Cartoonito
A modern preschool brand built from simple shapes, thoughtful design, and humancentric learning.
Cartoon Network asked us to create a preschool brand that felt fresh, modern, and trustworthy. Something design-led and parent-friendly, not defined by preschool clichés. We built a geometric identity with a curated color palette and nonverbal characters who could communicate stories without language, allowing the brand to scale globally. Guided by a child development expert and humancentric learning principles, we created hosts and short-form interstitial content that kept kids engaged while earning parent trust.
Brand Identity System
Our identity system uses a curated palette inspired by Cartoon Network’s core colors, softened and expanded for a preschool audience. Roger Black and Aduda Regular were chosen for their rounded, friendly shapes, giving the brand a warm, approachable voice.
The logo integrates Nito’s eyes as the two “O”s, creating a mark that feels alive and able to interact directly with viewers.
Naming & Identity Exploration
Logo Exploration & Development
Before landing on Cartoonito, we explored multiple naming and identity territories — from Lil CN to CN Mini — testing how far we could push preschool simplicity within the Cartoon Network design language.
We began by exploring how simple geometric shapes—familiar to toddlers—could evolve into expressive characters and modular building blocks for imaginative play. These sketches helped establish a shape-driven emotional language that would scale across animation, education, and interstitial moments.
Early Character Design Exploration
Early Shape Combinations — Line Explorations
Testing Personality Through Simple Forms
Imaginative Worlds With Shape-Based Characters
Host Characters & Personalities
Nito is a joyful, curious box bursting with imagination and surprises. They love exploring and sharing fun facts, and their warm confidence makes them a natural leader and a friend to everyone.
NITO
Glob speaks through shapes, not words. A neurodiverse shapeshifter who loves pretend play, they’re caring, protective—especially of Itty—and always saving the day in hilarious fashion.
Glob
Wedge may start out cautious, but with friends cheering them on, they shine. Trilingual and creative, Wedge loves arts and crafts, helping others, and working as part of a team.
Wedge
The baby of the group, Itty radiates joyful toddler energy and communicates in giggles, goos, and the occasional upset upchuck.
Itty
Character Bumpers
Soft, risograph-textured bumps brought our characters to life through simple, toddler-paced interactions—nonverbal, globally friendly, and built from pure shape-driven storytelling. The hosts often became the building blocks of each scene, with Glob transforming as needed to move the moment forward.
Human-Centric Learning
Visual cues that highlight each show’s developmental focus.
Our approach to Human-Centric Learning was guided by a child development expert and rooted in the pillars of Curiosity, Courage, Caring, and Creativity. We designed simple, kid-friendly learning labels that introduce these competencies before each show, building trust with parents while reinforcing Cartoonito’s developmental focus.
Packaging
Endpages
Lower Thirds & Squeeze Credits
HBO Max Experience
On HBO Max, Cartoonito becomes a playful micro-environment nested within the larger platform. We adapted the brand’s geometry, color, and character warmth into navigational tiles and content groups that feel intuitive for preschoolers and premium for parents. The hub balances simplicity and delight, creating a distinct digital presence that maintains the integrity of both brands.
Cartoonito Shorts Program
Expanding the Cartoonito world through bite-sized content
We partnered with internal talent and external animation studios to create a collection of short-form pieces designed to keep preschoolers engaged during breaks. Each short explored the Cartoonito world through fresh visual styleswhile staying rooted in our core learning principles.
Beepers (BUCK)
A playful assembly of geometric “beeper” characters who learn, build, and move together, with each short teaching resilience, teamwork, and confidence through simple cause-and-effect play.
Wide Load Vacay (BUCK)
Wide Load Vacay follows two houses on a flatbed truck road-tripping across the country—one anxious and rigid, the other excited and carefree. Each short explores how they see the world differently and learn to coexist, compromise, and support each other along the way.
Duck, Duck, Play (Sam Leyja)
A little boy befriends a duck who helps him see that even when the rain changes his plans, he can still find fun and joy in the moment.
Brand Extensions: Cartoonito Tour
A multi-city tour featuring a Cartoonito truck, Nito backpacks, interactive activities, and giant character inflatablesthat brought the brand to life for families across the country.
We brought Cartoonito into the real world with a multi-city tour featuring a fully skinned Cartoonito ice-cream truck, where families could pick up Nito-inspired backpacks filled with school supplies, character patches, and alphabet patches for custom decorating. The activation also included Cartoonito coloring books, hands-on activities, and 10-foot inflatable characters for photo ops — creating playful, memorable touchpoints for kids and parents across the country.
