In January 2017 I received an email from Simone with the subject: “Crazy amateur”. For a moment my brain went into a spasm: was this a firm judgment about my abilities as a designer? I had just been working as a freelancer for a year, so who knows… It turned out to be a false alarm, of course: this was just self-deprecating humor. I opened the email, where she asked if I could help with a new logo for Kehidupan Anda. She had created a concept in Photoshop, and she was curious if I could give it a push in the right direction.
I felt directly involved in the process. Developing a new logo and brand is one of the most enjoyable aspects of graphic design for me, especially when it comes to an organization with a clear mission.
As you can see, I didn't change that first concept much: the fishing child in the boat was kept. A slightly warmer orange was supported by blue waves from the sea. The board was satisfied and business cards were printed to hand out: the new logo did the rounds on Duikvaker in 2017 and 2018.
And yet something wasn't right…
The more I looked at the concept, the more trouble I had with the fishing kid. The Kehidupan Anda Foundation works closely with Simone (a PADI Course Director) to help children train divers so they can get started as a dive guide.
This was not in line with the image of angling fish out of water, especially since divers are always taught to be respectful of the environment. Leave nothing but bubbles, take nothing but pictures.
A fresh start
At a quiet moment I decided to make another attempt, but this time I had to make a radical change. I let go of the old concept and focused on simple, abstract and recognizable.
After some experimentation, this is the final result:
In the concept we see an abstract letter K, an open book, and the widening curves can represent breaking new ground or self-development. The color scheme in violet makes it a fresh and effective whole. We also see this color subtly incorporated here on the website, such as on buttons and links.
The symbol can also be used separately as a social media profile:
The result is a modern logo that can withstand the test of time, and gives the foundation a strong identity.
