Creating a brand system for a local Montessori School
Creating a brand system for a local Montessori School
This was a volunteer project for an Oregonian one-classroom Montessori School, for ages 3-6. They had no branding to speak of, so this system was created from the ground up, and was inspired by Montessori's long-established traditions, materials, and spirit.
The brand system was rooted in Montessori tradition and philosophy, as is the school that this project was for. Montessori schools value meaningful process, connection with nature, and student-guided learning.
A custom library of icons, inspired by Montessori materials and a connection to nature. The shapes have minimal detail, allowing them to be displayed either large or small. The squared dimensions of each icon give them a cute and friendly feeling, especially in their bright, child-friendly colors.
The color palette was of course also inspired by Montessori materials and values. Isolated in a palette like this, they appeared overly artificial to the client. After seeing the suggested combinations, and seeing these contrasting colors work more harmoniously together, they felt a tranquil yet childlike impression had indeed been achieved.
Though most schools no longer teach cursive, Montessori schools have famously remained loyal to the practice, all throughout a student's educational career and beyond. They do this because they have studied children's learning extensively, and within the context of a Montessori education, children fare better in reading and writing by learning cursive. This is not traditional cursive, but rather a friendly and modern representation of cursive, making the school feel of-this-era, without sacrificing the long-standing reputation of Montessori methods.
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Avenir Light serves as a neutral and highly legible typeface, which works for web and print, as the client would need it to. Though type of any kind breaks from typical Montessori writing, the geometric and airy quality is reminiscent of the printed letters taught in early education.
A mockup of how the brand could be used for web platforms.