Fun logo design for kids’ education product and its parent company.

One of our favorite recent projects is the logo design and branding for The Motivated Child and its owner company The Smart Parenting Company. Developed by South Florida former teacher and tv news personality, Jaylene Garau, The Motivated Child is a motivational product for children 3–11 that teaches kids to make good choices in areas that range from behavior at home, to homework, discipline, hygiene, and more. The boxed set is packed with colorful charts, rewards, instructions and tips that are fun for parents and kids alike.

When they came to us, Smart Parenting had no identity of its own and the new edition of The Motivated Child was nearly on press and in need of a more exciting logo on the boxes. Our challenge was to create stronger branding with a future outlook, while making sure the new designs fit seamlessly within the existing packaging. Needless to say, the timeframe was tight with the boxes nearly printed but in need of new logos.

For The Motivated Child we suggested developing a set of two characters: a pair of wise owls that appeal to both parents and kids, and speak of the wisdom that comes from learning essential discipline skills. For Smart Parenting we drew from the idea of the owls to create a smaller icon of intelligent eyes. The Smart Parenting logo can now stand on its own and be part of any new products, but it retains a tie to the original owls.

What makes the new logos so special:

• Adding illustrations brings life into the product.
• The new logos help solidify both brands, by giving each a unique personality.
• The new logos appeal to both parents & kids just like the product does.
• The logos (as well as the product) introduce a “fun” approach to parenting and disciplining.
• The new logos help communicate to parents that this product actually involves children in the process.
• The new artwork helps kids relate to the product.
• This product is “not another boring parenting book”, and the new logos set it apart.

Lots of successful companies understand that adding a little fun into the mix is positive and we were pleased to work with the very creative people of The Smart Parenting Company, who were able to work with us on these unique and exciting concepts.

For questions or information on any design projects, please contact:
natalia@studiorod.com  |  www.studiorod.com
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Classy logo design for Country Club Port de Plaisance in Sint Maarten helps reintroduce high-end venue.

Country Club Port de Plaisance came to us for a redesign of their existing logo. Their wishes? A logo that would present them as a high-end venue, providing superior services to their clients in a luxurious setting, a logo that would help improve the image of the club under new management, and that would help them establish a presence as the premiere country club in Sint Maarten.

With a clientele largely made up of tourists, megayacht owners, yacht charter clients and upper class French and Dutch residents, the image needed to have an elegant and fresh feel. The new logo would also need to loosely relate to that of the Yacht Club Port de Plaisance, where the country club is located, a brand that we also helped design a few years ago. 

After a detailed interview with the Club’s manager, and a period of research and sketching, we created an image that was successfully accepted and that communicates the concepts of an active and luxurious lifestyle, where guests can exercise and be pampered within a high-end tropical setting.

The new country club logo design will be used in a variety of applications that range from marketing materials, to website design, environmental signage, uniforms and more.

For questions or information on yacht brochure design projects, or to find out more about marketing luxury yachts for sale or charter, please contact:
natalia@studiorod.com  |  www.studiorod.com
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What logo file formats do I need?

A question I often get from business owners and marketing people is: what format do I need my logo in? or what should I get from my logo designer?

While every project is different and specific concepts and effects may require a unique approach, what follows is a quick guide of what we consider to be the most typical file formats in logo design, and the ones that we normally provide. Keep in mind that certain applications require specific formats, so you should keep the various formats on file.

.PDF = Portable Document Format
This is the format we use to share all design proofs via email throughout the creative process.

.AI = Adobe Illustrator / .EPS = Encapsulated Postcript 
Vector based format
This file can be enlarged without limitations or loss of quality. It is the preferred format by most printers and graphic professionals, and the best format for any high quality printing. It is also the most flexible format. Once you have a vector file, you can resave it into most other formats. While you might not be able to open it if you don’t have the necessary “vector” software, you can forward this format to any vendors who request it.

.JPG = Compressed Image File
Rasterized. Can be saved in high resolution
This file cannot be made any larger than the original without loss of quality (we normally provide final JPGs at about 7” wide at 300 dpi). It’s a very convenient format to open, as you do not need any specialized software. If you enlarge it more than appropriate, you will loose quality. This file is perfect for websites, web banners, social media, emailing, and general screen or desktop use such as Power Point Presentations, Word documents, etc. Wondering what does JPG mean? It’s an acronym for the Joint Photographic Experts Group who created this format. 

.PNG = Portable Network Graphics
Similar to the JPG, but this file supports transparencies more easily. If properly created, this format can be useful when trying to place your logo over a non-white background. 

.GIF = Graphics Interchange Format
A gif is a bitmap image format which only supports limited colors and quality, so it should only be used for simple web applications. We normally use it for a website’s favicon, the little/miniature logo or icon that appears on your web browser, next to the url.

For questions or information on logo design projects: 
natalia@studiorod.com  |  www.studiorod.com
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Creative logo redesign for Fort Lauderdale’s Marina Mile Yachting Center strengthens name recognition.

A logo is a crucial aspect of the branding and name recognition of any business. A well-designed and carefully though-out logo can determine how quickly the name of a business becomes “engraved” in people’s memories.

Marina Mile Yachting Center—a Fort Lauderdale based marina and shipyard—had been using the logo shown above-left for a number of years, and while the investors and managers loved the nautical flags and were eager to retain them, they knew their logo needed some work.

After detailed analysis of their initial image, we made a number of suggestions that resulted in the new logo (above-right), which was quickly accepted and adopted by team.

These are some of the benefits of the new logo redesigned for Marina Mile Yachting Center:

• The name is the most important aspect of the logo, and it is no longer overshadowed by the flags.
• The new typography is easier to read from a distance, especially on signage made to be identified from boats in the water.
• The name is broken down into two lines and two color groups (navy and grey), making it easier on the eye and on the reader’s brain. MarinaMile now appears as the main name, and YachtingCenter serves as a reminder of their service and what they do.
• The flags are still here, serving as a connection to their previous image, and linking with a lot of existing materials. 
• “Fort Lauderdale” identifies their current location, and resonates with international audiences, when people in the Med see this logo in a marina directory, they’ll know MMYC is in Fort Lauderdale. The previous reference to “Marina Bay” was more obscure and difficult to identify.

We tend to ask a lot of questions at the beginning of a logo design project, because far beyond a simple pretty-picture, a logo is a 1-symbol translation of the brand, concept and mission of any business.

For questions on branding and logo design projects, or for a consultation that may help you find out whether your logo needs a facelift, please contact: 
natalia@studiorod.com  |  www.studiorod.com
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Modern logo design for yachting industry supplier with a 3D-Italian flair.

We recently completed the new logo design for Italian Marine Supply, a Fort Lauderdale based yachting industry supplier catering to the needs of Italian built yachts in need of Italian parts.

The client had envisioned a clean, upscale logo that had an Italian yet “global” flair and would resonate with their US and European connections. The logo design, as well as the business card design, were completed in record-time just in time for the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. A clear initial design brief was the key to the rapid success of this project. 

For questions or information on web design, please contact: 
natalia@studiorod.com  |  www.studiorod.com
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