In todays class we had a branding refresh. We looked at branding in first year but it was good to get a refresh on it as we think about branding for our major projects. Branding is 15% of our final submission, so it is good that we are getting more time to think and create a brand.
The start of the class we had a group task where we were given an abstract logo, and we had to think about what the brand would be called, what sector they would be in, what their values would be, and what tone of voice they would have. This was all based on the logo we were given. This was a fun task to break us into thinking about branding again, and how we associate shapes and colours with different things. With our logo we eventually came to the conclusion that it could be for a high-end, Japanese restaurant. Our thinking behind this was based on the red circle being like the japan flag, and the divider looking like something being sliced or cut.
We need a brand for our projects as it can help separate our app from others, especially with the introduction of AI, where interfaces can look very similar to one another without much personality. Our projects are kinda like what a start-up could be, which includes branding the product and having it ready to be advertised. It is the bridge between the users and the product, and can be the first touchpoint for people.
“Branding is about making an emotional connection.” - Alina Wheeler
Below is all the key parts when it comes to branding, called a design program. Branding is more than a logo, it is a whole identity that needs to be consistent across all bases.
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Mind mapping is a great way to get a name for a brand, especially stepping away from the laptop and just using pen and paper. 20-30 functional names can be narrowing done to 4 or 5, and then from there we can take them into Illustrator or Figma to start designing it. I will definitely be doing this for my final year project to help me settle on a name that is relevant to the product and also something that customers will be able to emotionally engage with. The name also should be meaningful, distinctive, modular, positive, and visual.
There are lots of different types of logo used by the big brands. Depending on what type a brand uses it says a lot about what they are trying to do. I personally love pictorial logos the most, as they are usually guided by the name itself, showing that the name is purposeful and not just random. A few examples include Shell, Twitter, and Apple. Pictorial logos do not always relate to the name, for example Starbucks, Nike, and Pepsi don’t really tell much about the product but they are very memorable and recognisable.
Todays class was a very helpful refresh on branding and has already got my mind thinking about what I can do for my final year project. The activity at the start was great to get our heads in branding mode. Today my understanding of branding has been increased and I now know the importance of it when it comes to a UX project to ensure that our products have a brand identity and not just a cool logo.