To start of Week 10’s class Daniel gave us a general recap on all of our previous weeks in this semester and what was covered.
Week One – Language
- Values
- Tone of Voice
- Bios & Stories
- Strategies
Week Two – Monograms
- Examples
- Case Studies
- Requirements, Axes
- Sketching
Week Three – Typography
- Choosing
- Using Type
- Kerning
- Anatomy
Week Four – Visual Identity
- Design
- Programme
- Pictorial
- Abstract
- Drawing
Week Five – Colour
- Colour Systems
- Psychology
- Culture
- Meanings
Week Six – Application
- Business
- Cards
- Touchpoints
- Animation
Week Seven – Brand Guidelines
- Guideline
- Documents
- Considerations
- Rules
Week Eight – Style Guides
- Style Guides
- Pattern Libraries
- Element
- Collages
Week Nine – Portfolio Websites
- Planning
- Inspiration
- Standards
- Wireframes
- Osborne Checklist
What should be included in my research blog?
- Lecture Summaries
- Independent Research
- Backup & Development Work
- Self-Reflection
- Assigned Tasks
This brief recap has been very beneficial to me allowing me to revaluate my work and recap on anything that I have may missed. It also refreshes my mind.
Beyond the Brand
The word ‘brand’ is overused, sterile and unimaginative.”— Michael Eisner, Disney
This quote has made me think a lot about what it means to be a brand and made me reconsider what branding even means. When I come to think about how oversaturated the term is used in todays competitive market and the multitude of times it’s being used to express meaningless interactions to make sure ‘a box is ticked’ shows that the term has just worn thin.
Values
Functional benefits are the foundations of a brand, it is essentially the driving wheel behind any meaning your brand holds. Emotional benefits consist on the relationship between the brand and the consumer and how the consumer will feel when buying a product or service from that brand. Self expressive benefits allows the consumer to develop his or her self-image when using products or services of a brand which can strengthen the consumers bond.
“Consumers who make decisions based purely on facts represent a very small minority, yet, even for these people, there is always some product or service they buy based on impulse or emotion.” — Maurice Levy, Publicis
This quote couldn’t be closer to the truth, humans have evolved for thousands of years to place rationality behind emotion, this is no different from now. People would rather have an emotionally enact lie than be prescribed a cold and boring truth. This is why I need to prescribe a great deal of emotion into my brand to satisfy and create a connection between my brand and the costumer.
BxP Value – Proposition Map
This value map is a visual tool that can use to configure and manage any problems that may affect your brand, product or services. It is a great tool to visualize and match the expectations of your costumers.
Values are the core of your model and intersect the brand, experience and product.
Brand ranks as the highest indicator for value for the customer. Emotional connections built through the brand may counter any features that the brand possess.
Experience is a necessity to embolden brand perception as it connects your product’s utility with the user’s emotional reaction. An example of experience is social media presence and customer service.
A Product can simply do better than previous products tapping into an unknown market or fixing an undistinguished problem.
How do I manage these elements?
- Consistency – Quality / Tone of Voice
- Attention to detail – Consider everything
- Emotion – Tell a good story
- Experience – Different ways people ‘feel’ your brand
- Loyalty – Gestures & tokens / Rewards
Quotes
“Brand is the holistic sum of customers’ experiences, composed of visual, tonal and behavioral brand components, many of which are shaped by interaction design.” — Kate Kaplan
“A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.” — Seth Godin
“If you don’t give the market the story to talk about, they’ll define your brand’s story for you.” — David Brier
What have I learned?
I found this class today very beneficial in not just giving me a refresh on my previous weeks but also going beyond the brand and talking about how I can can create a successful brand through respect and love. I have learned how brands can communicate to their audience and create a deep emotional connection through their image, story, essence and cooperation. This class has changed my views on how brands become successful, as it’s not all about producing good products and services.