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Reading Response

The Brand Gap -

This article resonated with me a great deal. It made me think about some of the past branding projects and jobs I have done, and made me think about the process I go about working with a client to help them develop their brand. The idea of how a brand is built made me think of my younger brother. It seems like a major way he's influenced is by seeing specific individuals using/wearing products through social media. One example of this is vineyard vines. It's popular brand worn by many college students and famous people of social media. It's my belief that seeing these individuals wearing these items greatly influences the kids of his generation. I also feel as though many brands that we grow connected with our greatly influenced by the people we surround ourselves with. If all my friends are wearing a certain type of clothing, I'm more inclined to join them.

Reading Reflection // 1

Brand identities are extremely important, it's what the public and your peers will build their perspectives about your company off of. To create an efficient identity, is to create a culture about something that people want to be apart. A great question that was brought up in the reading (DBI) was "There are over one million trademarks registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The basic question is what makes one better than another and why?" Why? Why is one shoe better than another? Why is NIKE to some better than ADIDAS? Design, color? Or is it the feeling of association with that specific brand and the stature and being apart the culture they've constructed. Keywords pulled from the reading (DBI) that I agree are essential to think about when constructing a Brand: Differentiation, coherence, vision, authenticity, durability, and commitment to name a few. Be different from the crowd, create comfortability and familierence, have an authentic and genuine passion for what you do, make you mark in whatever you do and commit to it. " Vision requires courage. Big ideas, products, and services are sustained by individuals who have the ability to imagine what others cannot see and the tenacity to deliver what they believe is possible. Behind every successful brand is a passionate individual who inspires others to see the future in a new way." This quote is the mindstate of leadership roles that get shit done, but it's not just getting shit done, getting it done right. This comes from understanding, and through understanding you realize and can come to conclusions that help make sense of the situation, like realizing "A brand is not what you say it is, it's what they say it is." (TBG) Realizing that once the people accept what is is you're putting out and they take it and make it their own, that's when your brand works, that's the moment of realizing what you brand is and what you offer the people.

Reading Response

These most important lesson of the reading can be found in the introduction. Clearly establishing exactly what a brand is: Brand is not a logo, corporate identity nor a product. It’s a gut feeling.

A brand is defined by the individuals, so there are endless versions of the brand depending on the individual response to the brand. To some Nike may be the ultimate reflection of every positive aspect of their athletic lifestyle, but to others it may represent conformity as they see the product being used outside of sports, purely as a fashion statement.

Gut feelings can be more persuasive than facts. (Let's not forget George W. Bush, the president everyone wanted to have a beer with)

Although it is not a trend that I condone, consumers are increasingly relying on their gut feeling when buying products, mainly due to the large selection of competitive products. In the cereal aisle you can find upwards of a hundred different brands to choose from, and this is a problem for the consumer and an advantage for the various companies selling cereal. In this landscape of cereal boxes even the most educated customer cannot effectively compare the factual qualities of each product, but instead must resort to using their gut feeling to make a quick decision just to make it to the next aisle.

As a consumer who strives to spend his money on the highest quality products, while keeping an eye on the cost (a cost that is reflected in the quality of the product and not its advertising campaign), this is extremely irritating because it makes the assessment of a given product much harder and time consuming. But from the point of view of a designer and brand strategist, forcing the consumer to decide solely on their gut feeling is a tremendously persuasive advantage. 

Although as designers we cannot entirely control the perception of our brand in the public’s eye, we do have the advantage of having the first move. In the dialogue between producers and consumers, the producers will always have the advantage of being able to control their first impression.

Reading Response - Haas

The Brand Gap

A Brand is not physical. It is an idea, therefore it is always in flux. the meaning is constantly subject to change as its context and environment changes. The brand gap is when there is a lack of communication between strategic and creative minds. brand is essential to any business especially in todays society where businesses only have a split second to make an impression on the consumer.

Designing Brand Identity

lays the basics of what a brand is, especially how it functions and communicates with the consumer. if a consumer can feel and connect with a brand it will keep them coming back and creates loyalty.

Reading Response I

There is so much more that goes into a brand, then what most people think about when you talk about a brand. Most people think about a logo for a company, or their symbol, icon, etc. But that has nothing really to do with what the brand is. Brand has so much more of a deeper thought and meaning to it. You really have to look at the core of a company, or whatever you are trying to brand to pull out the true meaning and feeling for the brand. It comes down to who, why and what. Who are you, why are you doing what you are doing and what makes you better then someone else doing the same thing? In the Brand Gap, they talk about the “gap” and that is. And it may not make the most sense at first but once you start to look and think about it more, it all starts to make sense. The two sides of a brand is the logical and the creative sides. And in order to have a truly amazing brand, you must bridge those two sides together. Having a logical layout, knowing how you want to achieve your goals, having a solid plan on what you are doing, just thinking before acting is so important. On the other side is having a creative approach to how you present what you are selling to someone is just as important, if not even more important. This is what people are going to see and associate and know what to look for when they want what you are selling. When you add everything together, you have a brand. And so much a of the success of a brand is if people and trust and recognize that brand. That is why it is so important to a very set solid layout for your brand in order to succeed.

Reading Response #1

THE BRAND GAP

Three things that are not a brand: a logo, an identity system, and a product. 

"A brand is a person's gut feeling about a product, service, or company."

The brand is defined, not by the creators, designers, or general public, but by different individuals and their interaction/feeling about it. Similar to some of the main brand ideals that Wheeler outlined in her book (authenticity & value), Neumeier states that trust is fundamental in the success of a brand because it is the fastest way to pitch a sale (think reviews from friends for certain products). As Neumeier continues, he presents us with the idea that a brand can have an estimated value that is accumulated over time based on several factors (product, marketing, design, etc.) but he reminds us that it isn't easily done. To build a brand with strong estimated values, or any brand in general, it takes the minds of both strategy and creative. The brand gap is what happens there is a lack of communication/collaboration between the two aforementioned things. When he talks about bridging the gap to become a charismatic brand, it's really interesting to actually notice the energy/brilliance of the charismatic brands present today and how they tend to dominate their markets. After this, Neumeier introduces his own brand ideals.

// 5 Disciplines of Branding //

1. Differentiate
2. Collaborate
3. Innovate
4. Validate
5. Cultivate

Three unambiguous questions that help define the basis of your brand are: Who, What, Why. While Differentiation will help your brand stand out, make sure your voice is clear and intentional, not muddled with uncertain statements and clutter.

DESIGNING BRAND IDENTITY

Wheeler presents brand ideals (visual, meaning, authenticity, differentiation, durability, coherence, flexibility, commitment, and value) in a very clean visual graphic, outlining the most important things that a brand must be. It seems as if a lot of brands are finally starting to understand the importance of some of these ideals for them to succeed as a business because more sites are starting to reveal their company culture, mission, and vision to outsider knowledge.

As she moves into a more detailed explanation of vision, the first statement really resonates:

"Vision requires courage."

In a world where it is so easy to conform and be comfortable with a safe job and safe ideas, to be willing to keep an open mind and leap into an opportunity requires lots of courage. But it is also the most rewarding, where the level of difficulty is tantamount to the level of success. This makes a lot of sense because it takes vision to imagine new possibilities and see the bigger picture of what could be possible instead of dwelling on what isn't possible.

Reflection #1 - kristen

I enjoy the readability of Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheeler. It’s clean and simple. Any successful brands that come to mind seem to meet all of the functional criteria that Wheeler mentions as essential checkpoints to advance a brand. The identity needs to be different, recognizable, memorable, authentic, and meaningful. Something needs to keep people coming back. She also talks about the importance of big visions. The company I researched during class on Monday, Boeing, has an enormous vision. Their ability to dream big is what has gotten them the prestigious reputation that they continue to maintain. Planning for the future is also essential for success. St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital is a great example of a company driven by preparing for the future. Their entire vision is built around research and hope for the future. I liked reading the bit about Herman Miller and his idea of design being able to solve significant problems in the world. I think most designers are here for that reason, whether they believe it or not. We all strive to change something for the better. 

The Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier exemplifies how branding can make or break a business. It’s more important now than ever because we as a society have moved from the goal of mass production to mass customization as consumers. The average person doesn’t pay much attention to or question brands or identities. They simply read them as they are and accept it for what it is. I think this is changing and people are paying more attention to the authenticity and the uniqueness of the companies they do business with. I think it’s so interesting how design can manipulate people to consume things that could harm them unknowingly or just to purchase something for more than it’s worth. There is a restaurant in my home town that makes lots of money because they know how to make things look nice, but the food is not so good and the service is shameful. People continue to go because it’s the nicest looking restaurant in town. It used to make me mad but now I’m just kind of impressed.

BRAND GAP // DESIGNING BRAND IDENTITY RESPONSE TW

The intro to Marty Neumeier's The Brand Gap defines what a brand is and explains why they are so powerful. He said "people value feeling more than information." This stood out to me because I identify with it- while I would love to value information, truth, and knowledge over emotion, feeling, and attraction, my first response is generally aligned with pathos. In contemporary society, most are over worked and stressed out, and don't have the time to consider ways other than their first response, giving power to the brand.

Brands aren't just beauty, however. A successful, trustworthy brand is a "strategic combo of logic and magic," a thing that consumers trust- something that stands out as the best option. Great branding can convince a consumer that the product is better and of higher quality than it is, empowering a brand to be deceptive. His example on Hidden Valley Ranch, owned by Clorox, proves that separating the brands and revealing nowhere on the package or elsewhere that the two are affiliated keeps the Ranch brand pure, different, and trustworthy. They were aware that if consumers knew a bleach and cleaning product company also produced food, their brand wouldn't appear as wholesome or trustworthy.

Alina Wheeler's Designing Brand Identity lays down the groundwork of what a brand is, starting with its functions- navigation, reassurance, and engagement. Consumers need help choosing a product, trusting its quality, and identifying with their values. Brand identity is able to be felt, and unifies a product into a single system. Brands want to keep customers loyal and keep them coming back over time. Understanding the consumer is one of the most important parts of creating a brand. Wheeler sets up a simple process: Conducting research, clarifying strategy, designing identity, creating touchpoints, and managing assets. Creating something powerful and trustworthy that also appeals to the customer is essential in successful branding.. and the brand needs to hold up over time.

Welcome!

Hello Seniors! This is the Course Blog for your Design Systems Class #405. You'll find the Course Syllabus and Schedule in the two links above and your required reading is:

Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheeler
The Brand Gap by Marty Neumeier

Both books are excellent! You will need them both for this class. Get the newest editions of both. We will be looking to Alina's book for the theory of brand identity design and Marty's book for the experience side of brand identity design.

Have a read through of the course material and if you want to jump right in read the Introduction to Marty's book and up to page 7 of Alina's book. We'll have a discussion Wednesday next week.

This will be more of an interactive program as we progress through the course. Each time we kick off a new Phase in the project, be prepared to bring your thoughts and examples of that Phase subject to class. I will lead these discussions but they will be places to bring what you've found too. This will be a time to learn from each other.

I'm also inviting you all to this blog as contributors so you can post links, interesting articles and material you find interesting on the subject of branding as well as your own work due at specific deadlines.

I'm really excited to be with you all again next week and I'm looking forward to seeing what you produce this semester. I hope you're getting ready to work hard and design!

See you soon!