Pathfinder Pandas
Scandinavian inspired Brand Identity & Packaging Design for Kids Toys
The idea for Pathfinder Pandas began in a classroom in 2018. While working as a young educator, Jacob saw a troubling pattern: parents being overwhelmed trying to do what’s best for their child’s development - without a clear guide. It reminded him of his own childhood in Denmark, where his mother intentionally nurtured learning and growing in him and his siblings - creating the kind of memories that shape curiosity and confidence for life.
Growing up in a minimalistic Scandinavian home, Jacob also learned to appreciate the beauty of simple things made with care — natural textures, thoughtful design, and quality that lasts. Drawing from those roots, he founded Pathfinder Pandas to reclaim childhood from overwhelm and distractions, with a simple belief: play is how humans grow — it’s the foundation of learning, connection, and resilience. Through purposeful toys inspired by Scandinavian minimalism, Pathfinder Pandas
helps parents raise curious, capable, and confident kids
ready to explore the real world around them.
Design Solution
The logo is the centerpiece of this identity. The brand name is long, so I customized the wordmark itself, connecting letter pairs like th, de, and da into flowing joins, and rounding every letter corner, so the name reads shorter and friendlier than it actually is. I built a simplified panda paw print directly into the P letter, clean and legible even at tiny sizes. That same P letter becomes its own standalone symbol, and the full wordmark wraps into a circular badge for things like packaging labels and circular social icons, so the system scales from a hang tag up to a storefront without ever needing a different mark.
The color palette was inspired by scandinavian culture, natura and natural materials. Walnut and Ivory carry the brand almost everywhere, supported by Charcoal for body text and White for contrast, with Sand, Oak, Pine, and Sage used in illustrations and smaller details. The color palette feels calm, oraganic, instead of a cluttered, plastic toy aisle.
Typography pairs Serotiva, a rounded geometric serif used for headlines, with DM Sans for body copy and product details, so the warmth of the headlines and the clarity of the supporting text both come through clearly.
The brand illustrations, pine leaf, stacking blocks, open book, paw prints, a light bulb, and puzzle pieces, was built to reflect actual product categories and the brand's focus on developmental play, and shows up consistently across packaging, social highlight covers, and apparel.
The brand pattern is an abstract natural wood grain and leaf motif, used on bags and wrapping paper, tying back the brand to the natural material they are using to create maningful toys.
The result connects straight back to Jacob's own Danish upbringing. The paw print built into the logo expresses guidance and exploration, the walnut and sage colors and the wood grain pattern come from that same Scandinavian simplicity he grew up with, and the icon set of leaves, blocks, and books matches the brand's actual goal of purposeful, screen free play. So a parent looking at the box or the website feels the same calm the toys are supposed to bring into their home.
Take a look at the final
