DAYTON and CINCINNATI, Ohio – (June 25, 2025) – Independent creative strategy, branding, and experience design agency Hyperquake today announced its role in developing the name, brandmark, complete visual identity system, and brand positioning for Dayton-based One Morning, the new mental health engagement catalyst being built to drive adoption and cultural change.
The brainchild of former McGohan Brabender CEO and Co-Chairman Scott McGohan, the new venture’s mission builds on this fact: While 90 percent of employers offer Employee Assistance Programs, only four percent of employees use them. To address this at a time when most employees admit having at least one symptom of a mental health condition, McGohan envisioned a thoughtful entity that could help connect employees to existing support they often don’t realize is available.
To bring his vision to life as a bold new entity, McGohan engaged Hyperquake. There, a team led by Director of Brand Strategy Mike Fox, Associate Creative Director Emily Esterle, and Senior Designer Joshua Hardman began building from the ground up. Together with McGohan, Video and Creative Director Taylor McGohan, Director of Development Jack Crotty and their team, they defined the venture’s ethos, strategy, and name; developed an emblematic logo and visual identity system, complete with foundational copy; and created a comprehensive suite of static and motion design assets for physical and digital content, including branded posters, collateral, and UX/UI templates for a successful launch.
According to Scott McGohan, “Hyperquake understood the passion we have for One Morning and gave us a beautiful voice. Our future is on solid ground because of Hyperquake – and ready to bring meaning to the work we care so deeply about.”
Bringing One Morning to Life
One especially powerful piece of branded collateral created by Hyperquake presents these words: “Our promise is that one morning the first feeling will be hope.” All parties agree it perfectly summarizes the rationale behind the new venture’s name.
“Through his experience and advocacy, Scott is uniquely qualified to support those in need. He has a special ability to inspire hope,” Fox began. “We were moved by his passion for helping people by honoring vulnerability and empathy as sources of courage and strength. That’s key to breaking the stigma around asking for help. We wanted that empathy to be the cornerstone of the brand, and we rallied around the idea that hope, struggle, or simply an urge to reset is often something we feel each morning. That’s the spirit behind One Morning and what it represents.”
As described by Esterle and Hardman, the One Morning logo is both sophisticated and approachable, striking the balance deliberately. Set in all lowercase, it signals humility and openness, welcoming all who encounter it. “We chose the Season typeface, which is a refined serif with subtle humanist features that soften its form, making it feel both classic and emotionally resonant,” Esterle explained. “To reinforce the brand’s name, we introduced a hidden delight in the letterforms: A custom ‘n’ and ‘m’ reveal a ‘1’ as their stem. Similarly, we simplified the descender on the ‘g’ to harmonize with the baseline, creating a cleaner, more grounded wordmark.”
For the visual identity, responding directly to the complexity and clinical expression of most traditional Employee Assistance Program systems, Hyperquake emphasized restraint. “Less noise means more clarity,” said Hardman. “Light auras, textured imagery, and grounded design elements echo the natural world, reinforcing the brand’s promise of meeting people where they are, with empathy and care. The first step toward healing should feel like hope.”
Evoking the calm, clear feelings of sunrise, One Morning’s visual identity is rooted in three core dimensions: empathetic, hopeful, and endearing. These values guide every design decision – from warm, documentary-style photography that embraces life’s messiness, to a color palette inspired by the sky’s slow transition from night to day. Typography and layout choices embrace intentionality and space, designed to breathe and not overwhelm.
As deliverables began taking shape, Hyperquake went a step further by helping McGohan create an in-person pilot program for a Dayton-based employer. For the resulting company-wide forum, Hyperquake provided event collateral, posters, a presentation deck, and other branded materials, while helping McGohan shape the content of his discussion with employees. One attendee’s feedback speaks to One Morning’s origin: “It was a relief that there is something that I could easily find, instead of me going and searching for something in the Dayton area.”
“This pilot program helped us learn quickly to optimize One Morning’s business and digital platform,” Esterle added. “We knew the brand needed to sound like Scott and feel like hope. Through this program and other activities taking place since then, we’re seeing the success of our efforts, and we’re deeply moved by the results.”
These strong sentiments were echoed by Hyperquake Partner and Chief Creative Officer Dan Barczak in a recent LinkedIn post. “I’ve always been fascinated by what people are capable of when they believe in something,” he wrote. “That goes for Scott McGohan and his team at One Morning. Having a noble vision and the courage to launch a new business aimed at bridging the gap by connecting employees to mental health support is a hard thing to do.”
Barczak continued, “For over two decades, Scott has been dedicated to helping others in recovery and bringing life to humanity. Now he’s helping connect employees to support they often don’t realize is available. For the chance to help him breathe life into his vision for hope and change, we are most grateful.”
To learn more about One Morning, please visit https://www.onemorning.com.
