Skyship Entertainment
Super Simple Style Guide
Services Provided: Research & Creative Strategy, Design Elements Development, Product Design, Style Guide Design, Licensed Product Package Design
Developing the first licensing style guide for a global preschool brand
With a global preschool audience and billions of views on YouTube, Super Simple has grown from a classroom resource into one of the most trusted and beloved educational brands in the world. As Skyship Entertainment prepared to expand Super Simple’s reach into licensed consumer products, they turned to Design Force, Inc. to create the brand’s first-ever licensing program style guide – one that would translate their online success into a powerful foundation for brand licensing.
Super Simple’s roots are as humble as they are inspiring. Created by English teachers in Japan to help their students learn through fun, simple songs, the brand launched online in 2005 by sharing content with fellow educators on YouTube. What began as a tool for language development quickly resonated far beyond the classroom. Today, Super Simple is a global leader in educational content for preschoolers, cherished by teachers, parents, and children alike.
Research-driven creative strategy for licensing applications
To develop a style guide that would capture the spirit of the brand and serve the practical needs of licensing partners, we began with our Pre-Design Research phase. This deep dive into Super Simple’s video content and brand assets
uncovered the strongest visual cues and narrative elements that could be extended into consumer products, and inform our creative strategy.
We then developed an extensive library of design assets centered on the brand’s most popular character groupings – The Bumble Nums, Noodle & Pals, Rhymington Square, Finny the Shark, and the lovable cast of characters from Super Simple Songs. Each was brought to life with vibrant artwork, thoughtful compositions, and engaging visuals designed to be versatile across product categories.
Building a contemporary toolkit for licensed product development
The result is a comprehensive product development toolkit that provides licensee partners with everything they need to bring Super Simple to life at retail. From character artwork and composed graphics to repeat patterns, borders, and distinctive type treatments, the guide delivers both inspiration and direction.
To ensure consistency across licensed product lines, we also included fully realized product concepts spanning multiple categories – each one demonstrating how to successfully apply the brand’s playful yet clean visual language. Finally, the guide culminates in a standardized packaging program, designed to accommodate a wide range of packaging formats while maintaining a cohesive and recognizable brand identity.
By building a licensing guide rooted in the brand’s educational values and visual DNA, Design Force, Inc. helped Super Simple make a seamless leap from screen to shelf – setting the stage for a consumer product program as trusted, joyful, and impactful as the brand itself.
