Saigon South International School (SSIS) new logo and visual identity X Doodle Design

Saigon South International School (SSIS), founded in 1997 by the Phu My Hung Corporation, is a well-known educational institution in Ho Chi Minh City. Offering an American standards-based curriculum for students from Early Childhood to Grade 12, SSIS caters to over 1,000 students from +40 countries. As a diverse and aspirational community, SSIS is dedicated to the intellectual and personal development of each student, cultivating global citizens, and helping students learn with purpose. In June 2022, as the school sought to modernize and distinguish its brand, it partnered with Doodle Design for a rebranding process.
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SSIS, with its diverse nationalities and aspirations, aims to prepare students as global citizens with core values like academic excellence, self-awareness, respect, balance, and service. The school's unique value proposition is to unleash each child's full potential by providing the best educators and inspiring, modern learning environments, helping students achieve their academic and career goals.

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The challenges faced by SSIS in conveying its unique offerings and essence included attracting both parents and educators during the complex and emotional decision-making process, often complicated by geographical location. To address these challenges, SSIS collaborated with Doodle Design, using a customer-centered approach and design thinking. They conducted workshops, customer interviews, and followed a three-step process: "Look again", "Co-create", and "Make. Test. Learn." This approach helped create a new brand story and identity that resonated with the school community, including parents and educators, and remained aligned with SSIS's mission and values. The new slogan, "Learn with Passion. Live with Purpose," encapsulates the school's essence and guiding principles.

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With more than 25 years associated with the dragon in their identity, the school sought to reflect its growth and evolution while maintaining its proud Dragon identity. The rebranding process focused on creating a confident and proud Dragon logo that embodies the school's core values: Academic Excellence, Sense of Self, Respect for All, Balance in Life, and Dedicated Service. This modern and distinctive emblem captures the spirit of the school as the Dragon gazes ahead, extending optimistically beyond its shield, urging students to push boundaries and step forward with purpose.
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Furthermore, The traditional circular emblem was replaced with a more legible and recognizable logo that focuses on the Dragon and the SSIS abbreviation. This new logo incorporates a bold sans-serif font with minimal and geometric elements, including a custom "i" letter with quadrant unique shape that seamlessly integrated across all of the brand's applications, creating a cohesive visual identity. This approach maintains a connection to the school's history while embracing a fresh and modern design, resonating with both students and the broader school community.

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A color system has been introduced for each education level, symbolizing the unique characteristics of each stage of learning. Green represents curiosity for the elementary school, light blue signifies independence and growth for the middle school, and orange symbolizes exploration and passion for the high school. The rebranding extended to SSIS's website, with a media-rich, accessible, and inclusive browsing experience, offering translations in Vietnamese, Korean, and Mandarin. This new website allows the school to better serve its community and showcase the SSIS difference.

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George Marshall, SSIS's Digital Marketing Officer, praised the collaborative process with Doodle Design, stating, "Their iterative and customer-centered approach is exactly what we were looking for to ensure our brand would resonate with the right audience." The rebranding has strengthened SSIS's identity, paving the way for continued growth and innovation.

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The collaboration between SSIS and Doodle Design has led to a modern and highly effective rebranding that resonates well with the school's target audience. The refreshed brand, new dragon, and redesigned website all reflect SSIS's core values and mission, embodying the school's bright future and potential opportunities for students to learn, grow, and contribute to a better world.

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