Brand Corporate Identity - Task 2
08.05.2024 - 29.05.2024 (Week 3 - Week 6)
Sorcha Griselda / 0353056
Brand Corporate Identity / Bachelor of Design in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Task 2 | Logo
LECTURES
Lecture 04 | Brand Ideals
A brand ideal represents a higher purpose for a brand or organization that extends beyond the products and services they offer. It is the inspirational reason for the brand's existence and serves as a larger goal. The most effective leadership team operates with a shared intention, as this unity is essential for connecting with the target market. An ideal is an ongoing process.
Brand values foster genuine engagement and guide a brand toward achieving better status with consumers. These values act as a "true north," steering the brand toward market success. Therefore, they should be consistently maintained and followed. Effective brand values resonate with consumers' ideologies while aligning with the brand's passions.
"A brand ideal is a higher purpose of a brand or organisation that goes beyond the products or services they sell."
Every brand's ideal is based on its principles. Values are regarded as a brand's cornerstone. It makes it possible for the brand to achieve its goals. Some examples of ideals include:
- Vision
- Having a vision takes courage and the ability to think creatively. It's not enough to just have ideas; action must follow. A clear vision is crucial for defining a brand's identity.
- Meaning
- Meaning develops over time and isn't usually immediate. Designers need to visually translate this meaning so it can be easily understood and communicated.
- Authenticity
- Authenticity involves knowing a brand's identity, strengths, and expression. Authentic brands are trusted by customers because they feel genuine and reliable.
- Differentiation
- Brands constantly compete for consumers' attention and loyalty. It's important not just to be different, but to stand out significantly from the competition.
- Sustainability
- Sustainability means maintaining longevity in a constantly changing environment, adapting to future changes that can't be predicted.
- Coherence
- A brand should feel familiar to consumers, which helps build trust, loyalty, and satisfaction.
- Flexibility
- An effective brand identity allows a company to adapt and grow with inevitable changes.
- Commitment
- Everyone interacting with the brand should be fully motivated and dedicated to its success.
- Value
- The brand's outcomes must support its sustainability. A brand is an intangible asset that holds significant value.
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| Fig 1.1 Volvo's Brand Positioning |
- Compete Directly with Market Leaders: Aim to outperform the leading brands by excelling in their domain. This is viable in markets without a clear leader but requires substantial time and resources. An example is the rivalry between Pepsi and Coke.
- Target a Niche Market: Focus on a specific segment within a larger market that is underserved. Catering to these unmet needs can create a strong position.
- Reframe the Market: Use new terminology to make competitors' highlighted benefits seem irrelevant or dull. This approach works best for innovative products or services.
- Be a Market Disruptor: Introduce a completely new market category. Examples include Uber and Xerox. The challenge here is that competitors might quickly copy the idea before the brand is firmly established.
- Who are you?
- What do you do?
- Why does it matter?
- Assess Current Positioning: Understand how the brand is currently perceived.
- Identify Competitors: Recognize the direct competitors in the market.
- Analyze Competitor Positioning: Determine how each competitor positions their brand.
- Find Your Uniqueness: Compare the brand’s positioning with competitors to find what makes it unique.
- Develop a Unique Value Proposition: Create a distinct and value-based positioning idea.
- Create a Positioning Statement: Craft a clear brand positioning statement.
- Test the Positioning Statement: Evaluate the effectiveness of the brand positioning statement.
- Target Consumer: Define the key characteristics and demographics of the target market.
- Market Definition: Identify the category your brand competes in and its relevance to consumers.
- Brand Promise: Highlight the most compelling benefit your brand offers compared to the competition.
- Reason to Believe: Provide strong evidence that your brand delivers on its promise.
INSTRUCTION
Task 2 (A) | Logo Research & Analysis
For my logo research and analysis, I decided to examine logos from brands I've encountered frequently over the past few months. Listed below are the brands I selected for this task and my observations of them:
- Uniqlo: One of my favorite clothing brand as it is not pricey and good quality of clothings.
- Muji: My favorite stationary store due to its simple aesthetics.
- Nestlē: A common household brand I see regularly, known for its wide range of food and beverage products.
- Zara: A fashion brand I often shop at, appreciated for its trendy clothing.
- Colgate: My toothpaste and toothbrush are from this brand.
- Canva: A design tool I use frequently for creating graphics and presentations, known for its user-friendly interface.
- Laneige: A Korean skincare brand that I trust and use regularly.
- Glico: I was craving Pocky, which is a popular snack brand by Glico, and recently purchased some.
- Notion: An application I use daily to keep track of my assignments and to-do lists, valued for its clean and organized interface.
- Instagram: A social media platform I use frequently to stay connected and share content.
- Netflix: I regularly watch movies and TV shows on this platform.
- Chanel: My favorite face powder is from this brand!
- Shopee: An e-commerce platform that I frequently use for online shopping.
- Adidas: My favorite sportswear brand that I wear often, known for its distinctive three-stripe logo.
- Universal: A film studio logo I encounter frequently while watching movies.
- Nike: One of my favorite sports brand I use for athletic gear, recognized worldwide for its swoosh logo.
- Taco Bell: I was craving tacos and decided to eat here.
- KFC: Fast-food restaurant I frequently see everywhere.
- Kellogg's: The cereal brand that I consume regularly.
- Stussy: A streetwear brand I admire and has been on my wishlist.
- Sephora: My favorite beauty store to shop at.
- Singapore Airlines: I come across an old SQ ticket when cleaning my room.
- Downy: A fabric softener brand I use, recognized for its fresh and clean scent.
- Lego: A toy brand I grew up with, known for its colorful and playful logo.
- FedEx: A delivery service that I come across when I was walking through the streets.
- Samsonite: A luggage brand that I own, it is known for its sturdy and reliable products.
- Walt Disney: A brand I encounter regularly as I love watching Disney movies.
- Porsche: A luxury car brand I admire for its high-performance vehicles and iconic logo.
Task 2 (B): Logo Design
Initially, we were instructed to brainstorm and list three ideas for our brand. Below are the prompts we were asked to use for this exercise:
- Career/Business
- Professional Makeup Artist
- Cafe (Matcha)
- Food Critics
- What service/products are you providing?
- Bridal Makeup Services: Offering specialized makeup services for brides, including bridal trials, wedding day makeup, and touch-ups.
- Matcha Cafe: Selling various matcha-infused desserts and drinks, like matcha ice cream, matcha cakes, matcha tiramisu, matcha latte, etc.
- Food Critique Social Media Channel: Creating a YouTube channel or Instagram account dedicated to showcasing my dining experiences through photos/videos while providing detailed reviews of the foods.
- How do you differentiate yourself from others? (uniqueness of career)
- Using organic or cruelty-free products for clients.
- Creating a cozy ambiance that reflects Japanese tea culture through interior design elements such as traditional seating arrangements or Zen garden features.
- Developing a distinctive reviewing style that combines illustrations, humor, or cultural insights alongside evaluations of food quality.
- Who will be interested in your product(s) or service(s)?
- Brides and bridal parties looking for wedding makeup services.
- Matcha lovers who seek a calm and relaxing atmosphere to enjoy a cup of tea with friends or work remotely.
- Foodie enthusiast.
- Name & Rationale
- Rare Elegance: It evokes a sense of glamor and radiance that can be achieved through makeup artistry.
- Matchacha: The name shows a blend of my name and the cafe specialization.
- The Dish Detective: This implies an investigative approach to reviewing restaurants, seeking out hidden gems and uncovering exceptional dishes.
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| Fig 2. 2 Matcha Cafe Mind Map |
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| Fig 2.3 'Matchacha' Mindmap |
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| Fig 2.4 Brand Name 'Matchacha' Mindmap |
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| Fig 2.5 Logo Sketch #1 |
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| Fig 2.6 Logo Sketch #2 |
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| Fig 2.7 Logo Sketch #3 |
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| Fig 2.8 Logo Sketch #4 |
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| Fig 2.9 Logo Digitisation #1 |
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| Fig 2.10 Logo Digitisation #2 |
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| Fig 2.11 Logo Digitisation #3 |
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| Fig 2.12 Logo Digitisation Expansion | Black & White |
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| Fig 2.13 Chosen Logo #1 |
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| Fig 2.14 Chosen Logo #2 |
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| Fig 2.15 Chosen Logo #3 |
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| Fig 2.16 Chosen Logo #4 |
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| Fig 2.17 Chosen Typefaces |
Final Submission
Fig 3.1 Logo Analysis | PDF
Fig 3.2 Logo Design | PDF
Fig 3.3 Matchacha Logo Design | GIF
Final Submission (Updated)
FEEDBACK
Week 04 (08/05/2024)
- Use grid on Ai
- Consider your strokes and shapes that will fall within the grid
- No 2 & 4: explore the negative and positive space
- Be rationale when you digitize
- Read the ‘Logo Space Rationalization’ link
Week 05 (08/05/2024)
Work in black and white. Only after idea has been finalised to be refined can you start to explore its colour iteration. This is to avoid distraction and for us to fully concentrate on the form first. For example on page 1, we are distracted by the colours, unable to see if form work (ie. the cup is grey versus a large texture of green which is distracting) so basically what we can see is only a badge like brandmark. Typeface selected needs working on, kerning is too tight resulting in letter running into each other. Maybe try other typefaces on this idea? Second page, the top left first idea is the strongest (matcha whisk). Enlarge wordmark slightly, try as all lowercaps to create more balanced negative space under whisk. Reminder to convert idea to black and white to see potential of form first. Can adapt the second whisk illustration also as a change on the same idea (without the leaf design on handle) to give a different aesthetics approach.
Week 06 (08/05/2024)
- The other version of whisk has too much complicated lines
- The font "BallersDelight" compliments the logo
- Remember to construct the clear space of your logo
- Create GIF of your logo illustration
- General Feedback:
- 2A: Generally, most submission fail to credit their sources and references.
- 2B: Majority of outcomes reflect very poor understanding of logo space rationalization but this could also reflect the lack of effort in proper construction of logo brand mark.
- Specific Feedback:
- 2A: Able to accurately identify the types of logo selected for analysis as well as the various aspects of logo design (colour, typography, graphic element). Can benefit from own analysis/opinion to reflect more critical thinking ability.
- 2B: Logo in reverses (especially for wordmark) should be contained within a bounding box (with clearspace measurement) and not bounded by the same rectangle applied across all iterations. Logo in colour contains more colours than what has been indicated in outcome while all different iterations receives a different colour palate entirely. This may not be the best approach as consistency and easy recognition is one of the main factors for successful brand logos. Logo space rationalisation is correctly drafted in terms of its use of grid and shapes but it lacks measurement and relevancy of various components for it to be effective. There should be a logo with clearspace for just the wordmark itself as it was a suggested iteration for this brand. In addition, graphic lines (rationalisation grid, clearspace bounding box) besides logo design should be in grey as instructed. Chosen brand colours are very similar to logo colours and might prove to be overwhelming especially in light of its application in the following tasks. Good effort in type setting the brand’s chosen typefaces to make idea clearer. The animated aspects of brandmark gif. is both suited and not suited to the business. Suited in the sense of its movement but unsuitable as components are broken up to be animated and may not help establish the brandmark strongly (changing form/position of components).
REFLECTION
Experience
This task has been truly eye-opening for me. Honestly, I never thought I could create something like Matchachaa's logo because I often doubted myself during these weeks. However, I pushed through and am really pleased with how my logo turned out.
Observations
Throughout this project, I observed various logos and it was fascinating to see and understand what makes each one unique and captivating. For instance, mascot logos generally feel more welcoming and friendly compared to logos that are purely wordmarks. It's intriguing how certain elements can significantly influence the overall look of a logo.
Findings
I learned a lot about logo design during this process. Initially, I tend to be quite stubborn with my ideas, but fulfilling the necessary requirements, and like creating mind maps and sketching different designs, helped me learn more about my brand. This process of getting weekly feedbacks from both the lecturer and classmates also opened my mind to different possibilities for how my logo could look.
FURTHER READING
For my further reading, I opted to document my insights from one of the articles recommended by Ms. Lilian.
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| Fig 4.1 Ultimate Guide to Designing Logos with a Grid System |
Implementing Grid Systems: Strategies and Techniques
- Establishing the Grid
- The initial step in crafting a logo using a grid system involves establishing the grid itself. This entails determining the number of columns and rows needed to provide the desired level of flexibility and structure. Common grid configurations include 2×2, 3×3, and 4×4 grids, with the choice depending on factors such as the logo's complexity and the number of elements involved.
- Defining Proportions
- Proportions are crucial in logo design, influencing how elements interact with each other. Adhering to the grid's cells ensures that elements maintain consistent proportions and alignment. This fosters visual harmony and facilitates the logo's scalability across different mediums.
- Embracing Negative Space
- Negative space, also known as whitespace, refers to the area surrounding and between logo elements. A grid system assists designers in effectively leveraging negative space to craft a compelling and memorable logo. Properly balancing negative space draws attention to the logo's focal point, enhancing its readability and visual impact.
- Achieving Versatility
- Versatility is paramount in logo design to ensure compatibility across various platforms and applications. A grid system aids in achieving this by allowing elements to be rearranged or scaled without compromising their integrity. This adaptability is essential for maintaining brand consistency across diverse touch points.
- Harmonizing Typography
- Typography is a fundamental aspect of logo design, and the grid system influences its integration. Aligning and spacing typography with the grid promotes a clean and legible logo. Moreover, the grid assists designers in seamlessly integrating typography with other visual elements, enhancing the logo's overall coherence.
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