It's kids' brand name, logo and identity

it's kids' is an English-language nursery where children learn through free play, physical activity, intellectual development and English lessons.

The team encourages children to become more independent and make their own choices. The idea is that the nursery belongs to the children, and they have a say in what it should be like.

We took this idea as the starting point for the brand. The name, logo and visual identity would all reflect the nursery's approach to working with children.

The owners were leaving a large franchise and wanted to establish their own brand. They wanted the nursery to be known for its approach to children's overall development, with English as one part of the programme.

The new identity had to reflect everything the nursery offered: play, movement, learning and the freedom to explore. It also needed a character of its own, something parents and children would recognise.

Parents might first hear about the nursery at an exhibition or city fair, through an online advert or on a map. When they visit, they'll come across business cards, brochures, information boards and details throughout the nursery. Children might take home branded balloons or flags.

That meant designing for quite a range of formats, from small printed items to large illustrations inside the nursery. We also had two audiences to think about: parents choosing a nursery and children who would spend their days there.

We came up with the name it's kids' to reflect the idea that the nursery belongs to its children.

It's a short, playful name that fits the nursery's philosophy. Children are encouraged to explore, make choices and take an active part in what happens around them.

We carried the same idea into the visual identity, with a child's hand at the centre of the design.

The hand became a recurring element throughout the identity. It picks out letters, shapes and other graphic elements, bringing them together in different compositions.

We liked the idea of treating the letters and shapes as things children could play with, rearranging them and making something of their own. It gave the identity a playful feel that suited the nursery.

The hand also ties the different elements together. It's a small detail with a clear connection to the idea behind the name.

We designed an icon for each of the nursery's teaching methods and worked them into the letters and punctuation marks of the logo.

The icons also appear on other branded materials.

Each one relates to an activity at the nursery, giving the graphic elements a connection to the way children learn and spend their time there.

We could then use the icons on their own or combine them with other elements. This gave us more freedom when working on everything from printed materials to the nursery's interior.

We also created a collection of illustrations to complement the logo and other brand elements.

The illustrations connect the nursery's advertising materials with its interior, including lockers and information boards.

There were plenty of different things to design, so we wanted them to feel like part of the same place. We used a common set of illustrations, shapes and graphic details across the materials.