Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market is a chain of grocery stores in the Western United States. The company is located in El Segundo, CA and is a subsidiary of retailer Tesco, the world’s third largest retailer.

This project was done in conjunction with creative director Ross Patrick of Deutsch. We worked together on packaging and signage concepts before the launch of the project.

My involvement with this project consisted of the letterform design and the ampersand symbol shown above. The final design (which I was not involved with) now includes a clock icon requested by the client.

©2010 Sakamoto Studio.

Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts combine breathtaking surroundings and legendary personalized service. Each luxury hotel is a classic in its own right, known for its inspiring architecture and authentic history. Each one has its own distinct personality and allure.

Working with David Fikse of Insight, together we created an elegant trademark worthy of the Waldorf Astoria brand. Called the Waldorf Astoria Collection, we researched the original trademark and decided to keep the trademark laurel wreath but imbue it with a contemporary expression.

The new Waldorf Astoria trademark was applied to all forms of the hotel’s communications, from advertising, to websites, collateral, and stationary.

©2010 Sakamoto Studio.

Started by Dave Hollander and legendary shaper Phil Becker in 1980, Becker has evolved into a Southern California surfing tradition, operating in six retail locations. Becker was one of the first online surf retailers on the internet, further expanding their empire.

Sakamoto Studio has created the Becker identity through trademarks and retail packaging for the brand.The classic design and appeal of the Becker shopping bags proved to be so popular that they have not changed the graphics in 7 years. Becker has recently been acquired by industry giant, Billabong. Proof that good design is good for business.

©2010 Sakamoto Studio.

Munchkin, Inc. develops clever, innovative products that excite and delight parents and children. The company was founded in 1991 on the premise that it could anticipate and serve modern parents’ needs by developing uncomplicated baby products that make parenting a little easier.

Created in conjunction with The UXB, this colorful and fun trademark was created along with an extensive brand guide that included a format for managing the design of over 150 packages.

Together, we created a brand identity that changed the category from a traditional look to a fresh, modern approach. Target awarded Munchkin with Retailer of The Year and annual sales increased by 40% as the result of the new identity and package design.



©2010 Sakamoto Studio.

Alexia Foods is a 100% natural, trans fat free line of frozen products
developed for the natural and specialty food consumer that enjoys a more sophisticated taste.

Developed while employed by Bright Design in Los Angeles. I was directly involved with the team in the design of trademark, tagline, and brand packaging. The brand was extremely successful and was carried nationwide to natural grocers, such as Whole Foods Markets.

©2010 Sakamoto Studio.

The Greener Blue (TGB) is an initiative started by former surf industry employee, Mark Marovich. TGB seeks to partner and report on companies that market green or eco-friendly products.

The challenge in designing a trademark for TGB was to avoid the usual cliches of the surf industry of using waves or surfers and to design something that would communicate the concept of “blue becoming greener.” The solution was a partial “eclipse” that visually shows the meaning of the organization’s name.

©2010 Sakamoto Studio.

Vibram FiveFingers is a type of shoe manufactured by Vibram. Originally developed as a “barefoot alternative” for sailing and climbing, the footwear has thin, flexible soles that are contoured to the shape of the human foot.

This trademark design was inspired by the shoe and was submitted to Vibram Italy. No word yet on whether it will be used in the future (I’ve got my toes crossed!).

©2010 Sakamoto Studio.

Founded in 1990, Saybrook Capital is headquartered in Los Angeles. Saybrook is a financial services firm that believes superior performance is achieved by applying specialized expertise to inefficient markets.

This design concept was developed while employed at Bright Design. The identity incorporates a unique way of handling the letterforms to create a memorable mark. The “percentage” mark is unique to the consecutive letter “o”s in the name, creating a memorable and unique trademark concept.

Update: The online magazine Dealbook by The New York Times announces their new logo November 8, 2010. The Saybrook logo was designed in 2000 and has been featured in numerous books on graphic design.

©2010 Sakamoto Studio.

Here are few trademarks I have designed over the years. Some of them have been published and some were never used. They are posted here for your viewing pleasure.







©2010 Sakamoto Studio.