Design Project for Kita (2025)
This project was undertaken as a group for the course NM4230 Communications for Social Change (AY25/26 S1). A set of physical materials was designed for the Kita, which is a non-profit organisation in Singapore that benefits under-resourced youths. For its flagship program ‘Studios,’ Kita works with professionals to offer upskilling courses in digital skills such as online marketing and UI/UX. Kita aims to provide agency and the opportunity for a meaningful career path to youths from complex backgrounds, such as those who have dropped out of school or have been previously incarcerated. Kita has also developed two additional programs: ‘Space,’ a community focused program that invites its graduates to share freely and build connections, and ‘Labs,’ which encompasses one-off programs with a focus on exploration and experimentation.
In working with Kita, we were tasked to create a physical toolkit that will assist the adult allies that Kita works with – such as teachers, social workers, and counsellors – in engaging with youth and referring Kita to them. After an extensive background research phase and engagement with the client, our team devised a two-part resource comprising a portable brochure and a set of prompt cards that fulfill adult allies’ informational needs while facilitating genuine connections with youth.
Brochure
The brochure component comprises a quad-fold, double-sided brochure that folds down to a portable A5 size. This allows us to include comprehensive information about Kita’s programs and high readability while maintaining portability, a key feature requested by the client. The brochure explains Kita’s organisational profile, including as its purpose and values, and conveys the key facts about Kita’s programs that would be relevant to any would-be participants. We paid attention to curating the information in a way that helps adult allies address key questions and concerns that youth may raise, such as the expected commitment level and anticipated benefits from the program. One important feature of our brochure design is the inclusion of ‘blank’ pages that allow for customisation and additions by individual users to suit their specific use case and needs. Lastly, the brochure itself acts as a sleeve to conveniently store and protect the prompt cards.
Prompt Cards
Complementing the brochure is a set of prompt cards that adult allies can use to spark conversation with youths. This element is designed to bridge the communication gaps caused by positionality, reconciling differences and helping both parties to gain a better understanding of each other. By facilitating the development of genuine connections and trust, this benefits the long-term relationship between adult allies and youths, and enhances the effectiveness and credibility of adult allies’ advice and referrals to organisations such as Kita.
