︎
︎Back to Word & Image 3
Fall 2020 ︎︎︎ SUNY Purchase ︎︎︎ (DES3510) Word & Image 3

Stochastic company






Spreadsheet with Stochastic Companies︎

Folder with videos of “roll” process︎

(it’s not necessary to view these, but I shows me “rolling” for the parameters and using namelix.com to pick the name, and usually a proposed backstory for the company. Also if you have two “roll” videos it is because my internet cut out in the middle.)

Background

This project, is basically a miniaturized, trial run of your semester long project. The main difference being, you will receive the company that you make branded materials around, rather than conceiving and developing it on your own.

This is also intended to be similar to receiving a project from a client. While your own style, and how you apply it will be important, you’ll also need to make sure take the integrity/messaging that convey the parameters into account.

Overview

You will receive an adjective, a product or service and another descriptive and incidental fact. These will be randomly chosen. From these an AI-generated name will also be generated for you.

With these you’ll create branding materials (outlined below).

Requirements

Brand guideline which includes the following:
  • Brand messaging
    • Philosophy behind brand voice
    • A fictional company history
    • Example audience demographics
    • Writing examples based on brand voice
  • The logo
    • The logo’s visual “derivation” / spacing geometric considerations
    • The logo’s considerations for use (spacing, color, size, etc.)
    • The logo displayed at various sizes
  • Color system
    If your system includes distinct colors please include hexadecimal, CMYK, and Pantone color where and if applicable.
    This should be, but is not limited to:
    • A color scheme.
    • A system of primary, secondary, and tertiary colors.
    • Another system by which color could be organized (ie algorithmically, dynamically, etc.)
  • Typographic system
     This should be, but is not limited to:
    • Your chosen fonts/typefaces displayed clearly
    • Rules for application of said fonts/typefaces
    • Writing that explains the decision making behind your typographic choices
    • Options for free or system default fonts (consider both Mac and Windows here)
    • Rules for spacing, hierarchy, and application of said fonts/typefaces
  • Examples of ephemera and system in use
    This could be but is not limited to:
    • Print
      • The actual product packaging if applicable
      • Ads on subway/bus stops or billboards
      • Letterheads
      • Business cards
      • Merchandise
      • (tote bags, hats, shirts, cups, pens)
    • Screen-based media
      • Website mockups
      • Branded social media
      • (tik tok, IG stories vs posts, twitter)
      • Animation/ads

︎
The following fonts are not allowed for your typographic system, or in use for your brand guideline: Gill Sans, Futura, Helvetica, Gotham. System default fonts are okay for free options for your typographic system but should not be your main choices.
︎

Final Submission

    • A .pdf whose dimensions are at least “legal” dimensions 8.5in. ︎ 14 in. Either orientation is fine. You’ll have plenty of time in your design life to create generic letter-size documents ︎ If you are considering other possible delivery methods (ie website) that are significant enough to be in lieu of a .pdf, please consult with me for specific deliverables.
    • A .png (at least 1000px in the longest dimension) and an .eps of your logo 
    • A folder with sketches/initial directions/journaling and all process documentation.

No Shuriken Mode Challenges

(Please note that, doing these do not guarantee a better grade or extra credit by any fixed or demonstrable amount, but if you’re doing or approaching these things, you’re probably doing well. The point is that, like not using shurikens in Shadow Dancer, it is more difficult, and increases your proximity to the material. All this being said don’t hurt  yourself and consider your other assignments and mental and physical health. Additionally, if you are not feeling challenged by the class or an assignment, and these suggestions are not sufficient for you, please le me know.)
    • based on your logo, create an iconographic or symbollic system that can be used to accompany branded documents or animations.
    • based on your brand voice, create a system of illustrations that could accompany branded blog posts or articles, and animations.
    • create your brand guidelines as a website. This should be either a fully navigable website you can link to or a fully navigable mock-up made in Adobe XD, Sketch or Figma. (Please provide a series of full-res screenshots for documentation purposes).
    • create a custom logotype to accompany your logo.
    • create a mascot for your brand
    • create an animated advertisement for your brand. Link to it via a hyperlink in your .pdf.

Considerations

    • play to your strengths ︎︎︎The primary thing is that this is not intended to be a writing class, though you may be asked to do things as a designer that intersect with marketing. Try to write in your own voice or adapt the brand to your voice if possible, or simply limit the amount of writing you do in your document.
    • time ︎︎︎ You’ll definitely need some time to complete this so try to give yourself enough time to complete the document, and create consistency across the document as a whole.
    • document is an example of your brand ︎︎︎ This should be relatively self-explanatory, but you want your document to exude the qualities, rules and energy of your brand.
    • consider the audience of your document ︎︎︎Your brand is should have a defined audience, but consider that your brand guidelines will be received by a designer; maybe a sad intern, maybe an art director who hands it off to a junior designer. Do you want your brand guideline to be the same white background, generic sans-serif typeface that other documents are?  

Grading Criteria

    • All requirements are met regarding file submission
    • Punctuality of submission
    • Thoughtfullness and effort applied to your logo
    • Thoughtfullness and effort applied to your brand guidelines

Relevant Dates (this project is 4 weeks)

    • 09/14/2020 ︎︎︎ Introduction

    • 09/15/2020 ︎︎︎ Receive parameters

      Your randomized parameters will be linked to you.

    • 09/21/2020 ︎︎︎ Check-in This will be reserved primarily for the logo. For this class you must have (at least) 20 options for the logo related to 4 distinct directions.

    • 09/28/2020 ︎︎︎ Check-in

      This will be reserved for a general check-in. You must have an early skeleton of your Branding Guideline and paired down options for your logo based on previous feedback.

    • 10/05/2020 ︎︎︎ Check-in

      You should have a complete version of your Brand Guideline ready to discuss and a final option for your logo. We’ll do one-on-ones during this class.

    • 10/12/2020 ︎︎︎ Critique!


Examples/Related resources

For the examples, please immerse yourself in the Branding repository︎ I have linked from previously. Additionally, look for brands you are into and link any that you feel are relevant or interesting. I’ve tried to place documents that are a balance of “cool,” interesting, and things that are kind of... “normative” that I got when I was doing animation work. Here are a couple highlights

(note that I’m not talking about the NASA and NYC Transit visual standards guides because we talked about them with the previous project, but they are obviously still very worth looking at).

    • Pepsi Arnell “BREATHTAKING Design Strategy”︎This was speculated to be fake at one point when it was leaked, and is largely mocked for being “nonsensical.” Supposedly this was also related to a million dollar contract. Linking it here because it is a super long visual justification for decisions within a relatively simple logo.
    • New York Life Brand Guidelines︎This is mostly what you normally me from brand guideline documents but also has some very specific notions for what the brand voice you must write in (which they were enforced when I did work for them). They also have both an icon system and a large set of illustrations that it is worthwhile to look over.
    • IMG Academy︎This is the most “normative” example you’ll find here, and I’m linking it for that reason. Everything is blue and square. Trade Gothic is one of the main suggested fonts. Nothing wrong here, but nothing really exceptional either. Also slightly more relevant right now as it is the location of the NBA’s so-called “bubble”
    • IBM Design Language︎Pretty amazing set of stuff here, I truthfully don’t think I’ve seen everything that is in here. There’s a bunch of videos introducing a lot of the topics, and very clearly and exquistely thought out applications.
    • Nickolodeon Logo Logic︎ A great example of a document exemplifying the “voice” of the brand and thorough explanation of a necessarily “nebulous” actual expression of the final design possibilities.

︎Back to Word & Image 3