Hosts product rules, strategies, and play aids — creating a hub for players to improve their skills and engage with the brand.
Events Calendar:
Highlights upcoming play experiences, rentals, and tournament opportunities.
Retail Store:
Offers direct sales of games, decor, and accessories, categorized by event type (tailgates, tasting parties, backyard games, etc.).
The website mockup blends playful, strategic visuals with clean usability — designed in Figma with future expansion to Squarespace for launch.
Early User Testing & Feedback
Gathering Real-World Insights
As part of the PlayBreak development process, early-stage testing was conducted with small control groups to gather feedback on both product prototypes and the website concept.
Product Testing Highlights:
Players responded positively to QuarterPong's fast pacing and simple setup, noting it encouraged spontaneous party play.
Tac-Battle Command received strong feedback for its balance of luck and strategy, although some testers suggested minor tweaks to simplify rules for new players.
Playtesters emphasized the importance of portable, easy-to-learn game formats for casual events.
Website Testing Highlights:
Test users appreciated the clear layout and quick navigation between games, events, and shopping.
Positive comments focused on the “energy” and “fun” tone of the site.
Suggestions included adding quick demo videos and a clearer call-to-action on the homepage to immediately invite participation.
These early insights helped validate PlayBreak’s core design decisions and set a strong foundation for future refinements.
Final Thoughts & Reflection
Reflecting on the Journey
PlayBreak Entertainment began as a simple idea: to make play a lasting part of adult life. Through brand development, product concepting, web design, and real-world feedback, this project showed the powerful role play can have in creating connection, creativity, and joy.
This case study reinforced the importance of balancing strategy with spontaneity — both in game design and in branding itself. It also highlighted the value of early user testing, even at a concept stage, to ensure ideas resonate with real audiences.
Looking ahead, PlayBreak will continue evolving with new games, real-world events, and a fully launched web experience — always centered around one belief:
play isn’t just a break from life — it’s a vital part of living.
For a deeper dive into PlayBreak Entertainment’s brand system, product designs, and web experience, you can view the complete case study below.
If I had more time…
Packaging & Extras (Optional)