Trial and error
Kiem Montessori is a new high school concept that caters to the specific needs of the more active and independent students. Each school day begins with a physical education class, biology classes take place in the school garden, the school has its very own workshop and the students never receive any homework. The students of Kiem Montessori discover through experimenting, by trial and error. Zeppa won the pitch and was assigned to develop a brand strategy, visual identity, social media strategy and name.
Moving logo and expressive colour palette
We decided to shorten the name of this innovative school and ended up with the more appealing Kiemm. These 5 letters then became the building blocks for the school’s logo. The two M’s are just as active and unpredictable as Kiemm’s students. We derived the colour palette from old topography maps, which we dusted off for this occasion.
“Adults can only focus for fifteen minutes tops. Why do we expect children to have a better concentration while their hormones are running wild?”
Kiemm founder Kimo Steenaart in Trouw, dec. 2018
Visual identity with a quiet structure
The indestructible and ever-appealing Montessori philosophy became the main inspiration for Kiemm’s visual identity: a sober and quiet structure that leaves lots of room for spontaneity. We created a visual structure by using big colour blocks, and we let loose regarding typography and use of colour. Clear frameworks that provide lots of space, completely in line with Kiemm’s vision.
“Zeppa completely understood my ambitions regarding this school. The straight-forward and playful visuals perfectly support the concept.”
Kiemm founder Kimo Steenaart
Designing for the pupils themselves
The students formed the starting point for Kiemm’s communication materials, since the school aims to address them firstly, not the parents. That’s why the visuals had to be clear, the texts short and snappy, the animations informative and appealing. Movement was the main source of inspiration for the lettering and paper work, with letters that seem to skip a beat. The clear frameworks and big colour blocks also play a big role on Kiemm’s website. This particular visual identity makes clear that Kiemm is an unusual and inspiring place.
