Puberty can be confusing and overwhelming. How can we help teenage girls navigate it when asking for help feels uncomfortable?
Teens want support, but not lectures. Familiar digital experiences can make difficult conversations feel less intimidating.
Turn emotional check-ins into a playful daily ritual, inspired by Tamagotchi and the way teens already communicate.
According to Statistics Canada, girls aged 10–19 are hospitalized due to self-harm about five times more often than the average of all other gender and age groups combined.
I surveyed girls aged 11–17. Their responses revealed a need for emotional support and easier communication with parents.
NORI was created because too many girls go through puberty feeling confused, overwhelmed, and alone. It transforms a difficult stage of life into one that feels supported, empowering, and safe.
Branding
Inspired by Tamagotchi, NORI uses digital companionship to make emotional check-ins feel natural rather than clinical.
NORI is a tribute to my daughter’s nickname, Roni, for whom the app was created.
Also, in Korean, nori means “play”, perfectly capturing the app’s mission to make growing up a little easier through playful experiences.
NORI’s logo uses Gigalypse, combining bold forms that symbolize strength and confidence with soft, rounded edges for warmth and femininity. Bright colours and playful shapes create an energetic, approachable identity without feeling childish.
Bright colours, expressive typography, and rounded shapes create a friendly, energetic identity without feeling childish.
The Blob
NORI’s original mascot was a bunny illustrated by my daughter.
However, recognizing that every girl has different preferences, I moved away from a fixed character toward a more flexible, inclusive concept.
Emotions are fluid, complex, and rarely one-sided. So is the Blob: a shape-shifting companion that makes feelings easier to recognize.
To capture the complexity of emotions, I:
Colour-coded each Blob using colour psychology to reflect different emotions.
Combined warm, light tones with cooler, darker shades to represent the positive and difficult sides of each emotion.
Intertwined colours through swirling patterns to show how emotions overlap, coexist, and are rarely one-sided.
From playful mood check-ins to text-style journaling and personalized support, every interaction feels familiar and encourages engagement.
An optional, teen-controlled feature helps girls share their feelings with parents when talking face-to-face feels difficult.
NORI app was developed with consideration for Apple Human Interface Guidelines and Material Design guidelines.
Future considerations include but not limited to:
Evolving Blob companion
Kids Help Phone integration
Access to licensed professionals
Private, moderated community
NORI is an app that:
Educates teens about puberty in a friendly, accessible way
Provides healthy coping mechanisms
Encourages open communication
with parentsAllows access to licensed professionals (an optional future add on)
Beyond the Screen
Bringing the Nori universe to life required a mixed-media approach. I designed the core illustrations and brought them into motion using Midjourney and KlingAI, tying the entire visual narrative together in After Effects.
From plushies to stickers, NORI's digital companion becomes something tangible, extending comfort beyond the screen.
