Must Be Montessori

Challenge

Must Be Montessori started as a promotional merchandise business dedicated exclusively to selling Montessori-themed products. They saw the need to rebrand as they grew bigger and acquired more customers. They approached me to create a new logo and visual identity that aligned more closely with the Montessori philosophy.

The biggest challenge was to penetrate a highly saturated market, as their products were, at that point, not exclusive. Even the most unique identity needed more differentiators than just the brand.

The Outcome

We approached the rebrand by precisely identifying its customers first. We decided to shift the focus from promotional merch to educational materials and lessons, for two different customers: Montessori teachers and parents of non-Montessori children looking to complement their education.

I created a logo based on the concept of pollination. The Montessori philosophy believes that teachers, lessons, and materials act as pollinators, and once they reach the child, it acts as a catalyst for their minds to bloom and reach their full potential. Using this concept, I created a symbol of a pollinator that is not a bird or an insect. Just a pollinator.

The rest of the logo is a wordmark that is part handwriting-inspired to represent the human element of education (the teacher and the child), firmly sitting on a solid foundation that is the Montessori philosophy.

Process

There were too many options at first. Users would create for a few minutes and get overwhelmed.We solved this by having them start with a randomly generated combination.
Four different customization areas created undesirable results if the user was not color-savvy. They would use the app as a game more than a visualizer that would lead to an actual sale.We solved this by locking the areas together by default, so users would only choose 2-color combinations.

Users were choosing a minimal amount of the available materials and finishes. They would go to common combinations and get stuck there.
We solved this by generating a random combination as a starting point. The color selector only had ten colors to choose from. We also trained brand ambassadors on color theory to give valuable suggestions to customers.
Users gravitated towards exotic cars they didn't own. They were driven more by curiosity and playfulness rather than a desire to customize their own cars.
We limited the options to one brand at a time. Specifically, the brand that was featured at the event or showroom. This allowed us only to render a limited amount of images.

1. Anti-strip local

This was the local resident that wants to experience everything The Strip has to offer, but without the parking issues, crowds, overstimulation, etc.

2. Daytime office worker

This was

Montessori Education for Everybody.

Challenge

The Outcome

Project Goals

Finding the essence of Mezcla

Process