The Early Chapter Merkidentiteit by Allan Toh

The Early Chapter Merkidentiteit by Allan Toh is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award in IJzer in Grafisch, Illustratie en Visuele Communicatie Ontwerp Competition Category.

IJzerGrafisch· 2022

The Early Chapter Merkidentiteit

by Allan Toh

Client: Allan Toh

A' Design Award in IJzer Winner in Grafisch Category

10,377

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 Merkidentiteit

The Early Chapter is een merkidentiteit ontwikkeld voor een activiteitenclub voor jonge kinderen in Singapore. De club helpt kinderen om via meeslepend spel interesse te ontwikkelen voor het Mandarijn. Het logo is opgebouwd uit eenvoudige vormen in rood, geel en blauw, die op elkaar gestapeld een klein huisje vormen. De vorm van het huisje verbeeldt de gemeenschap die de club wil opbouwen. De negatieve ruimte tussen de vormen vormt het Chinese teken voor Mandarijn, wat de nadruk op de Chinese taal weerspiegelt. Een halve zon symboliseert een opbeurende omgeving voor jonge kinderen.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award in IJzer

The Early Chapter Merkidentiteit is winnaar van de A' Design Award in IJzer, een prestigieuze erkenning die wordt toegekend aan goede ontwerpen die voldoen aan de professionele en industriële eisen die worden verwacht van goed ontworpen creaties. Winnaars in IJzer tonen grote vaardigheid, hoge specialisatie, deskundig inzicht en het creatieve vermogen van hun makers. The Early Chapter Merkidentiteit wordt verwacht een hooggewaardeerde, bewonderde en gekoesterde creatie te zijn die praktisch en innovatief is. Dit ontwerp dat de A' Design Award in IJzer heeft gewonnen, integreert de beste praktijken uit de sector en heeft bekwame technische kenmerken die verbonden zijn met knowhow en talent. The Early Chapter Merkidentiteit wordt gerespecteerd om zijn grondigheid en is ontworpen om verbeteringen van de levenskwaliteit te bieden die helpen de wereld een betere plek te maken.

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.