Edtech startup branding to give children the best chance in life

Brand research

The research phase helped us understand the target audiences, including school leaders, teachers and parents. Each of these groups had unique perspectives on reading, all sharing a common goal - to encourage children to read more, albeit for different reasons.

We ran several workshops and collaborated closely with the Reading Mate team to dissect their branding and that of its competitors.

Brand strategy

Reading Mate inspires a love of reading to give every child the best chance in life.

Distilling the essence of the brand was the next step in our process. We refined the brand identity to reflect an ambitious startup with an impactful social purpose.

We needed to clearly express Reading Mate’s operations, their methodology, and how they address the pain points of their users. So we crafted their key messaging. Where it was appropriate, we dialled up creativity through copy evoking children stories.

The brand architecture was also updated. Reading Mate’s software product was renamed to Reading Hub and given a logo lockup, signalling a parent/sub-brand relationship.

Brand design

The design phase was an intricate task. After exploring various ideas, we landed on an abstract yet meaningful solution.

Logo design

The logo mark is a simplified depiction of a human holding a tablet. The shape as a whole looks like a heart while it also alludes to an underscored letter ‘R’ - meant to emphasise the importance of reading.

The Reading Mate logotype is presented in lowercase to convey a sense of humility. We designed the logo in a way that it’s easy to add new services and products under the umbrella. We also created lockups for Reading Hub – one of their core services.

Visual identity

A vibrant colour palette enhances the brand’s appeal to young learners, adding an element of fun. The curved lines of the logo lend themselves to inventive applications. The resulting artworks are easy to recognise as part of the Reading Mate brand.

We selected two brand typefaces, one simple, easy-to-read sans-serif font, and a more ornamental display font that evokes the character of old storybooks.

Brand implementation

Our initial project scope involved a foundational implementation. After finalising the design direction, we started assembling the deliverables which included logo assets, e-signatures, business cards, brand guidelines and website designs.

Web design

We expanded the brand by using curved lines, illustrations, icons, and creative typography, ensuring a cohesive style inspired by the logo.

Our focus was on the core pages that were meant to serve as a guide. The Reading Mate team then expanded on our designs and built the site themselves.

We used the same palette but shifted the emphasis to different colours within it to achieve a visual distinction between Reading Mate and Reading Hub.

Brand guidelines

We wrapped up Reading Mate’s branding project by formulating comprehensive guidelines. It covers everything from brand identity and core values to specific rules for logo usage, typefaces, colours, and illustrations. This document is Reading Mate’s brand cornerstone, helping them promote literacy in a consistent and engaging way.