A Joy(conomy) Division: Finding Light in a Saturated World
There’s a strange, beautiful tension happening in branding right now. On one hand, we’re living through a crisis-rich, algorithm-heavy, burnout-ridden culture. On the other hand, brands are starting to embrace joy. Not as an escape, but as strategy and identity. I bit like a new emotional currency.
Welcome to the Joy(conomy).
The Joy(conomy) is where design meets delight.
Where tone is light without being fluffy.
Where optimism isn’t naive...it’s necessary.
And where brands are finally allowing themselves to show emotion, play, colour and even absurdity.
Think less noise, more nuance.
Less perfection, more presence.
But here’s the division! Not every brand can or should join the parade. The temptation to go full dopamine, saturated colour and bubble type is not it. Joy isn’t a filter. It’s a feeling. And just like with irony or wit, it only works when it’s earned.
So the Joy(conomy) Division is this...!
How do we tap into joy without faking it?
How do we design for optimism when the world still feels heavy?
How do we make people feel better without glossing over what’s real?
It starts by being specific. Finding small truths. Injecting personality. Creating tone that feel human again. Joy doesn’t mean happy, it means resonant.
And for brands it builds a world that people want to return too.
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