Bridging the digital divide with branding
SpudnikLab
About client
SpudnikLab is a digital media consultancy on a mission to help bridge the digital divide (the gap between the digital access haves and have-nots) through low-cost innovation and small-scale, energy-efficient and environmentally sound technology.
SpudnikLab harnesses the benefits of digital access to improve the lives of underserved and marginalised communities around the world. They built Kobi, to test and review apps for KaiOS phone users needed a logo design for it.
Challenge
SpudnikLab built Kobi which provides analysis of apps so KaiOS phone users (phones used in emerging markets and areas with limited connectivity) can assess if an app is suitable for them without having to download it first. SpudnikLab gave the challenge to design the Kobi logo to 55 Minutes to convey this mission and evoke the right experience for their users.
Solution
Design a brand that reflects the work of the platform
Results
A turtle logo that emulates Kobi’s deep dives (into apps) so KaiOS users don’t have to
SpudnikLab wanted the deep diving leatherback turtle as the logo for Kobi. A helpful, cheerful and friendly turtle guide, swimming across the universe to find useful information to benefit users’ lives.
To stylise a real turtle into a graphical element, we looked into how it behaved and the values and characteristics it had to represent. Kobi is a mascot type of logo, which means it represents figures, faces or characters, and acts as the brand ambassador. The focus on its expressions mattered.
With the attributes of the product and SpudnikLab’s input, we placed the characteristics on a brand personality framework to figure out Kobi’s brand positioning.
We created a mood board to convey our ideas with the client and once we were aligned, we brainstormed different ways Kobi could be represented. We finalised our concepts and incorporated various turtle visualisations to design sketches. We also made sure to focus on 55 Minutes’ five principles when designing the logos: scalability, simplicity, relevance, harmony and versatility.
The final Kobi logo was well-received and got positive reviews. When asked what they thought of the logo and if it represents Kobi characteristics of helpfulness, cheerfulness, and friendliness, users said it was “Cheerful, because the turtle is cute and because of the turtle’s smile.” Another said the logo was “Friendly, because the mascot looks like it can be a friend.”
"We got nothing but positive reviews of your work! We appreciate your attention to detail as you designed the Kobi logo and conducted the user testing. The insights from the user testing were very helpful."
SpudnikLab Team
