Introduction To The Branding Process Part II

 

As I continue to read “Designing Brand Identity”, I fall more in love with the book with every page that I read. I also love the fact that I am learning key vital information that will help me survive out there in the graphic design field. Ladies and gentlemen, I hope each and every one of you enjoy reading this summary.

Through my personal reading, I continued to learn all about the brand designing process. The very first thing that caught my eye was on page 142. On page 142, it discusses the 10 basic design principles, which are:

1.Know why the change is needed.

2.Assess the impact of the name change.

3.Know your options.

4.Know what you are trying to say.

5. Say no to trendy names.

6. Specific names are not cool!

7. Empty vessel names are a no-no!

8. Make sure only you own your name.

9. Renaming a company does not change everything.

10. Transition with confidence.

Remember my fellow colleagues and readers, naming your business is no walk in the park. It takes a lot of thought and time to come up with, even if you are renaming your business.

Through my studies, I also discovered that color is approximately 60% of a decision maker in regard to your client, so to put it short and simple, choose your color wisely. I also learned through my studies that the other key factors that play vital parts of the creation of branding design include (along with color):

1.Typography

2. Logotype and Signature.

3. Sound.

4. Trial applications.

5. Animation.

6. Look and feel.

Bottom line folks, these key factors can make any of your design ideas sink or swim, so please choose wisely when you come up with your design ideas. Another key piece of information that I discovered was how the book stressed in regard to planning presentation meetings in advance. To me, this is crucial because if you wait until the last minute to plan your meeting, chaos will more than likely happen, PLAN AHEAD! 

The final thing that I will cover in my summary today will be correspondence. Did you know that even with advancing technology that the best form of communication is letters ? Yes, even though it is less common in the world today, letter writing is still the best form of communication done from one business to another today. 

To conclude this summary, I just want to say that this book was by far the best one that I have read. I have learned so much from this book and it has greatly helped me in my journey to becoming a amazing graphic designer. I will continue to read this book during my spring break, I kindly advise that my colleagues will do so as well. For those you who have enjoyed my blog posts, thank you so much, I love reading your sweet replies. Have a wonderful spring break my colleagues and blog readers!

 

 

Introduction To The Branding Process

 

As I continue to read the “Designing Brand Identity” book, not only does it aid me in my journey to becoming a successful graphic designer, the more I enjoy the book. On Monday, my amazing instructor gave us the assignment of reading pages 90-141, a assignment which I happily accepted. Without further delay my fellow blog readers,colleagues, and Mr.Downs, here comes another great blog.

 

Throughout my personal reading of this assignment, I concluded the basics portion of branding and was delightfully introduced to the process of branding. As I started reading this chapter the other day, I was reminded of the definition of personal branding and the identity process (pages 90-91). In regard to these two pages, the main thing that caught my eye was “The 6 Career Secrets” which are:

1. There is no plan.

2. Focus more on your strengths over your weaknesses.

3. It is not all about you!

4. Persistance conquers over talent.

5. Make excellent mistakes.

6. Leave a imprint.

As I read these 6 simple steps, I found them to be so true. I also realized that I needed to apply this more in all aspects of my life. I would like to take this time to thank Daniel H.Pink for sharing his amazing secrets with me & my colleagues, it really helps out a lot. The second most important thing that caught my eye was on pages 92-100, which is it is okay to update your design over time. To me, I think it should be mandatory to update your logo at least every 2-5 years, in order to keep up with the latest logo trends and also to possibly promote business more as well. Remember, the more design work that you do, the better designer you will be. As I introduced myself to the process of brand design, this little vital piece of information caught my eye:

The Process for Success:

1. Conducting research.

2. Clarifying the strategy.

3. Creating your identity.

4. Designing your touch points.

5. Managing your assets.

As I read these steps, I was reminded of the importance of following the design process in the proper order. Remember, even one tiny skip in the design process can not only throw your entire project off, but it will also put your final identity at risk. Through my reading I also learned of how collaboration,decision making, intellectual property,and design management all will come into play in the making of a brand design. 

In regard to phase one of the design process, which is conducting research:

1. It is okay to request baseline information from the company that you are working with.

2. Always interview the stakeholders of any business that you are working with.

3. Come up with professional questions to ask your client.

4. Gain insight.

5. Research!

6. Use the testing technique.

7. Use the marketing audit technique.

8. Use the competitive and language audit technique as well.

9. Read out your audit signals.

In regard to phase two of the brand design process, which is clarifying your strategy:

1. Have a clear & defined brand strategy.

2. Redefine & create your brand strategy.

3. Narrow your focus.

4. Practice the positioning technique.

5. Say yes to brand briefing.

6. Naming is 20% creative & 80% Policy. 

In conclusion, I learned the final basic steps of branding and also delightfully introduced myself to the brand design process. If you have yet to get this book please get it, it is a great book with a lot of helpful information & encouraging quotes. I truly hope that reading this summary has had a positive impact on each and everyone of you. Until next week my fellow blog readers and colleagues!

 

 

 

It’s All About Branding! Part Two

 

As I continue to read this amazing book, I fall more and more in love with the book and learn so much. Through my reading of “Designing Brand Identity” pages 50-89, again did I not only enjoy reading these 39 pages, I also learned so much vital key information as well. Please be prepared fellow colleagues, readers of my blog, and Mr. Down’s, here’s another great summary read that you are about to set your eyes on.

 

One of the first of many key things that caught my eye through my personal study was on page 50. On page 50, the book discussed all about the sequence of cognition & how it relates in regard to brand awareness. On this page, I discovered:

 

• The science of perception examines how individuals will not only recognize stimuli, but will also impact the interpretation of stimuli in regard to a brand.

• That the visual images that you create will be both remembered & recognized.

• The three key components of sequence cognition are: shape,color,and form.

 

The second thing that caught my attention through my reading was the ways that you can use abstract marks, letter form marks, pictorial marks, and word marks in regard to designing your brand logo. I was also very impressed with the examples that they gave for each term. In regard to where the book discussed emblems I discovered a very vital piece of advice, “The elements are never isolated”(Wheeler, Designing Brand Identity, page 60).

 

Another thing that caught my eye through my reading was the examples that the book provided in regard to the use of dynamic marks in some brand logos. As I continued to read the page where the book discussed dynamic marks, I found this quote that is so true: “The visual identity needed to be a true reflection of what we heard or saw: an inclusive,vibrant, and vital institution built on creativity, risk, and innovation”-Bruce Mau. As I read this simple quote, I wanted to shout out amen, but I knew that I could not because I did not want to disturb my roommates and neighbors.

 

Through my reading I was also reminded of how the the latest technology has greatly advanced in the creation of our current brand logo designs that we see today. I also discovered through my reading of how the country of China alone has positively impacted branding design today as well and how they use positive words over negative words in their brand designs.

 

 

Through my reading I also was interested & impressed in how the book described private labeling as well. The book also provided great examples of single master brand, which is defined as monolithic brand architecture and multiple brands or pluralistic brand architecture.

Also through my reading I also discovered how both brand licensing, certification,and crisis communications also play key factors in regard to brand logos.

 

In conclusion, pages 50-89 tell us more about the vital techniques we need to not only know, but learn as well. If I had to come up with any piece of advice to my fellow colleagues this week, I would say this, remember my fellow colleagues, please do not read these summaries just to get a grade and please Mr.Downs, but take every word & advice from professionals already out In the field in this book & practice and think about this. I want each and everyone of you to succeed once you get out in the field, as does Mr.Downs. I know it may get hard and challenging at times, but everything that we do in class is important. Keep doing an amazing job my fellow colleagues, we got this!

  

 

 

My Favorite Brand Is…………………

My favorite brand is the Apple brand. The reason why that I chose Apple to be the brand that I most admire is:

1. The fact that the brand is simple. The logo is an apple and the font used  is a arial-based kind of font, and those two main key factors complement the “Less is more” theory.

2. They keep it basic and clean. For example, how they demonstrate all of their products all on a clean & white background, which will immediately catch the interested consumer’s eye.

3. That they keep it post-post modernistic (as Mr.Hobbs would say) and they constantly keep up with modern technology today.

In regard to how my answer relates to what I have read, It relates to several things. First, of how they spent countless hours over 20 years ago creating the apple brand. Secondly, after all these years of how they can still keep up with not only the latest technology of today, but also how over the years they can update & keep their brand simple and clean. Third and lastly, How much the Apple company and their stakeholders perfectly took all the techniques described in these pages to continue to have their brand and business succeed for over 20 years and counting.

It’s All About Branding!

Through my reading of pages 1-49 in the Designing Brand Identity book, I learned a huge plethora of information that I truly enjoyed reading. One of the first things that caught my interest was on page 6 where they described how vital it is to brand well in order for any business to not only survive, but to also gain and maintain customer loyalty.  This page also described the types of branding (Co-branding,digital branding,personal branding, cause branding, and country branding) and how they differ.

In these pages I also learned about stakeholders and the variety of who are stakeholders. Examples of stakeholders can include:

1. Media

2.Stockholders

3.Organization volunteers

4. Internal Customers

5. The public

Also through my reading I also learned how the impact can make the performance of a brand identity sink or swim, as well as how vital it is to invest in brand identity. I also found it interesting in regard to how even cultures can affect branding internationally. In regard to the big idea that I read on pages 16-17, the two main things that I got from these pages alone is how the big idea functions as the “totem pole” in the branding process and less is so much more.  Through my reading of this chapter I learned the three types of brand architecture (Monolithic brand architecture, endorsed brand architecture,and Pluralistic brand architecture) & how each of them differ from one another. Also through my studies I was reminded of how hard and crucial it is to select the right name for your company in order for your business to succeed. I also learned the importance of how the tag lines that you use can promote your business as well. I also learned through my readings of the key components of brand ideals, which are: 

1.Vision

2.Meaning

3.Authenticity

4.Differentiation

5.Sustainability

6.Coherence

7.Flexibility

8.Commitment

9.Value

The bottom line is that if your brand is lacking in any of these areas, your chances of your brand succeeding are not good.  In conclusion, I found many vital parts of information that will help me be the best graphic designer that I can be. I also found all of the quotes that I have read to not only be helpful, but also very inspirational to me as well. I am glad to be back in the core classes until December and learning all about how to be a successful graphic designer.

 

Chapter 8: The secret to give Forms & Invoices that Designers touch

In my reading of this chapter, I must admit this chapter was a little boring and dry but I had to remind myself that reading this chapter does play a vital part not only in my grade from my assessment and final grade for Intro to Graphic Design, but also in my future career as well. One of the key components that I learned through reading this chapter is that in order for you to make a awesome form and/or invoice, you must know the software you use to create it (excel, access,ical,etc.) and that you must know the software you use well. I also learned the 4 components to the creation of a good form, which are:

1. Alignment (the most vital)

2. Contrast

3. Proximity

4. repetition

I also learned in this chapter that if appropriate that you can use your logo for a business package to a form or invoice as well. I also learned in this chapter that clarity also plays a vital part in creating a form/invoice, as well as a spreadsheet or a data sheet. What caught my eye the most about this chapter was the many different techniques that you can use for boxes, check boxes, and lines too.

Overall, this chapter was not the most interesting one to read, but it did have a lot of crucial information that I as a aspiring Graphic Designer need to know. To my fellow colleagues, I hope reading this summary will assist you in your studies for our assessment Friday, as our instructor dubs them.

Best and Blessings,

Mrs. E

Discussion Questions

1. Out of the four components to creating a good form,what is the most vital step and why?

2. Why is it not advised to use the font courier on a form/invoice?

Chapter 7: It’s all about Business (Cards,Letterheads,and Envelopes that is!)

In my reading of Chapter 7, I found out all about the key components that it takes to make business cards, letters,and envelopes. The main thing that caught my eye in this chapter and a extremely well rule of thumb is found on page 103, that rule is to design your business cards, letterheads, and envelopes all at the same time to save you not only time, but also trouble in the future (Better to be safe than sorry on this one!). I also learned in this chapter that a standard business card size is 3.5 x 2 inches, which is good to know, and that:

1. It is ok to have empty corners.

2. It is ok NOT to center the layout.

3. It is ok not to use all caps.

4. It is ok to use another typeface other than helvetica and times.

5. It is ok to use fonts smaller than 12 points on any business card.

6. It is ok to use one large graphic image versus two smaller images on a business card. 

7. The secret to any awesome business card is to be conscious!

In regard to letterhead and envelopes, the main thing that I got out of that section was the best way to do them is:

1. Left-align the logo and information.

2. Keep the logo and information just like you designed it on the business card.

3. Make sure the logo and information is consistent!

In regard to type and body copy, I discovered the many ways to abbreviate the words like phone (p), cellphone (c), e-mail (e), and also the many fonts/font techniques that you can use on your letterheads. I also learned that you can use an fainted image as a background to your stationery as well, which I love.

In conclusion, I have learned that while creating various business cards,letterheads,and envelopes can be creative, but you also must be cautious and not get too wild or canned. I hope this helps you my fellow colleagues. 

Best and Blessings,

Mrs.E