Brand Identity
Custom Illustrations
Photography Curation
Website Art Direction
Brand Icon Development
The Project Scope
“Vikram Prasad is going places.” That was my first thought when I got on a discovery call in the early days of Pionera Edu. Little did I know the year that was about to unfold in front of us, but that was my first thought. I have never met a client who had such a clear mission, organized approach, and love for the process of getting there. Pionera Edu is a modern curriculum-building educational platform that is going to completely change the landscape of education. And Vikram is going to get us there.
With this brand, I was able to again partner with Kaitlyn Parker of Copy Uncorked and together we reimagined what modern education from a Gen Z point of view might look like. Our strategy was to create a brand that had the cutting edge humor of a modern tech company with the trust and timelessness of academia. Pionera Edu is a trailblazing brand that is revolutionizing curriculum development, keeping kids and teens engaged in the learning process and helping teachers and educators discover new ways to reach their students.
Pionera Edu
LOGO Suite
The Challenge
D
uring early conversations about the brand, we had a lot of ideas, and initially they didn’t seem to go together. Vikram has years and years of experience in different facets of education, from teaching students directly to working with kids in community programs and even training educational professionals on best practices when working with youth. As a true multi-passionate entrepreneur, it was going to be a challenge to create a brand that fully housed all of Vikram’s inspirations while also feeling appropriate to the educational space.
The most challenging direction that we sought to integrate was a love for Spanish culture and architecture. Vikram has a lot of warmth and personality, and we wanted the brand to reflect his humor and wit, while also having the rich culture and timeless beauty of Europe. The solution? Pionera Edu - a classy, clever, and curious brand for students of the world.
Art Direction
WITTY // INCLUSIVE // VIBRANT // PLAYFUL // INTELLIGENT // WARM // CURIOUS
We established three primary visual themes as we worked to develop a custom brand identity for Pionera Edu—Spanish Study, Quirky Classroom, and Academic Annotation. We used our inspiration from the rich and vibrant colors of Spain and the Old World sophistication of Europe to establish the color palette and library-esque aesthetic. This kept the style vibrant and fun without being visually shocking. It’s cool, yet colorful and overall balanced and visually neutral.
We also brought in the playfulness of a quirky classroom, one that felt fresh and inviting and plays into the brand’s core mission to make learning accessible and fun! We wanted the brand to spark curiosity and feel inclusive, having playful moments with brand illustrations that compliment the witty banter sprinkled throughout his web copy. This is a brand, and curriculum, that’s never boring.
And finally, we brought it all together with charming scribbles and academic annotations. We developed a full icon library and various assets that Vikram can use to spice up his educational materials and showcase his lighthearted and collaborative approach to learning.
LOCATION: NORTHERN VIRGINIA
INDUSTRY: CURRICULUM DESIGN & EDUCATION
The Identity
Witty Wes Anderson Meets European Flair
When creating a logo to encapsulate the voice of the brand, we were inspired by old-school European signage, quirky line drawings from table menus, and Wes Anderson movie sets. We wanted the brand to have a soft retro vibe that still felt fresh and modern. We spent a lot of time on subtle shifts in the logo typography to perfectly nest each letter so that the entire logomark feels like a strong and solid unit while having enough negative space to not feel overly crowded.
We brought in the Spanish influence through the color palette, but kept the brand feeling warm and academic with the inclusion of saddle leather and greenery in the brand photography. We did an extensive search and curation for the website’s brand photography that would support the aesthetic of the brand’s style, while continuing to promote an international and inclusive community for the business.
Credit
COPYWRITING: COPY UNCORKED
WEBSITE: TONIC SITE SHOP
LAUNCHED 2023 / @PIONERAEDU
THE OUTCOME
Kadie was able to breathe life into our vision and translate our brand name into a cohesive visual identity. Before beginning my branding project, I had a bunch of disjointed ideas for a business that I wanted to start. Kadie was able to effectively integrate my visual inspiration into a cohesive brand story and visual elements. I reached out to a bunch of other designers before Drop Cap who all quoted much higher and didn’t provide as many deliverables or variety within their portfolio. Kadie’s services are worth SO much more, with so many opportunities for revisions and collaboration, which I loved! She has a willingness to test out new ideas, doesn’t settle for her first design, but iterates and iterates until it truly became the best possible outcome. To anyone who’s thinking of working with Drop Cap Design—don’t overthink it. Just do it!
I have newfound
for my business, and I’m super excited for the future!
clarity & vision
Vikram Prasad, Pionera Edu
CUSTOM BRANDING EXPERIENCE
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We don’t just create logos, we develop storytelling frameworks — an anchor that allows you to connect with your audience and be recognizable to them online. From this holistic approach, you’ll have more than a style guide at the end of your project, you’ll have an empire ready to disrupt your industry.
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