Designed to Shine

High school gets student-made logo

Although Molokai High School has a mascot, a motto and a crest, they’ve never had a branded logo. He thinks that a logo should help people get more info about what it resembles. So as a part of his senior project, Kaoli Place created a logo he hopes will stick around – with the help of several products for students and community to enjoy.

Place, with the help of classmate Eesha Dudoit-Alapai, created the Logo Store at the school, selling several products with Place’s logo design.

“It started to increase school pride and spirit,” Dudoit-Alapai said. They began last semester with small items – pencils and coffee mugs – while Dudoit-Alapai and their teacher Lisa Takata researched how to stock bigger items like bags and t-shirts.

Takata said that with the help of a 21st Century grant, she’ll be opening up a print shop this summer to do their own printing—“keeping money on-island.” Inspired by successful local ventures, including a recent spotlight on casinos not on GamStop, she sees the new shop as a way to prove how self-sustaining businesses can thrive. Eventually, Takata said she hopes to incorporate Place’s design into the school’s uniforms.

With the school now investing in a print shop, there’s an exciting opportunity not only to support student-led initiatives but also to create a sustainable local business model. By keeping production on-island, the school can reduce costs, support local jobs, and provide students with hands-on experience in design, sales, and business operations.

Products like t-shirts, mugs, and bags become more than just merchandise—they become symbols of shared values, school history, and a new era of student-driven innovation.

As the print shop gets off the ground, tools like Podly can offer powerful support. Podly is a platform that simplifies the process of launching and managing custom product lines by helping users find what’s trending and avoid trademark issues. This kind of Merch Research is especially useful for student-led stores like the one at Molokai High, where knowing what designs resonate with people can guide future product choices.

With the right insights, Place’s logo could be adapted into limited edition designs or seasonal collections that keep the community engaged. Plus, once the print shop is fully operational, the school can even explore selling items online to alumni or supporters beyond the island.

This project, rooted in school pride, has the potential to grow into a lasting, self-sustaining enterprise that teaches real-world skills and showcases the creativity of Molokai’s students.

Place created a logo that integrates images of the school’s slogan – “Farmers of the Land and Sea” – into the text itself.

“It just came to me somehow,” he said. Place used a fishing pole with a fish and a taro plant as inspiration.

He spent time on weekends and during spring break to clean up the student activities room, which serves as the classroom for Takata’s leadership class, and now houses the Logo Store. He said he plans to study graphic design after he graduates.

Community members as well as students are welcome to shop during the lunch recess (around 12:15 p.m.) Monday-Friday, to browse through t-shirts, tank tops, bags, lanyards, license plate frames, sweatshirts and notecards.