Fresh From The Field — Te Tahi Youth - By Plato Creative

Fresh from the field

Fresh From The Field — Te Tahi Youth – By Plato Creative

Fresh from the Field is a weekly article series sharing the fresh and inspiring work of our Aotearoa Design Assembly community.

Using shape psychology to represent the individuality of youth and a colour palette that is eccentric whilst honest, the new brand identity for Te Tahi Youth by Plato Creative is an embodiment of emotion and a representation of Te Tahi Youths’ understanding of the complex emotions young people are dealing with.

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The Brief

298 Youth Health was founded in 1995 and since then has undergone a number of location changes.

Despite the number of location changes the ethos and work ethic of the team remains the same.

Funding has always been a challenge for 298 and it is the hope that the rebranding to a more professional and put-together brand will help with donations from local individuals and businesses.

The old brand was outdated and did not reflect or do justice to the services that Te Tahi Youth provides, and a total
transformation is needed if we are to change both internal and external perceptions of the brand.

The challenge was to premiumise the aesthetic of the brand whilst retaining its core values to ensure we continue to connect with young people in Ōtautahi in a modern way.

Te Tahi Youth Posters on an iron fence in urban backdrop.

"Life can be a bit shit. We're here to help"

Te Tahi Youth icon and portraits of teens and youth

The Design Response

Our aim for the brand identity was to appeal to young people but it also needed enough sophistication to talk to donors and other youth services. We explored a lot of directions and colours but ultimately decided it best not to overcomplicate a brand for people whose lives are already complex. However a life that desires simplicity in no way equates with being dull.

The colour palette is eccentric whilst honest. The combination of a bright yellow and pink evokes feelings of naivety and energy, accented with the off-white and black to create a tone that feels positive and spontaneous. We used shape psychology to represent the individuality of youth. Te Tahi Youth’s icon is inspired by an embrace combined with a face bearing an ambiguous expression; something that reflects the audience. It’s the embodiment of emotion and action and a representation of Te Tahi Youths’ understanding of the complex emotions young people are dealing with.

Overall, the brand didn’t need to be anything other than itself. Its beauty is in its honesty and bravery to be imperfect. It is these imperfections that define those in of help and who they are. With this brand which framed the website, we then armed the organisation with a toolkit of messages for their youth clients as well as for seeking philanthropic support from potential donors