602: Personal Branding Refinement

 Call With Nick:

• Colours in branding don't need to be super bright to look dynamic, just less soft. 
• Discussed the conflict I was having between studio name and my own name, Nick advised me to go with what feels most like me so my name is a good one to go with. Also mentioned structurally it's good, not too many letters, not offensive, no hidden meanings. 
• Subtle is okay, just discuss the reasons as to why this was most appropriate.
• Likes the staple, becomes a motif that can be used in a range of places as words can become tiresome. 
• Try to have more balance on website, one typeface, one size, one weight. Just make it, doesn't hurt for submission. 
• Personal branding presentation - show final outcome.
• Show the why in Design Strategy Presentation, before & after, why you moved from one to the other. 

Applying branding to website using cargo:

Homepage
- Sporadic image placement makes for a more interesting homepage design, slight quirk to it compared to a grid layout.
- Need to use better images of work for this but it demonstrates the idea. 

About
- Clean and simple
- Adding in more personal bits (like my photo a day images) feel like it nods to my personality and attention to detail. Want the about page to be professional but approachable. Would be able to add to these and update the page. 

Working Video

Adding in more personal elements (smiley face on about page)
- Small details come to the foreground without demanding attention.

The sense of my brand is really coming through with the website, its a great way to be able to communicate my practice and bring all elements together. 

Want to remove the lines from under the title pieces but I don't know how to do this.

Should incorporate the staple icon onto the website, become a motif that's used throughout.

Working on a logo:

Hand drawn staple shape to match other hand drawn elements used within the branding:

not very effective, looks scruffy compared to the slick text. 

- Arrangement needs more thought, does it need to be used with my full name or could initials be enough? 

Wanting the staple to become more of a motif that's used and recognised with my brand, a logo in it's own way.

Feel like adding the type takes the attention away from the icon.

Applying to invoice:

^More refined, the staple verticle in the centre feels more appropriate to the form of the book, having my initials either side creates the effect of pages, as well as being well balanced. 

- Applying to invoice, works well on the page. Thinking I want to get to the point where the staple is a motif that works on it's own. 

- Thinking about having a more informal logo, whether this would be appropriate. 

On social media:

- Doesn't feel right to have it repeated as my name is there on Instagram. Here can be more informal match tone of voice on posts. 

Use the initial more professional logo, can be used on formal documents live CVs and invoices. 

For social media can use something more informal, avoid using name.

Use this

'Use this' is Most successful incorporates element of brand but in a playful way. Good tone for Instagram as I want this to be the place that'sless formal and more about experimentation. 

Posts with more informal language, showcasing projects and imagery as it develops
- Friendly, personal tone.

- Using highlights as a way to show more about what I get up to, documenting things I've found that I like.
- Have a highlight reel that's called 'exploring' here I post about things I find in everyday like that are pleasing to look at. I love to find beauty in the mundane, and here is a place I can document this.

- Having another highlight reel for books I've read, want to use this a way to encourage me to keep engaging with the design world in ways that aren't just digital. 

WEBSITE:

Working on website, bringing in hand drawn details, refining pages.

- Need to take better photos of work for website. 
- Incorporate staple into the website. 

About

Work

Project Pages

Contact

Landing

Scroll down work page

- The staple is fixed on the page so as you scroll it stays visible, makes it more of a feature and brings attention to detail. 
- Clean and simple layout, allows the work to be the focal point and this is where your attention is drawn to. 
- Small hand drawn elements applied to pages where appropriate, such as About and Contact pages. Gives a sense of my personality on these pages, more approachable. 
- No hand drawn elements on pages showing work, want these to be professional and refined. Having the project pages with more detail allows the audience to find out more about my process and way of thinking which is really integral to my practice. 

PORTFOLIO:
Applying branding to my portfolio, using past projects to demonstrate how it'll be structured and will update after professional photographs of my work have been taken. 

- Experimentation into home page layout, simple, clear. Want to incorporate hand drawn element somewhere.

^Light bodycopy

^Regular bodycopy

Thinking about making text light to add hierarchy, but throughout branding I haven't changed weight to establish hierarchy, it's size or colour. 

- Adding in hand drawn elements to highlight title and text. 

- Also experimented with adding a staple motif (next to page number), but this isn't very effective, makes the page looks crowded. 

FINAL PORTFOLIO:

BUSINESS CARDS:

Want to introduce embossing onto business cards, linking to practice and also showing attention to details. 

- Looks like a pill when like this, feels like it should be for something medical, rethink.

- Feels too formal, not sure if the logo is needed anywhere or how it would be used.

- Placement like this looks more like a staple. 

- Taking inspiration from website and translating to business card, keeping continuity. 

- Could be duplexed so the embossing isn't debossed on the other side, also brings attention to the materiality (a big part of my practice). 

- Including the staple next to name, like on website and portfolio.