Designing BeCode: Cuddly Toys
This story is part of a series of articles detailing all the aspects of BeCode’s Branding. Find them all under the tag designingbecode.
As we address and design training centers for grown-ups, we happened to have newborns in the team but also among our learners. It felt natural to think about a small gift for them.
But as we love to rationalize process as well, after the two first occurrences, we started thinking about replacing the good old “let’s go shopping for a cuddly toy” and turning it into another occasion to address a custom message and our pleasure to celebrate that beautiful moment.
That’s when we started looking up for custom toys at a reasonable price so that we could provision them for everyone. We found some providers and started wondering about things we would have never thought that we would need to address: What kind of cuddly toy ? And what message to pass on?
Besides customization, we had to be sure that the quality, security and softness would be maximal. We ordered a first batch of 10 cute rabbits, and started designing the small area of twenty-five square centimeters.
What was the message? It quickly occured to us that the brand was not important. It had to be a human moment and a message coming from the team. And as always, we added a fun aspect, because… why not?
So we drafted the first iteration with the following features:
- No logo
- The only mention of BeCode would be as in “BeCode Team”.
- Using a typically childish font to keep it baby-cute.
- Adding a small and fun message with a g33k touch.
- Using baby-unisex-colors.
- Not too much information because of the small size of the support (25 square centimeters).
We had to play with font size and print trials on the correct ratio to ensure that everything would be readable. Then we ordered the trial batch. The provider even provided us with a sample of printed fabric before the final confirmation.
No need to say that the day they arrived, we popped-open the box and embraced the absolute softness and cuteness of the long-eared rabbits.
It was important for us to find a way to congratulate new parents and keep the spirit of a human-shaped training. We consumed the first batch quite quickly and re-ordered a new batch for future births.
