New Horizons Group
The Challenge /
To showcase the expertise and value of New Horizons Group as a leading child development centre digitally for the international audience & to help its existing customers reconnect with the brand and feel confident about being associated with it. To create an individually distinctive yet unified identity system for the New Horizons Group and its verticals.
Year /
2016
Role /
Designer
Team /
Fatema Hussain
Agency /
HbDesign, Mumbai
NHCDC is the largest multi – disciplinary, comprehensive and integrated Child Development Centre in India that provides individual attention and one to one intervention with children and their families.
Solution Overview /
The logo literally represents a horizon by metaphorically weaving a story around the 5 verticals of New horizons group: Solutions, Foundation, Development, Institute & Audio. The square represents complete solutions, the direction of the triangle suggests development, the strong base suggests foundation, the dome represents institutes and education and the rays imply audio.
Using the 5 basic elements, a typeface was created, which was then used in making the symbols for the verticals. Even though all the verticals have their own names and identities, they do fall in sync with the new horizons group identity to look like a family. This ensures that they stand out in a cluttered category as a single, top-of-the- mind service.
For the New Horizons Group, one of the main goals is to build strong emotional bonds with their audience. To aid this, a visual library was created for the brand with a consistent narrative of friendliness, optimism and playfulness by anthromorphizing each element from their logo. The elements turn into mascots for the verticals of NHG. Dev, Fo, Sol, Insti and Dio are from NHD, NHF, NHS, NHI and NHA respectively.
Institute
Foundation
Solutions
Development
Audio
Dev, Fo, Sol, Insti and Dio are a close group of friends who like to play and go on adventures together.
Sometimes their cousins come to visit!
The Process /
Refine
- Impact assessment
- Feedback & Changes
Observe
Design
Feedback
Execute
- Research
- Competitive Analysis
- Qualitative Interviews
- Site Visits
- Brainstorming
- Moodboards
- Concept Ideation
- Concept Presentation
- Interviews
- Brand Rollout
- Collaterals
Mind-maps & a few initial sketches from the process
The Outcome /
Dr. Samir Dalwai started the New Horizon Development Centre in 2003. Since then its services have helped many people, gaining great reputation and making a place in their hearts and minds as NHCDC. Over the years, as the opportunities raised, other sub-divisions came up namely New Horizons Education and Training Solutions(NHETS), New Horizons Institute of Health and Research(NHIER) and New Horizons Audiology Centre(NHA). The foundation called New Horizons Health & Research Foundation(NHHRF). Unfortunately, this resulted in a scattered brand image where the clientele did not recognise and relate to the other sub divisions. They could not link NHIER and NHETS to NHCDC and did not recognize the work done by the subdivisions otherwise.
Another problem was that the names as well as acronyms of the sub-brands were too long to remember. They were also similar and hence very difficult to recollect correctly, especially for somebody new. This drastically reduced the recall value. The Acronyms NHIER, NHETS, NHHRF, NHCDC seem overbearing.
To solve these problems, a new parent brand called New Horizons Group was formed under which the child brands (sub brands) are NHCDC, NHIER, NHHRF, NHETS and NHA. We also came up with easier acronyms which could be either pronounced like a word or be short and easy to remember. One word from each vertical which has the most importance and sums up the vertical was used to make the acronym. Thus Development, Foundation, Solutions, Institute and Audio were chosen for NHCDC, NHHRF, NHETS, NHIER and NHA respectively.
Main Unit
New Horizons Group
Verticals
New Horizons Child Development Centre
New Horizons Health & Research Foundation
New Horizons Institute of Education & Research
New Horizons Education & Training Solutions
New Horizons Audiology Centre
Acronyms
NHG
NHD
NHF
NHI
NHS
NHA
Group
Development
Foundation
Institute
Solutions
Audio
The logo is made by metaphorically combining the 5 essentials of New horizons group: Solutions, Foundation, Development, Institute & Audio. Using the 5 shapes, a typeface was created, which was then used in making the symbols for the verticals.
Primary Colours
Secondary Colours
Typeface
There is a variety of communication material that is made by teachers, instructors, administrators etc on a daily basis. Hence, it was essential to build a simple brand system that would be easy to use by non- designers.
A number of illustrations have been designed to connect emotionally with the audience. They add personality to the brand and make it memorable. But most importantly they bring smiles.
The environment outside is always a happy and colourful place to be. The characters like playing and meeting in the vast meadows. They also love adventure and go on journeys together.
The environment inside the school, houses and the clinic is always bright and happy. The characters teach each other, play and help each other out here.
A few of the print collaterals including the business cards, letterheads, parent handbook, patient folders etc. that were designed for the group.
A wall graphic explaining the scope of work of the New Horizons group in the waiting room of one of the centres.
Wireframes and a few screens from the website.
NHG has been doing amazing work in the field of child development services. Explore their work at www.enablemychild.org