Creative Brand Strategy
21 / 04 / 2026 — 25 / 07 / 2026
Week 01 — Week 14
Wang Jiheng / 0378904
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media Taylor's University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INSTRUCTIONS
LECTURE
TASK
FEEDBACK
REFLECTION
INSTRUCTIONS
LECTURE
Week 1
This week’s lecture introduced the full framework of the Creative Brand Strategy module, with a mandatory semester theme of Mental Health Awareness. We learned that the module follows a clear progressive workflow: in-depth research → strategic positioning → brand identity building → cross-touchpoint execution, with 4 interconnected assignments that build on each other throughout the semester.
The lecture broke down the required deliverables for Week 1, including confirming a specific, niche topic direction, completing reference case research, drafting a core insight statement, and defining an initial brand concept. The instructor emphasized that strong work for this theme must be rooted in empathy, sensitivity, and authentic research, rather than superficial visuals or overused mental health clichés. He also repeatedly highlighted that this is a process-based module, so consistent documentation of our thinking, exploration, and even failed attempts in the e-portfolio is a key grading requirement.
Topic Confirmation & Rationale
Confirmed Topic
From a Survivor's Perspective: Physical Signs of Anxiety & 1-Minute First Aid for Taylor's Design Students
Rationale
This topic is rooted in my personal lived experience with anxiety. In high school, I developed severe anxiety due to overwhelming academic pressure, but I had no idea what was happening to me at first. All I felt was persistent headaches, stomach aches, and chest tightness. I visited the hospital multiple times, but all physical tests came back normal, and doctors only prescribed medication for what they called a "weak stomach". I toughed it out for nearly three months, until my insomnia became so severe that I could not attend class, and I was finally diagnosed with anxiety somatization — the physical manifestation of anxiety, which is widely overlooked, especially among student groups.
After enrolling in the design program at Taylor's University, I noticed that almost all of my classmates are going through the exact same experience, especially during finals season. We regularly work 10+ hours a day, juggling multiple projects and endless revisions, pulling all-nighters to meet deadlines. Almost everyone complains about physical discomfort: headaches, sore shoulders, chest tightness, or insomnia. But every single one of us dismisses these symptoms as "just tiredness", and no one connects these physical signals to anxiety.
The university's existing mental health resources completely fail to address this gap. We only get one generic, mandatory lecture at the start of the semester, and the formal counseling center is rarely used by design students — we are too scared of being judged, and we don't have time for long appointments in the middle of deadlines. No one has ever told us that when you're so anxious you can't focus because of a splitting headache, you don't need to "fix your emotions" first — you just need to make your body feel better.
This topic is meaningful because it fills a clear, unmet need for my peers. My lived experience lets me approach this subject with genuine empathy and authenticity, rather than an outsider's perspective, which is exactly what the instructor emphasized as critical for this theme.
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