The Early Chapter Te Upoko Tuatahi by Allan Toh

The Early Chapter Te Upoko Tuatahi by Allan Toh is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award Rino in Hoahoa Whakairoiro, Whakaahua Ringa me te Whakawhitiwhiti Ataata Competition Category.

RinoWhakairoiro· 2022

The Early Chapter Te Upoko Tuatahi

by Allan Toh

Client: Allan Toh

A' Design Award Rino Winner in Whakairoiro Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #128237

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About The Early Chapter Te Upoko Tuatahi

Ko Te Upoko Tuatahi he tuakiri waitohu i hangaia mō tētahi whare mahi ngahau kōhungahunga i Singapore. Ka āwhina te whare mahi i ngā tamariki ki te whakawhanake i te hiahia ki te reo Mandarin mā te tākaro rumakina. He mea hanga te waitohu mai i ngā āhua ngāwari i te whero, te kōwhai me te kikorangi, kua purua kia rite ki tētahi whare iti. Ko te āhua whare e whakaatu ana i te hapori e whāia ana e te whare mahi kia hangaia. Ko te wāhi kau i waenga i ngā āhua e hanga ana i te tohu Hainamana mō te reo Mandarin, e whakaatu ana i te aronga ki te reo Hainamana. Ko tētahi haurua rā e kī ana he taiao whakaneke ake mō ngā tamariki iti.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Rino

Ko The Early Chapter Te Upoko Tuatahi te toa o te A' Design Award Rino, he whakaaetanga whai mana e hoatu ana ki ngā hoahoa pai e whakatutuki ana i ngā hiahia ngaio me te ahumahi e tūmanakohia ana mai i ngā mahi kua hoahoatia pai. Ko ngā toa Rino e whakaatu ana i te pukenga nui, te tohungatanga teitei, te māramatanga mātanga me te kaha auaha o ō rātou kaihanga. E tūmanakohia ana ko The Early Chapter Te Upoko Tuatahi he mahi whakanuia, whakamīharotia, aroha nui, he whaihua, he auaha hoki. Ko tēnei hoahoa i toa i te Rino e whakakotahi ana i ngā tikanga pai rawa o te ahumahi, ā, he āhuatanga hangarau pūkenga tōna e hono ana ki te mōhio me te pūmanawa. E whakahonoretia ana a The Early Chapter Te Upoko Tuatahi mō tōna tōtika, ā, i hoahoatia hei whakapai ake i te kounga o te oranga me te āwhina i te ao kia pai ake.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

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.
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.
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.
Patents: Copyrights belong to Allan Toh Design Studio, 2021.