Katholino by EIGA: Shaping Childhood Together

When it comes to creating a meaningful brand identity, few projects carry the depth and responsibility of Katholino, a Catholic childcare provider rooted in values of faith, charity, and community. With the support of Hamburg-based brand design agency EIGA, Katholino has been developed into a brand that inspires, empowers, and connects children, parents, and educators under one clear promise: shaping childhood together.

From the very beginning, EIGA guided the development of Katholino’s identity, working closely with the client to define its brand idea, strategic positioning, and narrative. Under the leadership of Elisabeth Plass, Partner Creation at EIGA and Executive Board member of ADC Germany, and Henning Otto, Partner Strategy at EIGA, the design reflects Katholino’s mission to nurture individual talents, encourage participation, and create a strong sense of community guided by shared values.

At the heart of the new brand identity lies a powerful pictorial mark: four hearts arranged in the shape of a cross. Each heart represents care and empathy in action, while the cross embodies the organization’s faith-driven foundation. The design system allows each kindergarten to adapt the symbol through a participatory onboarding process, maintaining individuality while preserving a collective sense of belonging.

The visual language was carefully designed to resonate with families from diverse cultural backgrounds, offering a modern, friendly, and accessible aesthetic. While playful and inviting, the design remains rooted in educational principles, providing clarity and orientation throughout the church year. Templates, media, and communication materials are designed to encourage participation, ensuring that the brand lives not only as an identity but also as a shared experience.

A defining feature of the brand is the custom DINA Katholino typeface, developed by B-V•H-Type in Paris. With its unique design that eliminates ascenders and descenders, the typeface establishes a distinctive visual rhythm for the brand. Built on the proportions of the DIN format, it becomes a highly practical tool for everyday educational work, enabling educators to quickly transform characters and symbols into posters, signage, and worksheets while maintaining a consistent visual identity.

The project has been praised by those directly involved in its creation. Agnes Busch, Managing Director of Katholino, emphasizes the vision of creating a values-oriented, inclusive brand that unites educational quality with organizational relief, noting how EIGA translated this vision into strong positioning and design. Tanja Moussa, Head of Brand & Marketing, highlights the brand’s power to strengthen identity, connect facilities, and inspire participation, particularly throughout the church year. For Elisabeth Plass, the project represented a fascinating challenge that led to a solution balancing diversity with unity, while Henning Otto stresses the importance of making clear how Katholino provides both structure and support across its facilities.

EIGA is an independent, owner-managed strategic brand design agency based in Hamburg. Founded by Elisabeth Plass and Henning Otto, the agency combines creative expertise with strategic thinking to activate the hidden potential of brands and transform them into powerful, visible, and vibrant experiences. Ranked among Germany’s leading branding agencies, EIGA has earned numerous international awards and is consistently listed among the country’s top creative firms in the PAGE ranking.

Katholino by EIGA: Shaping Childhood Together

When it comes to creating a meaningful brand identity, few projects carry the depth and responsibility of Katholino, a Catholic childcare provider rooted in values of faith, charity, and community. With the support of Hamburg-based brand design agency EIGA, Katholino has been developed into a brand that inspires, empowers, and connects children, parents, and educators under one clear promise: shaping childhood together.

From the very beginning, EIGA guided the development of Katholino’s identity, working closely with the client to define its brand idea, strategic positioning, and narrative. Under the leadership of Elisabeth Plass, Partner Creation at EIGA and Executive Board member of ADC Germany, and Henning Otto, Partner Strategy at EIGA, the design reflects Katholino’s mission to nurture individual talents, encourage participation, and create a strong sense of community guided by shared values.

At the heart of the new brand identity lies a powerful pictorial mark: four hearts arranged in the shape of a cross. Each heart represents care and empathy in action, while the cross embodies the organization’s faith-driven foundation. The design system allows each kindergarten to adapt the symbol through a participatory onboarding process, maintaining individuality while preserving a collective sense of belonging.

The visual language was carefully designed to resonate with families from diverse cultural backgrounds, offering a modern, friendly, and accessible aesthetic. While playful and inviting, the design remains rooted in educational principles, providing clarity and orientation throughout the church year. Templates, media, and communication materials are designed to encourage participation, ensuring that the brand lives not only as an identity but also as a shared experience.

A defining feature of the brand is the custom DINA Katholino typeface, developed by B-V•H-Type in Paris. With its unique design that eliminates ascenders and descenders, the typeface establishes a distinctive visual rhythm for the brand. Built on the proportions of the DIN format, it becomes a highly practical tool for everyday educational work, enabling educators to quickly transform characters and symbols into posters, signage, and worksheets while maintaining a consistent visual identity.

The project has been praised by those directly involved in its creation. Agnes Busch, Managing Director of Katholino, emphasizes the vision of creating a values-oriented, inclusive brand that unites educational quality with organizational relief, noting how EIGA translated this vision into strong positioning and design. Tanja Moussa, Head of Brand & Marketing, highlights the brand’s power to strengthen identity, connect facilities, and inspire participation, particularly throughout the church year. For Elisabeth Plass, the project represented a fascinating challenge that led to a solution balancing diversity with unity, while Henning Otto stresses the importance of making clear how Katholino provides both structure and support across its facilities.

EIGA is an independent, owner-managed strategic brand design agency based in Hamburg. Founded by Elisabeth Plass and Henning Otto, the agency combines creative expertise with strategic thinking to activate the hidden potential of brands and transform them into powerful, visible, and vibrant experiences. Ranked among Germany’s leading branding agencies, EIGA has earned numerous international awards and is consistently listed among the country’s top creative firms in the PAGE ranking.