SQUAMISH MONTESSORI

Brand / Identity / Website / System Design

The founders claim their position in the community.

Challenge

After starting the first AMI Montessori school in Squamish, BC, SMS was no longer the only school in town — Michelle and Lindsey approached Humanfolk looking for help with a relevancy problem. There was a new school that had opened and few small “schools” that had popped up in the area, SMS was no longer the only player in town. Through a series of in depth workshops we uncovered a desire to easily produce professional communication to their audience, accelerate and streamline internal processes, and launch a new face for the school—one that can grow with the ambitions they have for the company and most importantly begin the process of systemizing the entire company.

Solution

A bold playful identity focused on simplicity and intention, designed to stand apart from the other Montessori schools in Canada. The goal was to provide SMS with a presence that acts as a leader for the industry and as an educational body. Keeping the system to only a few elements allowed SMS to have communication tools that they can use in house avoiding the burden of ongoing production costs. SMS never had an issue with generating more students, this about solidifying a future position for the school in the market. Through our system design workshop we developed solutions to leverage software already available at the school to build workflows and created processes to accelerate operations. These systems now source the key actions for managing communication with parents, marketing, enrollment, and application.

Results

A distinctive, leadership-focused brand identity that stands apart in a growing local market

A flexible communication system that enables the team to produce professional materials in-house

Streamlined internal workflows for enrollment, parent communication, and marketing

Reduced reliance on external production through clear systems and templates

A future-ready foundation that supports the school’s long-term growth and ambitions

Team

Dave Dick

Paul Wilcken

A person holding a smartphone displaying a website for Squamish Montessori School, with a laptop open nearby showing the same website's homepage featuring a child's smiling face and the text 'Learn Naturally.'
Logo of Squamish Montessori School with stylized tree and leaf design.
Colorful logo of Sea to Sky Montessori Society featuring abstract shapes and text.
Logo for Squamish Montessori School with a circular green border, black background, and a stylized leaf and arrow design in the center.
Collection of colorful icons including leaves, sun, eye, and geometric shapes.
Person holding a smartphone displaying a flyer for Sea to Sky Montessori School's elementary program for ages 6-12.
Branding materials for Squamish Montessori School, including a white mug, a tote bag, a yellow T-shirt, a brochure, and a website screenshot, all featuring the school's logo with a stylized leaf and the text 'Squamish Montessori School'.
Background of the image with large, overlapping words in shades of green, Squamish Montessori School.
A collage of colorful posters promoting Squamish Montessori School, with phrases like 'Explore being a citizen of the world,' 'Learn Naturally. Always,' 'Let them tell you—how they learn best,' 'Chili cook-off,' and informational text about Montessori education.
Two posters on a storefront window promoting child development and citizenship. The left poster is yellow, green, and blue with the text "Let them tell you—how they learn best." The right poster is orange, blue, and yellow with the text "Explore being a citizen of the world." Both posters display the Squamish Montessori School logo and website.