Brand Corporate Identity
September 21, 2025 - December 31, 2025 (21/09/2025 - 31/12/2025)
WangJiheng / 0378904
Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Taylor's University
2. Instructions
3.Task 1
4.Task 2
4. Feedback
5. Reflections
6. Further Reading
Lecture 2
What is a Brand?
Essentially, a brand is our instinctive reaction to or impression of
something—whether it is a product, service, or company. It is not
shaped by the claims a business makes, but by the perceptions of
consumers and society.
What is Brand Identity?
Brand identity refers to the elements a business develops to shape
how it is perceived in the market. It encompasses two key aspects:
consumers’ instinctive reactions and the brand’s visual identity
system. Unlike branding or brand image, brand identity focuses on the
tangible components that convey the brand’s core essence.
What is Branding?
Branding is the process of endowing an organization, product, or
service with meaning. It acts as a strategy to help consumers
recognize and choose their preferred brand. At its core, branding
creates a unique and long-lasting impression in people’s minds.
Designer’s Role in Branding
Designers play a vital role in the branding process. They transform
strategies, content, and messaging into visual formats, conduct
research on clients, products, and target audiences, and develop
trademarks, logos, and more comprehensive brand systems.
Benefits of Branding
Branding provides a wide range of advantages for businesses:
It helps them stand out in competitive markets.
It establishes trust and credibility among consumers.
It cultivates customer loyalty, which leads to repeat
purchases.
It enables the business to have greater pricing power.
It guarantees consistency in brand presentation, saving time and
reducing costs.
It facilitates the launch of new products or services.
It offers a clear roadmap for the brand’s long-term
development.
Lecture 3 Types of Marks – “Basic Classification Logic” for Logo Design
My Reflections
The essential knowledge I acquired from this lecture is that the substance of a brand is the consensus of social groups, rather than a definition that enterprises unilaterally proclaim. I also feel more deeply that the value of designers lies not only in visual beauty, but also in leading and optimizing such social consensus with the help of visual design language based on research. The logic of adaptation between intuition and visual cognition is one of the core issues of my future design work, and it will also make my work more targeted.
Lecture 3: History of Print
What is Branding?
- Branding as meaning-making (the process of shaping perception)
- Example: Diesel “Be Stupid” Campaign
Brand Identity vs Branding
- Brand Identity = Visual + Verbal expression (logo, typography, colors, tone)
- Branding = Strategic process (advertising, packaging, storytelling)
- Example: MUJI store experience
Types of Branding
- Personal Branding
- Product Branding
- Corporate Branding
- Service Branding
- Cultural Branding
- Luxury Branding
Logos and Their Forms
- Wordmark / Logotype (e.g., Coca-Cola)
- Logomark / Symbol (e.g., Apple)
- Lettermark / Monogram (e.g., McDonald’s “M”)
- Combination Mark / Signature (e.g., Pepsi)
- Emblem (e.g., traditional crests, badges)
Key Takeaway
- A brand is more than a logo or product — it is an identity and perception.
- Designers transform strategy into visual identity to build recognition and loyalty.
Fig. 1.1 Examples
of Logo Types (Logotype, Logomark, Combination Mark)
Fig. 1.1 Examples of Logo Types (Logotype, Logomark, Combination Mark)
Term: Monogram
A monogram refers to a graphic symbol created by overlapping or combining two or more letters or graphemes into a single sign. Typically designed using the initials of an individual or a company, it is widely recognized and used as a well-known symbol or logo.
"The original Greek meaning of the term 'monogram' is 'a single line', which refers to a figure written or drawn in outline form." (Mollerup, 2001)
Key Points
- Monograms can simplify complex names into easily recognizable visual shorthand symbols.
- Their advantage lies in integrating letters with design to create distinctive and exclusive identities.
Examples
- New York Yankees (NY)
- H&M
- Chanel (CC)
- Volkswagen (VW)
- Hewlett-Packard (hp)
- LG
Fig. 1.2 Examples of Monograms in Branding
Fig. 1.2 Examples of Monograms in Branding
Term: Heraldry
Heraldry is an extensive, time-honored term that encompasses the design, display, and research of armorial bearings (or armoury)—the symbolic emblems used to identify individuals, noble families, or institutions. It also involves studying the related ceremonies, social ranks, and family pedigrees that these emblems reflect and document.
Fig. 1.3 Structure of a Coat of Arms (Key Components Labeled
Lecture 4: Brand Ideals
Intro
Neumeier (2003) said a brand is people’s gut feeling about a product,
service, or company. Businesses can’t control this feeling but can
influence it by highlighting product uniqueness.
Branding isn’t just logos or visuals—it’s people’s emotional perception
of a company based on its values, communication, and actions.
A brand ideal goes beyond selling. It’s a brand’s higher purpose, core
beliefs, and how it inspires people via values and storytelling.
Fig 1.4 Apple
Fig 1.4 Apple
Format 1: Point-by-Point Summary
I. Case Analysis: Apple’s “Think Different” Campaign
Core Proposition: Celebrates creativity, individuality, and innovation.
Communication Strategy: By featuring influential world-changers, Apple positions itself as a brand for dreamers and innovators.
Brand Ideal: Focuses on simplicity, quality, and the power of human imagination to endow technology with practical meaning.
II. Definition of Brand Ideal
A brand ideal refers to the higher purpose of a brand or organization that goes beyond the products or services it sells. It represents the core value system that shapes how a brand connects with the public and builds long-term trust.
III. Nine Core Brand Ideals (from the lecture)
Vision: A clear and inspiring development direction led by strong leadership.
Meaning: Clearly conveying the brand’s values and core principles.
Authenticity: Constructed based on self-awareness, market insight, and consistent actions.
Differentiation: Creating unique brand characteristics to enhance consumer recognition.
Sustainability: Maintaining the brand’s long-term market relevance through stable core ideas.
Coherence: Ensuring all brand experiences are familiar and trustworthy.
Flexibility: Enabling the brand to adapt to future changes and achieve sustainable growth.
Commitment: The full enthusiasm and dedication of all participants.
Value: Sustaining user engagement and brand influence through measurable results.
IV. Core Summary (Ms. Vitiyaa’s Perspective)
Brand ideals provide responsible guidance for the creative process, helping organizations establish closer connections with employees and consumers, achieve spiritual inspiration, and build more solid relationships.
Week 1
In the first week of the course, Ms. Vitiya introduced the concept of Brand Corporate Identity and explained its role in building an exclusive brand ecosystem and communicating a brand’s core propositions. This provided a theoretical foundation for the subsequent analysis of the SKIMS brand. The lecture was particularly helpful in understanding how SKIMS constructs its brand image through key characteristics such as inclusivity and “second skin”, and how these values are reflected in both product design (such as full-size coverage) and marketing strategies.
During the same session, Ms. Vitiya also introduced the semester project Breaking the Brand, which requires group collaboration alongside individual division of responsibilities.
Following the project briefing, our four-person group focused on SKIMS and conducted preliminary research based on the course analysis framework. Each group member explored a specific aspect of the brand, including the logic of brand image construction within the underwear category, the characteristics of celebrity-founded brand endorsements (such as Kim Kardashian’s role in SKIMS), differentiation strategies within the inclusive fashion market, and the role of cross-industry collaborations—such as SKIMS’ partnerships with the NBA and the U.S. national team—in enhancing brand image. After discussion, the group agreed to formally confirm SKIMS as the final subject of analysis in Week 2, allowing for deeper research into its corporate identity, positioning, and brand values in the following stages of the project.
WEEK2
This SKIMS brand analysis PPT is a collaborative effort of our group, and its core explanatory power lies in ——
instead of merely "listing brand information", we used "problem decomposition + data support + user perspective" to thoroughly elaborate on the logic of SKIMS' journey "from starting with controversies to becoming an industry benchmark", enabling the audience to clearly understand "why it succeeded" after viewing it. This is specifically reflected in the following 3 points:
1. In-depth explanation of "key brand nodes":
Instead of just mentioning "SKIMS changed its name", we clearly broke down the process of "from the Kimono Intimates controversy to renaming to SKIMS within 3 days" in the PPT. We also pointed out that "the name change was not just to avoid suspicion, but more importantly, to shift the brand's core from a 'controversial symbol' to the comfortable positioning of 'second skin' — helping the audience understand how this adjustment turned the brand from a crisis to a precise track."
Visual explanation of "differentiated advantages":
Regarding the core selling point of "inclusivity", instead of just saying "SKIMS is very inclusive", we marked "Full size coverage from XXS to 5X + 11 skin-tone fabrics" in the PPT. We also created a competitor comparison table (for example, Spanx has limited sizes, and Victoria’s Secret has a single skin tone), and even incorporated real user feedback (such as "Finally bought a plus-size shapewear that doesn’t dig into the crotch") — transforming "inclusivity" from an abstract concept into a "comparable and perceptible actual advantage" to avoid being vague.
Coherent explanation of the "logic of success":
In our PPT, we have connected "celebrity effect", "pricing strategy", and "marketing methods" into a "user demand-oriented" logic. For example, when mentioning Kim's influence, instead of just saying "she made the brand popular", we emphasized that "we included cases of her sharing daily outfits in the PPT to explain 'how to convert celebrity traffic into a sense of trust that "ordinary people can also wear (the clothes)"'".
Week 3
In this week’s Brand Corporate Identity class, our group presented our brand analysis project to the whole class.
Week 4
Ms. Vitiyaa detailed the requirements for the "Logo Research & Development" task. She emphasized that logo analysis should delve into the logic of visual communication rather than merely describing appearances, and that we need to study elements such as logo structure, colors, and typography. She demonstrated through cases how logos reflect brand personality and assigned the next phase of the project: determine the type of our own brand, sort out the brand tone via mind maps and moodboards first, then proceed to sketching.
Week 5
After completing the "Research & Analysis" task, I deepened my understanding of how logos convey brand identity and improved my ability to identify the connections between logo forms, colors, and typography.
Week 6
During the "Logo Ideation and Sketching" task, I learned to transform research insights into creative directions. By developing multiple sketch versions and selecting core visual elements, I laid a foundation for subsequent digital refinement.
Week 7
This week, Ms. Vitiyaa commented that my flower shop logo design was mediocre and overly generic. She searched for creative cases on Google Images for me to refer to.
Task 2A - Logo Research: Collect & Analyze 28 Logos
Final Slides:
Fig. 1.1 - Week 4, Final Slides "Task 2A 28 Logo Analysis", (17/10/2025)
Task 2B - Logo Development: Idea Sketches & Conceptualization
I initially formulated three career choices, and the corresponding mind maps are as follows.
Fig. 2.1 - Week 4, Mind Map, (16/10/2025)
Out of the three occupations explored — Bloomtail Florist, Papermint Studio, and Windowside Coffee —
I was most inspired by Bloomtail Florist, a concept that merges natural aesthetics with emotional storytelling.
The idea of expressing feelings through flowers felt closest to my design approach, combining poetic visuals, gentle tones, and human warmth.
This theme later evolved into my logo development process, focusing on the emotional connection between nature, art, and self-expression.
It focuses on using flowers as a medium to connect with people’s emotions and create a sense of calm, beauty, and meaning in everyday life.
The map highlights five key areas — Service Content, Brand Experience, Target Audience, Marketing & Promotion, and Brand Core Concept — showing how Bloomtail builds a gentle, human-centered floral brand.
From customized bouquets and handwritten message cards to soft in-store atmospheres and emotional storytelling on social media, every touchpoint reflects warmth, sincerity, and artistic expression.
Ultimately, the goal of Bloomtail Florist is to help people express feelings, rediscover inner peace, and experience emotional resonance through the language of flowers.
Sketches & Exploration
At the early stage of my logo development, I began by exploring a series
of sketches that reflected the core emotion and visual personality of Bloomtail Florist.
The main intention was to
express the brand’s gentle, romantic, and nature-inspired identity, balancing between organic softness and elegant structure.
My design exploration was guided by the following ideas:
-
Nature & Emotion:
Since “Bloomtail” evokes the image of blooming flowers and emotional storytelling, I experimented with shapes inspired by petals, stems, and leaves, aiming to capture the feeling of natural growth and human warmth. -
Typography Exploration:
Several sketches focused on serif typefaces to convey professionalism, sophistication, and timeless beauty, while others used handwritten lettering to introduce a sense of sincerity and intimacy — like the personal touch of giving flowers. -
Symbolic Forms:
I explored the monogram “B” as the central element, shaping it into floral silhouettes or geometric stems. This represented the brand’s philosophy of growth, life, and renewal.
Some variations combined circular or petal-like enclosures, symbolizing harmony, continuity, and emotional balance.
-
Color Mood:
I tested a palette of blush pink, beige, olive green, and warm brown, which together express warmth, calmness, and natural beauty — aligning with the cozy, heartfelt tone of the florist.
Through these sketches, I aimed to visualize Bloomtail Florist as more
than a flower shop — a brand that represents the emotional connection between people and nature.
Each concept was an attempt to
balance aesthetic refinement and emotional softness, ensuring the logo feels inviting, calm, and heartfelt.
3.3 Logo Refinement Process
After presenting my initial sketches, my lecturer pointed out that most of my early designs appeared too generic and lacked distinctive character. The floral motifs and serif compositions were aesthetically pleasant, but they did not convey a strong brand identity for Bloomtail Florist.
3.4 Typography Exploration
Stage 1: I started to try a variety of typefaces to find the appropriate tone that reflects Bloomtail Florist’s brand personality.
Version 1: I first used a geometric sans-serif typeface, to look more modern, clean and structured. Although it well suited the logo’s symmetric flower shape, my lecturer felt it was a bit too corporate and lacked personality or emotion – it was not quite capturing the soft, personal side of a florist brand.
Version 2: I then tried experimenting with lettering that are script-based, to appear more handcrafted and intimate. I chose SignPainter as the primary typeface, which gave a soft handwritten flow to the overall logo, in line with the brand’s identity of “crafted with care”.
Pairing the elegant script type Bloomtail with uppercase FLORIST also provided good contrast for clear visual hierarchy while still being refined and approachable.
The Bloomtail Florist logo embodies the brand’s emotional
philosophy: celebrating growth, warmth, and emotional connection via nature.
It strives to convey sincerity, gentleness, and timeless beauty, aligning with the brand’s belief that flowers are not merely gifts, but emotional messengers reconnecting people with their feelings.
The floral-inspired monogram “B” symbolizes blooming — representing vitality, life, and inner renewal.
The symmetrical frame with petal-like enclosures expresses balance and harmony, mirroring the emotional stability and comfort flowers bring.
The soft blush-pink color palette reinforces a sense of warmth, intimacy, and affection.
The handwritten “Bloomtail” wordmark reflects a personal, human touch — emphasizing authenticity and
heartfelt care.
The final logo captures the essence of emotional softness and natural balance, creating a brand identity that feels inviting, calm, and genuine — echoing the experience of receiving or gifting a flower.
Positioning and Identity Display
Below is my finalized slide:
Positioning & Identity Slides, Week 9 (22/11/2024)
3. Application
During the independent learning week, I was instructed to create mockup applications to visualize and support the brand's position and identity
Below are the contents I created for the brand:
Corporate Stationery: Business Card, Envelope, Letterhead, and Invoice
. Collaterals: Bouquet Wrapping Paper, Ribbon, Gift Bag, Florist Apron, Receipt, and Flower Pot
. Digital Presence: Website UI Design (Desktop & Mobile)
. - Environmental Graphics: Sandwich Board, Hanging Sign, and Window Graphics
.
Initial Mockup Application (Attempt 1) & Refinement
Below is my progress on the application in early Week 9. Initially, I developed my designs heavily around the Pink (#D93F71 & #F8D7DA) color palette
However, during the feedback session, Ms. Vitiya commented that my designs appeared too feminine
Pivot to Deep Botanical Green
Taking this feedback into account, I decided to revise my color strategy. I shifted the primary brand color to a deeper, more neutral Deep Botanical Green (#0A4D5C), while keeping the soft pink and ivory as secondary accent colors to maintain the brand's warmth
The Result: The new dark green palette adds a sense of professionalism, elegance, and gender neutrality. For example, the Florist Apron and Business Cards now look more sophisticated and inclusive, ensuring that Bloomtail Florist appeals to all customer groups while still maintaining its romantic essence
.
Artwork & Application Adjustments
To amend this, I strictly followed Bloomtail Florist’s logo variations (symmetrical "B" monogram + script-typography combination) and clearspace rules (11pt side clearance, 28pt top/bottom clearance) to strengthen consistent brand visual patterns across all applications.
1. Corporate Stationery
Business Card
Aligned with the brand’s "gentle & sincere" personality, the letterhead adopts a soft ivory (#F3E7DC) background base — referencing the warm, textured tone of handcrafted stationery in Fig 3.1. The refined symmetrical "B" monogram (deep botanical green #0A4D5C) is placed at the top-left corner, strictly adhering to the 28pt top clearance rule.
I decided to use a multi-column grid structure in Adobe InDesign to ensure that my text and images were aligned perfectly.
Cover Design: I aimed for a minimalist approach, using the Deep Botanical Green background with the logo centered to establish a strong brand impression immediately
. Typography: I set up my paragraph styles using Helvetica for body text (for clarity) and SignPainter for headers (to match the logo's handcrafted feel)
.
In Week 12, I moved to the final assembly stage. After finalizing the visual designs in Illustrator, I imported the artboards/assets into my InDesign structure.
Linking Assets: I placed the designed pages from AI into the InDesign frames.
Refinement: I used InDesign to handle the text flow for longer paragraphs (if any) and ensured the page numbering was correct.
Interactive Features: I added navigation buttons (Table of Contents, Next/Previous) in InDesign to make the PDF interactive and user-friendly.
This hybrid workflow (AI for Design + ID for Layout) allowed me to maximize the strengths of both software—creating high-quality visuals in AI while maintaining a professional book structure in ID.
Complete Thumbnail Layout
FINAL SUBMISSION
Fig 7.5 Complete Thumbnail Layout (PDF), Week 13
Final Brand Guideline (InDesign Viewer & PDF)
InDesign Viewer:https://indd.adobe.com/view/87593a12-e46d-4c9a-b085-1f6d86026355
Fig 7.6 Final Brand Guideline (PDF) Week 13
Week 01
During Week 01, Ms. Vitiya walked us through the definition of brand image. She instructed us to conduct research on international brands and select one for in-depth analysis.
Week 02
In Week 02, Ms. Vitiya elaborated on the differences between "brand" and "branding". She provided several clear examples to help us gain a deeper understanding of these core concepts.
Week 03
Week 03 was the presentation day for Task 1. In class, each group presented their work to Ms. Vitiya.
Week 04
During Week 04, we listened to an introduction to Task 2 and Task 3 to better grasp the subsequent requirements. Additionally, the instructor explained the importance of brand voice and brand tone, noting that these are foundational knowledge for conducting our brand project.
Week 05
After completing the "Research & Analysis" task, I deepened my understanding of how logos convey brand identity and improved my ability to identify the connections between logo forms, colors, and typography.
Week 06
During the "Logo Ideation and Sketching" task, I learned to transform research insights into creative directions. By developing multiple sketch versions and selecting core visual elements, I laid a foundation for subsequent digital refinement.
Week 07
In Week 07, Ms. Zhou reviewed the logo I designed. She emphasized that every word in the design needs careful crafting and found relevant examples on Google for reference. I was asked to redesign the logo accordingly.
Reflection
Experience This module transformed my understanding of branding from simply "creating a logo" to building a comprehensive identity system. I learned that successful branding requires not just visual aesthetics, but a strong logical strategy to ensure consistency across all platforms.Observation A key turning point was pivoting my color palette from Pink to Deep Botanical Green based on Ms. Vitiya’s feedback. I realized that design must be inclusive; the previous pink tone was too restrictive. The new green palette not only made the brand look more professional and premium but also successfully broadened the target audience to include male customers.
Findings Technically, I mastered the efficient workflow of designing assets in Adobe Illustrator and compiling the layout in InDesign. I also learned that a Brand Guideline is essential for protecting the brand's integrity. Defining strict rules, such as Clear Space and Minimum Size, ensures that Bloomtail Florist maintains a consistent and high-quality image in the real world.

















































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