Iron Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design · 2022

The Early Chapter Brand Identity

by Allan Toh

A' Design Award 2022 Iron Winner in Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design
Awarded April 15, 2022
CLIENT: Allan Toh
Estimated Number of Design Views: 10,279
Verification code 021550CB6C · Verify this award

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About The Early Chapter Brand Identity

The Early Chapter is a brand identity created for an early childhood activities clubhouse in Singapore. The clubhouse helps children develop an interest in Mandarin through immersive play. The logo is built from simple shapes in red, yellow and blue, stacked to resemble a small hut. The hut form represents the community that the clubhouse aims to build. The negative space between the shapes forms the Chinese character for Mandarin, showing the focus on the Chinese language. A half sun suggests an uplifting environment for young children.

Press Kit

Unique Properties: The Early Chapter is an early childhood activities clubhouse for children to develop an interest in Mandarin through immersive play. The logo consists of simple shapes in primary colors- red, yellow, and blue, stacked to look like a hut or small house. This represents the community that the brand tries to create. The negative space between the shapes forms the Chinese written character for Mandarin, which represents the clubhouse's emphasis on the Chinese language (Mandarin). The half-sun symbolizes the uplifting environment The Early Chapter wishes to create for the rising young stars of tomorrow.
Dimensions & Packaging: The minimum height of the logo for web is 45px. The minimum height for print is 10mm.
Tags: The Early Chapter, Early Childhood Clubhouse, Children, Mandarin, Chinese, Activities, Fun, Playful.
Production Technology: I started out by understanding from the client's perspective what they wanted, and went on to use mind maps to break down the meanings and associations for the words, "Early", and 'Clubhouse". I gathered that 'sun' is a good representation of 'early' and that a 'hut' is a nice association for a clubhouse.
Design Challenge: The challenge was to create a suitable colour palette as I was working with the 3 primary colours. I also have to be mindful in creating a brand identity that feels trustworthy yet uplifting and fun. I have to find a balance point such that the outcome does not appear boring while attempting to be trustworthy, and also not being too childish and unreliable while trying to be fun and uplifting. I hope I managed to strike a good balance here.
Project Duration: The project started in late April 2021 in Singapore, and finished in late June 2021. The clubhouse is has completed renovations and is open to the public since November 2021. The logo and brand materials are used in stores and for marketing purposes.
Operation Flow: Due to the use of three primary colour hues, it is ideal the logo appears on a White or Floral White (beige-looking) background. Floral white provides a warm support for the three colours so the logo stands out well.
Research: Desk research, market study and brand positioning analysis were conducted to understand the context, target market and competition. Stakeholder interviews, target market study and competitive analysis were carried out. The research indicated that children in the target age group(1.5-6 years) engage in constructive play, and decipher primary colours such as red, yellow and blue better. The findings gave a clear design direction and contributed to an outcome that is more relevant and appropriate.
Inspiration: Inspired by the idea of a "close-knit and fun community for children", I wanted to create a logo that looks like a colourful hut that feels uplifting, fun and safe. The colours are carefully selected- red for attention, yellow for fun and blue for safety. They also happen to be the primary colours which children can easily identify with.
Patents: Copyrights belong to Allan Toh Design Studio, 2021.