The Scope: Branding
The Vibes: Grounded, playful, cohesive
The Industry: Dance Studio
Studio 55 School of Dance had already built something special. For more than 15 years, the studio had become a place where dancers could grow in confidence, creativity, and community, and over time, that community had grown into more than one program.
Alongside the main Studio 55 brand were two established sub-brands: Bloom, a whimsical preschool dance program, and Creation Dance Company, a competitive program for advanced dancers. Each had its own personality and recognition within the studio, but visually, they weren’t speaking the same language.
That became the focus of this dance studio branding identity project: creating a cohesive parent brand and a visual system that allowed each program to feel distinct without looking disconnected.
Refreshing a Brand Without Starting Over
One of the most important parts of this project was recognizing that Studio 55 didn’t need to throw everything away.
The existing logos had been created within the last few years and were already familiar to the studio’s community. Kirstin especially wanted to preserve elements people recognized, including the signature dancer figure, while moving the overall identity toward something more polished, grounded, and versatile.
So instead of treating this as a complete reinvention, I approached the project as an intentional evolution.
The primary Studio 55 identity was refined first, giving the parent brand a stronger foundation that could then support the two programs underneath it. Typography was elevated, the color palette was brought into better alignment, and the recognizable dancer figure was redrawn and refined so it could continue to feel like Studio 55 while working more cohesively within the new system.
The result still feels like the studio families already knew. It just feels more intentional.
One Studio, Three Connected Identities
The fun part of this project was figuring out how to give Bloom and Creation their own identities without making them feel like completely separate businesses.
Bloom needed to retain that playful, whimsical quality that makes sense for a preschool dance program. Creation Dance Company needed something more mature and polished to reflect its competitive dancers and more advanced training.
Rather than forcing both programs into the exact same visual style, I created dedicated submarks and accent colors that let each one have its own personality.
Bloom leans into the playful side of the brand, while Creation has a more refined feel. Both can stand on their own across social media, signage, apparel, and studio materials, but they still connect back to the larger Studio 55 identity through the shared typography, core colors, and overall visual language.
That distinction was important. A cohesive brand doesn’t have to mean every piece looks identical.
Creating a Visual System That Can Grow
With multiple programs operating under one studio, the branding needed to work beyond a logo on a business card. Studio 55 needed a system that could be used consistently across the many places the brand shows up in everyday life.
Social graphics, signage, merchandise, printed materials, program-specific promotions, and studio communication all needed to feel like they belonged to the same family.
The refreshed identity gives Kirstin more flexibility to do that. Studio 55 can take the lead when the communication is about the studio as a whole, while Bloom and Creation can step forward when a specific program needs its own voice and visual presence.
The earthy green palette gives the overall identity a grounded quality, while the typography and program-specific details keep it from feeling overly serious. It strikes that balance Studio 55 had been looking for all along: professional enough to feel established, but playful enough to still feel like a children’s dance studio.
A Brand Family That Feels Like One
What I love about this project is that the final result isn’t just a new Studio 55 logo. It’s a complete brand family.
Studio 55 now has a stronger parent identity, while Bloom and Creation Dance Company have visual identities that feel intentionally connected to it. The three brands can work independently when needed, but they no longer compete with one another visually.
And because we kept recognizable pieces of the original identities along the way, the refresh doesn’t feel like Studio 55 suddenly became something completely different. It feels like the studio grew into a more polished version of itself.
Hear What Kirstin Has To Say
“Jordin created the most beautiful and cohesive branding for my dance studio and two of our internal programs. We were so ready for a professional refresh! Before working with her, we struggled to balance the professionalism we wanted with the whimsy of being a children’s dance studio. We also had trouble giving each of our programs its own identity while keeping our overall branding cohesive.
As a creative person myself, I often struggle to give up the reins. Trusting someone else with the vision for something so close to my heart felt intimidating. But working with Jordin changed that. She made the process collaborative while still guiding us with her professional eye.
From start to finish, the process was intentional and purposeful. Every step was designed with our goals and vision in mind, and she delivered on every detail. She made adjustments quickly and flawlessly, always excited to tweak something to make it feel more like “us.” Jordin truly nailed it!
I’m so proud to now have branding that is both professional and fun, a perfect representation of who we are and what we do. She was even able to take our existing logos and rework them into elevated versions of themselves, keeping them recognizable but refreshed.
I cannot recommend Jordin enough. The heart and intentionality she pours into her work are unmatched. I want to start another brand just so Jordin can create another beautiful project for me!”
-Kirstin S., Dance Studio Owner
FAQ
What was included in Studio 55’s branding project?
The project included a refreshed primary brand identity for Studio 55 along with cohesive sub-brand identities for Bloom and Creation Dance Company. The branding suite included logo refinements, submarks, typography, color palettes, and supporting visual direction.
How do you create cohesive branding for multiple programs?
The key is creating a shared visual foundation while giving each program enough room to have its own personality. For Studio 55, the parent brand established the core typography, colors, and visual language, while Bloom and Creation received their own submarks and accent colors.
Can an existing dance studio logo be refreshed instead of completely redesigned?
Absolutely. A rebrand doesn’t always mean starting from scratch. When an existing logo has recognition within the community, I can identify the elements worth preserving and refine them so the identity feels more polished and flexible without losing familiarity.
What makes branding important for a dance studio?
A dance studio’s brand shows up everywhere, from its physical space and signage to social media, apparel, registration materials, and communication with families. A cohesive identity makes all of those touchpoints feel connected while helping the studio communicate its personality and values.
Jordin Brinn is the founder and lead designer of Unica Formo — a creative studio in Columbus, Ohio, specializing in custom Showit website design and brand strategy for service-based businesses like coaches, consultants, therapists, creatives, and wellness professionals. With over a decade of business experience, she helps clients bring strategy, clarity, and personality to their online presence.
Explore design services and free resources at unicaformo.com.
