🫠 Psychonaut POV

Welcome to Tricycle Day. We’re the psychedelics newsletter that’s cheeky by design. So if you learn something and smile, then boom—form has officially met function. 🤝

Alexandra Plesner says tie-dye is dead, and we have killed it. (Eat your heart out, Nietzsche.) As a design strategist who’s worked with major brands like Nike and Spotify, she’s got an eye for these things. These days, she’s laser focused on the intersection of psychedelics and design.

We spoke to Alex about visual trends in the psychedelic ecosystem, how psychedelics can help us innovate and solve problems, and the limitations of design for psychedelics and beyond.

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What drew you to design, and what inspired you to focus on its intersection with psychedelics?

I think what brought me to design was that I always loved painting. Even as a child, I was always doing paintings—abstract, illustrations, drawings of people. Growing up, I was also fascinated by biology and psychology, which probably came from my grandfather, who was a filmmaker with a love for nature documentaries.

I wanted to study art, but I wasn't allowed to because art was seen as a 'breadless job.' I'm the first person in my entire family to go to university, which was a big deal—especially coming from a family with an ice cream business dating back to 1879! I started with fashion design, inspired by how Vivienne Westwood showed fashion could convey powerful messages. My path led to a Master's in Applied Imagination from Central Saint Martins.

When it comes to psychedelics, I got interested because I heard psilocybin could help with strokes and neurodegenerative diseases, conditions that affected my family. I grew up very sheltered from mind-altering substances; I never even got drunk. But after my dad had a stroke in 2006, I started reading about psilocybin and saw an opportunity to work in a more meaningful niche. After the pandemic, I did a second Master's in Applied Psychology, focusing on psychedelics, XR technologies, and nature-relatedness for therapy.

The whole journey connects back to reading Goethe's 'Faust' and wondering about what holds the world together at its core. I've always had this deep curiosity about connections.

“Psychedelics Design” is sort of a double entendre. There’s the design of psychedelic products/brands, and there’s the use of psychedelics to enhance design thinking. Looking at the first aspect, what design trends are you seeing in the psychedelics space?

When I first started analyzing the psychedelic space, the brands and visual design were very loud and colorful, with lots of pink, violet, and rainbow gradients. On the other end, you had brands borrowing dark blues from the pharmaceutical industry to convey trust and seriousness.

Now we're seeing more nuanced approaches. I've seen brands blend psychedelic elements with minimalist design, creating what I call 'psychedelic restraint.' It's captivating but accessible. There's also this trend I call 'eerie softness' where the visuals are dreamlike and mysterious, but not overtly psychedelic.

One challenge I'm seeing is that many companies use Canva templates and Midjourney for their social media, which leads to everything looking alike. While Canva can be useful, especially when designers and non-designers work together, you need to make it your own. The key is understanding who you are as a brand and what audience you want to attract. Look at their magazines, their clothes, the spaces they hang out in. That's how you really understand your customer. I have a lot of fun with that investigative aspect of brand positioning.

What big challenges do you see psychedelics helping us address through design? Why do psychedelic experiences often unlock solutions to difficult problems?

Psychedelics have huge potential for helping us design outside the bubbles we're currently living in. As much as our environment influences our biochemistry and health, it influences what we design and put out there. My theory is that if our understanding of the systems we sit in changes, the way we design changes too.

During my first journey with psilocybin, I could suddenly feel the difference between materials. Some things felt organic and real; others felt unreal, cold, and dead. I started to understand how everything is interconnected, how nothing is ever really 'thrown away' because the planet is a closed system.

Psychedelics can also reveal our blind spots. When you're stuck on a problem, a low dose of LSD might help you refocus and see patterns that your unaltered mind would normally miss.

Different psychedelics offer distinct benefits. Some might be better for connecting with nature, others for problem-solving. But what's really powerful is combining that psychedelic perspective with years of accumulated knowledge. You get the childlike novelty in thinking, but it's built on top of all your lived experience.

Of course, these tools aren't for everyone or every situation. Proper education and research are essential.

What's on the horizon for Psychedelics Design?

Our upcoming online event on December 11th—a collaboration with the trusted platform, Blossom—features a lineup of speakers we’re very proud of. I'm particularly excited about our panel on psychedelics and empathic design with Jennifer Chesak, Tiffany Hurd, Mikaela de la Myco, and April Pride. We also have a fascinating conversation planned about neuroplasticity and innovation with Dr. Bruce Damer, Manesh Girn, and Stephanie Karzon Abrams.

We also just launched our Design Awards to recognize creative excellence in the psychedelic space. There are eight different categories, ranging from architecture and audio to storytelling and experimental design. Applications are open until mid-February 2025. There’s a nominal fee, but if someone wants to submit and doesn't have the means, they can reach out to me to waive it.

I'm also calling in more design collaborations next year. I’d like to work with brands to create merchandise, design projects, and events.

Do you think problems exist that cannot be solved by design, psychedelic assisted or otherwise?

Yes, design has its limitations. You can't design everything because design, by definition, should be practical. Even the word 'design' is overused now. You used to design a chair; now you design systems, organizations, and businesses. Sometimes, I think we do tend to systemize things too much.

Kindness can’t be designed, for example. Call me a romantic, but I want to believe that love can’t be designed either. We can create spaces that foster love or kindness, but the emotions themselves cannot be designed.

Even the psychedelic space tests the limits of design. We can design clinical trials, but can we design our way around legal barriers? We can design harm reduction strategies, but can we ensure safe usage with design? I’m not sure. As a designer, I like to remind myself that we can create beautiful images inspired by psychedelic experiences, but design can never replicate the profound insights these substances reveal all on their own.

Want more from Alexandra?

Take 10% off your tickets to the Psychedelics Design conference on Dec 11 with code TRICYCLEDAY10. Also, save 20% on your submission to the Psychedelics Design Awards with code TRICYCLEDAY.

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DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. The use, possession, and distribution of psychedelic drugs are illegal in most countries and may result in criminal prosecution.