‣ Company: Lumi Interactive
‣ Co-founders: Christina Chen and Lauren Clinnick
‣ Mission: To make the world a kinder place
‣ App launched: 2022
‣ Team size: 23
‣ Go-to emoji: 🌱

To Christina Chen, co-founder and chief product officer of Melbourne–based Lumi Interactive, gaming offers a potential support system for those struggling with mental-health issues – especially these days.

“Here in Australia and New Zealand, we were going through the longest lockdown in the world in 2020, and we knew our own mental health needed to become a much higher priority,” she says.

From that seed sprouted Kinder World, a nurturing game that invites players to grow virtual plants, enjoy self-care activities, bond with a cute pup named Samy and share encouraging notes with one another.

“It’s an enjoyable routine: watering plants and practising self-care once in the morning, and once in the evening before bed,” says Lauren Clinnick, Lumi’s co-founder and CEO.

We spoke with Chen and Clinnick about building a game company, making self-care fun and fostering kindness in both the real and virtual world.

How is Kinder World different from other wellbeing apps?

Chen: A lot of Gen Z and millennial women told us that many of these apps either felt too much like homework or weren’t made with modern women in mind. So we designed a game where players can take care of themselves by taking care of a houseplant.

Clinnick: Our concept for Kinder World is, “I know you’re tired. I know you want an app that feels like a cup of tea and a blanket, a sunny Sunday afternoon. We’ll make that for you, and that will feel different from everything else on your phone.”

Kinder World is filled with unique activities – such as having players name the feelings they’re experiencing to fill an emotions jar. What has the response been like?

Clinnick: When you finish your emotions jar, characters in the game compliment you for naming your emotions. You’ve made a beautiful succulent, which is coloured to match the emotions you had creating it. One player said it was the first time she saw her grief and sadness treated as an acceptable, good thing.

How do you inspire activities like these?

Chen: One of our earliest hires was Dr Hannah Gunderman, our full-time wellbeing researcher, who brought a vast knowledge of contemporary wellbeing practices to our designers, artists and writers.

For instance, the box-breathing activity [which helps you pace your inhales and exhales] was a direct response to our players asking for something they could do to manage their emotions in times of high stress. Dr Gunderman took that player feedback, put together a research report on the wellbeing science behind high-stress situations and worked closely with designers to make sure that this new activity would be as helpful as possible.

Players can share anonymous notes of support directly in the game. How do you ensure those messages remain true to the spirit of Kinder World?

Clinnick: We’re very lucky to have an awesome community that treats us – and each other – with the utmost kindness and respect. We also rely on human moderation, so all of the kind wishes you might receive from other players have had team members look over them first.

Lumi Interactive is a for-profit entity with an altruistic mission. As a company, how do you balance social responsibility with profitability?

Chen: We’ll never monetise the emotional wellbeing aspect of Kinder World or hide important wellbeing features behind a paywall. Our current revenue comes from completely optional cosmetic items, such as artist-designed pots or room decorations.

What advice would you give to aspiring developers who want to make a positive difference?

Clinnick: Try to deeply understand why your creation could help others and what need you’re creating for. This gives you the best opportunity to create something impactful. If we all take a moment to listen, learn and work together, we’ll make the world a better place for everyone.

Lumi Interactive is a part of the App Store Small Business Program. If you are a developer and would like to learn more about the program, follow the link below.