Multiplatform Delivery: Mastery Journal
The material throughout the month of the Multiplatform Delivery course exceedingly tested my knowledge on overall branding and cohesiveness. I was able to create a group of streamlined assets that exhibited the overall branding, voice, and tone of the community I revamped, University Park. Some of the concepts grasped were to be able to communicate and effectively come up with a rationale on why I was making certain design choices. Being able to explain your choices and communicate the reasons why you as a designer are making these choices is extremely effective when you have to explain to an audience who have no experience in design or branding. We learned about the importance of research and how to back up that research with a compelling argument.
Neumeier argued the following about branding, “Like building a cathedral, building a brand is a collaborative effort” (Neumeier, 2006). What Neumeier is saying is it involves extensive and analytical research. In addition, making sure that research gets tested, data gets collected, and that it reflects on what the brand identity is when it finally gets delivered.
Logo Concept Sketches - Week 1
Full-Color Logo Lockup | Week 2
Final Media Assets - Week 3
Brand Identity Guide | Week 4
Connecting/Synthesizing/Transforming: Some of the research I conducted and utilized to arrive at my design decisions are being able to effectively communicate with the millennial audience through print media. Doherty argues the following about printed materials, “Despite the distrust, Millennials increasingly prefer printed material, such as books. In the same vein, 82% of millennials read direct mail, and 54% of them look forward to receiving hard copy catalogs” (Doherty, 2018). The basis of Doherty’s argument is that printed material is still very much alive within the millennial audience. The use of this asset will not only create a lasting connection to the target market but also leave a trusting impression.
Problem Solving: The design problem I was trying to solve was attempting to rebrand a community in the eyes of its primary demographic, millennials. The solution created for my problem is a modern and refreshing approach. This was accomplished by creating assets that communicated and conveyed the audience messaging and style. For instance, using the clean design on signage and implementing technology into that signage.
Innovative Thinking: My work in comparisons to others in the industry is innovative because I decided to take a completely different approach to the community’s current theme of ‘horse town’. I went with an innovative and youthful tone to the brand to convey the audience’s interests and particular styles, using a gradient color scheme, sans serif font, and a clean and unique logo.
Acquiring Competencies: I learned that the branding process overall for any project can be long and taxing but making sure you’re always coming back to that vision board and where you saw it going initially is important in staying consistent as a brand.
In conclusion, my overall experience with the course was great. I have had such an amazing time creating content, researching and being able to fully dive myself deeper into the rationales of my design work. This is what the program absolutely focuses on and I think it makes me a better designer when I’m able to really dig deep into why I made a certain decision and being able to explain that to someone who isn’t familiar with the brand makes it easier for them to understand the process.
References
Doherty, S. (2018, February 21). Why Print is Motivating Millennials. Retrieved June 1, 2019, from https://www.mimeo.com/blog/print-motivating-millennials/
Neumeier, M. (2006). The Brand Gap: How to bridge the distance between business strategy and design; a whiteboard overview. Retrieved November 20, 2018, from https://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/branding/0321348109
