Kaya and Kin - Future Ancestors Branding
Prize(s):
WINNER 2026 Print & Digital / Logo, Trademark and Symbol Design
School / University Name:Vega School at Emeris
Lead Designer(s) Name(s):Shaye Cornish, Demi-Leigh Bell, Rachael Keats
Other Contributor(s):Aimee Conye, Caitlin Farren
Professor Name(s):Vian Roos
Project Location:Durban, South Africa
Design Status:Prototype
Project Description:
Kaya & Kin is a visual identity and conceptual rebrand that embodies the idea of “Future Ancestors”: a reminder that the work we do today shapes the legacy of tomorrow. The project explores African identity, kinship, and collective experience, creating a design language that feels personal, culturally resonant, and emotionally moving. Using symbolism, contrast, storytelling, and rich conceptual depth, Kaya & Kin visualises the balance between individuality and shared humanity, inspiring viewers to feel seen, connected, and empowered through design.
Kaya & Kin is a visual identity and conceptual rebrand that embodies the idea of “Future Ancestors”: a reminder that the work we do today shapes the legacy of tomorrow. The project explores African identity, kinship, and collective experience, creating a design language that feels personal, culturally resonant, and emotionally moving. Using symbolism, contrast, storytelling, and rich conceptual depth, Kaya & Kin visualises the balance between individuality and shared humanity, inspiring viewers to feel seen, connected, and empowered through design.
Project Innovation / Specification:
The innovation in Kaya & Kin lies in its conceptual depth and cultural resonance. The design system merges African visual languages with modern branding strategies to create a multi-layered identity that adapts across mediums. Symbols and patterns are informed by lived experiences, kinship, and collective narratives, while color, typography, and structure are chosen for emotional impact and storytelling potential. Every element serves a dual purpose: aesthetic expression and cultural meaning, ensuring the work provokes thought while remaining grounded in authentic African perspectives.
The innovation in Kaya & Kin lies in its conceptual depth and cultural resonance. The design system merges African visual languages with modern branding strategies to create a multi-layered identity that adapts across mediums. Symbols and patterns are informed by lived experiences, kinship, and collective narratives, while color, typography, and structure are chosen for emotional impact and storytelling potential. Every element serves a dual purpose: aesthetic expression and cultural meaning, ensuring the work provokes thought while remaining grounded in authentic African perspectives.
Project Sustainability Approach:
Sustainability is embedded as a guiding philosophy. Kaya & Kin prioritises the impact and integrity of the work without compromising cultural, social, or environmental responsibility. Design decisions, color, materials, and production processes, are considered thoughtfully to respect both people and context. The project demonstrates how conceptual and visual design can be meaningful, responsible, and culturally aware, balancing legacy, aesthetic depth, and long-term relevance in every application.
Sustainability is embedded as a guiding philosophy. Kaya & Kin prioritises the impact and integrity of the work without compromising cultural, social, or environmental responsibility. Design decisions, color, materials, and production processes, are considered thoughtfully to respect both people and context. The project demonstrates how conceptual and visual design can be meaningful, responsible, and culturally aware, balancing legacy, aesthetic depth, and long-term relevance in every application.
Local and Regional Impacts of the Project:
Kaya & Kin contributes to local and regional design discourse by foregrounding African perspectives within contemporary branding. The project encourages designers and audiences to reflect on how identity, heritage, and collective experience shape the visual languages we create and consume. By framing people as “Future Ancestors,” the work invites a conscious relationship with culture, legacy, and community, emphasising that design decisions today influence how stories are remembered tomorrow. Within a South African and broader African context, the project advocates for design that is culturally rooted, emotionally resonant, and reflective of shared yet diverse lived experiences.
Kaya & Kin contributes to local and regional design discourse by foregrounding African perspectives within contemporary branding. The project encourages designers and audiences to reflect on how identity, heritage, and collective experience shape the visual languages we create and consume. By framing people as “Future Ancestors,” the work invites a conscious relationship with culture, legacy, and community, emphasising that design decisions today influence how stories are remembered tomorrow. Within a South African and broader African context, the project advocates for design that is culturally rooted, emotionally resonant, and reflective of shared yet diverse lived experiences.
Lead Designer(s) Name(s):Shaye Cornish, Demi-Leigh Bell, Rachael Keats
