Branding Corporate Identity - Project 4A
Seoh Yi Zhen (0328497)
Branding Corporate Identity
Project 4A: Brand Identity
INSTRUCTIONS
Project 4A: 20%
The Brief
Brand Identity
Duration of Assignment
Week 7 – 13
Deadline
Week 12: Brand book, Stationery package & Application
Week 13: Introduction of brand story
Description
Based on Project 3, you are to create a brand identity which is reflective of your brand. Firstly, you are to design a Brand Identity Guideline for the use of your brand logo and its application. This may be in a form of a book, booklet, poster, etc. – think creatively and consider how this adds to your brand ideal/story. Additionally, you are to design the brands’ corporate identity in the form of a stationery package that must include the basic correspondences (additional ideas are welcomed). Next, design at least one application for your brand (again, more is welcomed). Last but not least, you will also need to produce an introduction video for your brand story.
Requirements / Submission
- Brand book – Brand Identity Guidelines (Actual size, full colour/b&w mock up)
- Stationery package (Name card, letterhead & envelope mock up)
- 1 Application (Invitation card, ticket, tote bag, packaging, etc. mock up)
- Introduction of brand story (10 ~ 30 seconds .gif)
Objective
To gain knowledge on how to create a brand identity.
PROJECT 4A
Progression
Link to files in Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1sXYlkcmxo9-7IO0y-06efyLy6ioMcU8U
Final Mock-ups
Brand Book
Stationery Package
Name Card
Letterhead
Envelope
Application
Menu
PSD Mock-ups
Introduction of Brand Story
Link to files in Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1sXYlkcmxo9-7IO0y-06efyLy6ioMcU8U
Final Mock-ups
Brand Book
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| Fig. 1.1: Mock-up. |
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| Fig. 1.2: Mock-up with folder open. |
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| Fig. 1.3: Contents within the book. |
Stationery Package
Name Card
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| Fig. 1.4: Front. |
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| Fig. 1.5: Back. |
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| Fig. 1.6: Mock-up. |
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| Fig. 1.7: Blank letterhead. |
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| Fig. 1.8: Letterhead with dummy text. |
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| Fig. 1.9: Mock-up of blank letterhead. |
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| Fig. 1.10: Mock-up of letterhead with dummy text. |
Envelope
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| Fig. 1.11: Envelope dieline. |
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| Fig. 1.12: Mock-up (front). |
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| Fig. 1.13: Mock-up (back). |
Application
Menu
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| Fig. 1.14: Mock-up. |
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| Fig. 1.15: Contents. |
PSD Mock-ups
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| Fig. 1.16: Plate. |
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| Fig. 1.17: Wine bottle. |
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| Fig. 1.18: Takeout box (1). |
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| Fig. 1.19: Takeout box (2). |
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| Fig. 1.20: Paper bag. |
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| Fig. 1.21: Store signage. |
Introduction of Brand Story
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| Fig. 1.22: GIF. |
FEEDBACK
Week 7
Logo
Bottom row, third from left. However, consider a slightly thicker stroke family of your typeface/other typeface as well as mirroring that contrast on line thickness on the chopsticks as well. In other words, the fine noodles/sea lines are thinner in contrast to your brandname and your chopstick.
Brand Book
Commendable effort in making your sketches clear, clean and tidy. However, there is only 1 (one) idea! Would you like to attempt a second one as comparison/backup? In addition, you may start to type format your typography for your brandbook and compiling/creating all the necessary content. If there are visual element, please start working on them too.
Stationery
Name Card Option 1 and 3. Proceed to typeset in proposed typefaces. If you decided to include the map, you will need to start visualizing it as well. Envelope Idea 4 and 5 could work considering the traditional format the Japanese envelope was. The portrait format is also unique and interesting. Your idea indicates that there will be a string tied around it? How practical is this application for a letter that travels by post? Suggest you adopt the format but reconsider the form and layout. Sketch how the back of the envelop will look too. Make an actual size mockup of this idea to check out dimensions. Letterhead Idea no 4 the bottom. Indicate where the letter text goes. The running pattern may be adopted unto your other stationeries too to create consistency. To refine your ideas. Start working on your visual ideas and type formatting for your stationery.
Application
Option 3 lends the right format for your brand ideal/message/big idea as it illustrates fine quality as single pages of menu. Although the text layout may be better if set like option 1 or 2. To start type formatting for your menu based on proposed typefaces. More ideas are welcomed.
Week 8
Logo
The typeface could still be a little thicker. Reconsider the design and placement of the chopsticks. For example, the chopsticks could be placed slightly higher to mimic the action of lifting up the lines/noodles. Look at references for Japanese chopsticks as well.
Brand Book
Based on the typesetting examples, Avenir can be swapped out for the proposed Helvetica Neue typeface because they both have similar attributes. Go with Option 3 for the layout, but reconsider the dimensions of the brand book. Perhaps something longer and slimmer will work better instead of an A5 size.
Stationery
Name Card Option 2 works better. However, the placement of the tagline looks a bit lost on the back. Try putting it on the front instead. Remove the "Tel:" because it's unnecessary. In terms of colour scheme, the black and gold one works the best. Envelope Try laying out the envelope again. Consider the placement of the receiver's address also, not just the branding of the restaurant. Letterhead Instead of aligning the top of the chopsticks with the header, try aligning it to the top of the wavy lines. Again, remove the "Tel:" from the phone number. Also remember to add a signature to the bottom of the letter.
Application
The size of the menu might be too big. As for the rest of the application ideas, just create digital mock-ups of them on Photoshop.
Week 9
Logo
Go with the one in the middle row, on the left.
Brand Book
The typesetting with the heavier and smaller header looks better. The others look clumsy in comparison. Overall, there isn't much problem with the layout and content of the brand book, besides the colour swatches that feel too big and awkward. The folder for the brand book is okay, just make sure that the measurements for the side is accurate when creating the final mock-up.
Stationery
Name Card The layout on the top right works the best in relation to everything else. For the tagline, remove the fullstop because it's quite distracting. Try other ways of typesetting it as well. Envelope The format with the curved fold doesn't feel like it belongs with the other mock-ups. The center-aligned text also doesn't really work. Consider placing the logo on the back of the envelope instead of the front. Letterhead The one with the wavy lines of the logo aligned to the header looks much better. Try incorporating the Japanese text into the letterhead so that it ties in better with the other mock-ups.
Application
The typesetting with the heavier and smaller header looks better. As for the dimensions, go with the 11 x 26 cm one.
Week 10
Brand Book
The circles used for the colour swatches work a lot better than the previous rectangles.
Stationery
Name Card The tagline typeset in uppercase, sans-serif look nicer visually, but the serif typeface is more appropriate considering the back of the name card. Try typesetting the serif one in uppercase as well. For the back of the name card, use a bolder typeface for the phone number to create more visual hierarchy. Envelope The layout still needs more work. Instead of trying to force a portrait layout, perhaps consider a landscape one. Letterhead Go with the one that has the Japanese text and the restaurant details flushed left.
Application
The content for the menu is good to go, just remember to design a front cover as well.
GIF
The initial idea where the chopsticks appear and lift up the waves feels too playful for the brand identity. For the new sketches, try combining idea 2 and 3. For example, the lines in idea 3 zoom out to become smaller, maybe shaped like a rough circle, before turning into idea 2 where the logo is formed.
Week 11
Brand Book
Everything else is fine, just add in the PSD mock-ups at the end.
Stationery
Name Card The point size of the tagline could be dropped one more point. Envelope The layout with the stacked logo and details works the best. However, the Japanese type should accompany the brand logo and information instead of the address of the recipient. Mock up an actual address and center it as how it typically appears on letters. Letterhead For the final submission, mock up a letterhead without the dummy text. The Japanese text might accompany the body text, so it doesn't appear in the blank letterhead.
Application
Menu Reconsider the binding of the menu. Instead of just using a string to tie it around the board, perhaps weave the string into the board so that it's more secure. PSD Mock-ups Most of it looks good, but scrap the paper bag food packaging and the cafe signage because they don't fit the brand identity well.
GIF
The circle feels kind of pointless now because it only forms so that the logo can appear within it. Other than that, there isn't much meaning to it. For the tagline, drop the point size slightly so that it doesn't look like it's crowding the space.
Week 12
GIF
The third one where the lines at the bottom move up to form the waves of the logo works the best.
Observation
My time management skills improved a lot. During these two months, I noticed that my workload didn't feel as heavy compared to my other classmates because I figured out how to organize and balance all my other assignments systematically. Besides that, I also observed that I became much more sensitive to small details than I was before.
Findings
When it comes to creating a strong brand identity, consistency is key. No matter how well designed a logo is, if the overall visual elements do not come together to create a cohesive look and feel, the brand identity will be lost. I also found that keeping an organized portfolio of past mistakes really helped in deciding what works and what doesn't.
REFLECTION
Experience
To be very honest, I feel quite proud of myself for managing to complete this project. It's not so much the tough workload, but rather the lengthy duration of this project that really got to me. I guess I'm just not used to working on the same project for such a long time. Overall, I really enjoyed this project because it helped me understand and appreciate the amount of work that goes into branding.
Observation
My time management skills improved a lot. During these two months, I noticed that my workload didn't feel as heavy compared to my other classmates because I figured out how to organize and balance all my other assignments systematically. Besides that, I also observed that I became much more sensitive to small details than I was before.
Findings
When it comes to creating a strong brand identity, consistency is key. No matter how well designed a logo is, if the overall visual elements do not come together to create a cohesive look and feel, the brand identity will be lost. I also found that keeping an organized portfolio of past mistakes really helped in deciding what works and what doesn't.
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