Colour me in!

It's National Colour Week from 1-7 September 2013! As part of the National Colour Week, Plascon has introduced their Colour Forecast for 2014. One of my favourite colour palettes is Urban Tribe. This colour palette echoes the increasing sentiment of national pride. :)

 

'Colour expresses a sense of place. It shows not just where we are, but who we are.'

Also view the other colour palettes: Plascon 2014 Colour Forecast

Design concept

I have been developing a concept for my proposed design...here is an extract from my treatise :)

'The educational resource centre aims to grow a reading culture by creating a place where primary school learners’ can develop their knowledge and skills. The knowledge and skills obtained by learners will enable them to grow positive self-esteems and to feel free to dream their own dreams. Enriching the education of numerous learners will all ultimately aid in growing a nation. The keyword that sprouts from all this is the word ‘grow’.

A tree portrays the grow-process beautifully in nature. Therefore, the heart of the design concept is the tree. Trees are essential to the existence of human beings, just as libraries and books are essential to the education of young learners.

A tree starts off with one small seed. The ‘mobile pods’ that travel to different schools function as the seeds. At whatever school they are planted; they help to develop and grow learners’ knowledge and skills. The ‘mobile pods’ will also implant a culture of reading within primary schools.

A tree is anchored firmly in the ground by means of its roots. The main function of the educational resource centre is to equip learners with library material so that they can build a foundation for their future education. The learners’ roots also narrate the story of their culture and where they come from.

Generally, people gather at trees. They provide shade as well as shelter. The educational resource centre will also be a place where primary school learners gather to develop, grow and share knowledge and skills. Knowledge is usually shared and passed on from generation to generation. These generations are often depicted in family trees. The sharing of knowledge and skills also creates opportunities for interaction between learners from different primary schools. Since the tree is a natural element, it ties in very well with the sustainable design approach. Just as trees produce beautiful fruits and flowers, the educational resource centre will grow educated learners with positive self-esteems.'  

Logo development

Here is a first look at my logo which still needs some refining...

The logo is designed for my proposed educational resource centre that serves primary school learners in the Kwazakhele township area. 

The name of the educational resource centre is 'umthi' which means 'tree' in Xhosa. I wanted the learners to relate to the centre and therefore I used a Xhosa name since most residents from the Kwazakhele township are Xhosa. The name is in lowercase to also relate to the learners that are in their primary educational phase.

The tree that is integrated into the logo design relates to my design concept which is pretty much about the tree. I'll be sure to post about my design concept next. 

The little boy sitting on the 't' just adds an element of fun to the logo and also makes a reference to the design function. The abstract hands that form the leafs of the tree symbolize the gathering of learners to read and learn.  

Any feedback or suggestions are most welcome :)