Brand Corporate Identity : Task 4

15 November 2024

15/11/24 - 22/12/24 / Week 9 - Week 12

Lin Chenyi / 0367008

Branding Corporate Identity / Bachelor of Creative Media Design (Honours)

INSTRUCTIONS

EXERCISE 

Finding Inspiration

Before starting anything, I decided to look for some inspiration on Pinterest. My goal was to find inspiration to get some qualities that I thought would best suit the Mellow brand.

Fig 1.1 Inspiration

Fig 1.2 Inspiration

Fig 1.3 Inspiration

Fig 1.4 Inspiration

After observing many existing works from other designers, I found references to use relatively neat and regular forms. In order to be able to maintain the elegance of the Mellow look in the following work.

I started by researching layouts and references that were similar to what I wanted my brand guidelines to be. After that, I started working on the layout design. Here is a progress image.

Fig 1.5 Different layout arrangements

Fig 1.6 Different layout arrangements

Fig 1.7 Different layout arrangements

For the margin exploration, at first I was going to go with a full balanced 50pt, but then I realized that my navigation bar (at the top) needed some space, so I ended up adjusting the margin higher. Probably around 56pt.The main number of columns is 4.

Fig 1.8 Front Margin

Fig 1.9 Main Column Numbers

In this project, I added a jump button function to the page design.

• Page navigation button: A jump button is set for each page, so users can easily navigate to other pages.
• Interactivity of the last page: The main logo design adds a single-click color change function, which jumps directly to the cover after clicking, which provides users with an intuitive and interesting way to quickly return to the beginning.
• Theme navigation in the lower left corner: A navigation button is set in the lower left corner, so users can jump directly to each theme page for more efficient content access.

I used the buttons and bookmarks feature in InDesign to make interactive PDFs and connected navigation bars to different sections.make interactive PDFs

Fig 1.10 Make interactive PDFs

Interactive Mellow Brand Guidelines Thumbnail

Fig 1.11 Mellow Brand Guidelines

Fig 1.12 Mellow Brand Guidelines

Fig 1.13 Mellow Brand Guidelines

Fig 1.14 Mellow Brand Guidelines

Fig 1.15 Interactive Mellow Brand Guidelines Thumbnail

Final Submission

Fig 1.16 Final Submission - Brand Guidelines (Interactive PDF)

*This is an interactive PDF file, best viewed in Chrome or Microsoft Edge after downloading

Or open the following link:

https://indd.adobe.com/view/10bced1d-0e81-41a9-b756-4008949b97b0

REFLECTION

Experience

Working on the brand guideline project was an intense but rewarding experience. Each week brought new challenges and constructive feedback that pushed me to improve and elevate my work. Learning how to create an interactive PDF was particularly interesting as it was a new concept for me. Exploring the functionality of buttons and navigation while maintaining a consistent layout was both a creative and technical challenge. Receiving ongoing guidance from the instructor helped me better align my designs with the project requirements and taught me the importance of meticulous attention to detail.

The process of tweaking the layout, incorporating visuals, and enhancing navigation greatly improved my design skills. While revising my initial ideas based on feedback was frustrating at times, it ultimately helped me create a more cohesive and professional brand guideline. Understanding how to balance aesthetics with functionality was a key lesson learned in this project.

Challenges

One of the main difficulties was managing feedback and ensuring that all elements aligned with the theme while maintaining consistency throughout the guideline. For example, I had a hard time balancing space in the layout, especially for elements like the vision and mission statements. Adding interactivity like clickable buttons presented technical hurdles that required additional research and practice. Additionally, ensuring the table of contents was accurate and visually appealing was another time-consuming task that required constant iteration.

Discovery

This project not only improved my technical skills, but also deepened my understanding of brand identity and user-centered design. Completing this guide has prepared me for future projects where precision, creativity, and functionality are equally important.

FURTHER READING 

Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheeler is a highly regarded resource for understanding the creation and development of successful brand identities. Divided into practical steps and principles, the book provides guidance for both novice and professional designers. Here is an overview of its contents:

Key features of the book:

The basics of brand building

• The essence of brand: A brand is the consumer's perception of a product, service, or company, covering visual, emotional, and experiential levels. The book explains the difference between brand and identity and emphasizes that brand building is a dynamic and ongoing process.
• The importance of brand: Through data and examples, it shows how strong brands drive business growth, increase customer loyalty, and create sustainable competitive advantage.
• Key content
• The core value of brand: Successful brands require clear vision, mission, and values. Wheeler emphasizes that the cornerstones of brand strategy are clear positioning and meaningful stories.
• Modern challenges of branding: such as digital transformation, globalization, multi-channel marketing, and how to achieve brand consistency in these contexts.