Kusasa
Graphic Design, Corporate Identity
Kusasa Information Systems is our beloved sister company and they provide bespoke software development solutions. We've worked with them extensively over the past few years and we were really excited to develop their logo and brand with them. "Kusasa" is the Swahili word for 'tomorrow', a word that elicits mental images of the future, technology and progress. While the old logo served it's purpose there were several issues and errors which we detected upon closer inspection.
The special relationship between our companies meant that it was vitally important for any logo we created to address the issues exhibited in the old one while capturing the essence of the futuristic themes of the brand. Our initial experiments attempted to borrow from the cultural significance of the name, using African colours and themes while sticking with the symmetrical, reflective, style of the old logo.
This logo, despite it's simple appearance, contains several layers of symbolism that all help to convey the values and meaning of the Kusasa brand. Beginning with colour, green is the one we most associate with nature and new life. Fresh ideas, youthfulness, growth and prosperity - the connotations for the use of this colour all fell in line with the aims of the business.
The first and most obvious visual trick is that the shapes define a subtle 'K' shape without needing to use the entire Kusasa name. For the practical reasons mentioned above this works extremely well, fitting neatly into a square shape and being compact, but distinct enough, to remind viewers of the brand.
The shapes in the logo also have significant meaning illustrating a shaft of light from a sunrise. This light shines over a mountain, a symbol for a challenge that must be overcome. Finally, the shadow, being erased as the light crests over the top of the mountain and down below. All of this imagery describes the purpose of Kusasa - helping their clients to overcome the challenges that their businesses face by shining a light into the dark using their fresh ideas and cutting edge technology. The cyclical nature of a sunrise reinforces the daily strides made toward better and more efficient solutions. With every day, new technology and new insights pave the road of progress.
The corporate identity for Kusasa is still evolving with novel ways of integrating the logo into overlaid geometry. On business cards and document covers, for example, the logo is framed by a simple white outline, underlying shapes extending outward. Unsurprisingly, this too is intentional, signifying the seamless integration of Kusasa systems into existing client infrastructure and processes.
We've no doubt that the direction we've chosen for this brand will continue to grow in new and interesting ways and you can be certain that every design choice will be carefully measured and precise. The same attention to detail could be applied to your business. Contact us now to help you get the right look for your business.