CT303 603 (F21)

Dynamic Branding

Date & Time: Wednesday 3:10 pm – 6:00 pm
Semester: Fall 2021
Professor: Christie Shin, C. J. Yeh
Company website: Cynda Media Lab
Email: christie_shin@fitnyc.edu
Classroom: C315
Office at FIT: D317 (email to schedule a remote meeting)
Office Hours: Monday 1 to 3, Tuesday 12 to 1, Wednesday 2 to 3
Slack: CT302-603
FIT Help Desk: TechHelp

Course Description

This course introduces the theories, principles, and skills of dynamic brand identity design. The primary focus is on the use of media design to communicate brand messages and personalities. Advanced concepts and techniques such as fluid identity, data-driven design, and generative design are also discussed.

Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
1. formulate dynamic branding concepts with a clear focus on screen-based media
2. create dynamic brand identities that tie with an overarching brand strategy
3. develop prototypes for data-driven and generative design concepts
4. apply multisensory design principles to a dynamic branding system for various digital media platforms
5. deconstruct a logotype and prepare for a dynamic brand system
6. develop creative solutions collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team to achieve project results

Project
Brand Redefined.
Description
Each student team (3 students) will create a new dynamic branding system to elevate the overall experience of the entire consumer journey.
Deliverables:
1. Brandscape Audit
2. Brand Style Guide
[Brand Profile]
– Overview
– Mission
– Brand mantra
– Brand value & purpose
– Target audience
– Purpose statement
– Archetype
– Brand personality
– Positioning statement
[Visual Identity]
– Design principle
– Primary logo
– Brand typeface
– Structure analysis
– Colors
– Iconography
– Photography
– Guidance
– Motion guide
3. Applications
– Environmental graphics and/or signage
– Environment motion graphics
– Other applications
Evaluation
1. Professionalism, Teamwork and Class Participation: 30%
2. Progress Presentations and Team Reviews: 30%
3. Mid-term Presentation: 20%
4. Final Presentation: 20%

A/A-: 90% or above (A- 90-94 points, A 95 points above)
B+/B/B-: 89% – 75% (B+ 89-85 points, B 84-80 points, B- 79-75 points)
C+/C/C-: 74% – 60% (C+ 74-70 points, C 69-65 points, C- 64-60 points)
D: 59% – 51%
F: 50% or below

Weekly Outline
Weekly outline is subject to change according to the pedagogical needs.

Week 1: 9/1/2021 WED

  • Introduction of the course & the syllabus
  • Lecture: What is Dynamic Branding? (Yeh)
  • Lecture: The Four Types of Commercial Brands (Shin)
  • Project introduction
  • Lecture: Desk Research Methods (Shin)
  • Lecture: Empathy Interview techniques (Yeh)
  • In-Class Workshop:
    – Team forming and elect a team captain
    – Create Slack team channel, set up Figma team file, create one Google drive team folder.
    – Each team will select one type of brands to explore
    – Start desk research
    – Draft interview questions
    – Interviews (each student will interview a minimum of 3 people, so the team will have at least 12 interviews)
  • Homework 1: Due: Thursday, September 2, 6 PM
    Initial three (3) brand choices for your project. Upload your brand choices on Slack by tomorrow. We will confirm your choices.
  • Homework 2: Due: Wednesday, September 8, 6 PM
    Confirmed three (3) brand choices for your project with store photos.
    Complete desk research. Submit the desk research notes and summery in the Google drive.
  • Homework 3: Due: Tuesday, September 14, 6 PM
    Complete empathy interviews. Submit the interview script and summery in the Google drive.
  • Homework 4: Due: Tuesday, September 14, 6 PM
    Create a presentation with three brand choices for the rebrand candidates.
    (Figma – 01. Brand choices)

—  9/6 Labor Day,   9/7, 9/8  Rosh Hashanah – College closed —

— 9/15  Yom Kippur – Classes suspend at 4 pm.  9/16  Yom Kippur – College closed—

Week 2: 9/15/2021 WED

  • Announcement: Team’s brand choice for the redesign (one brand will be selected as the subject of rebranding)
  • Lecture/Discussion: What Is a Challenger Brand? (Shin)
  • Lecture/Discussion: Brand Value & Purposoe (Shin)
  • Lecture/Discussion: Love Is Blind – An Brief Intro to Branding (Yeh)
  • In-class Workshop / Homework:
    – Further desk research on the selected brand (Figma – 03. Desk Research)
    – Brandscape audit (Figma – 02. Brandscape Audit)
    – Brand purpose statements first draft (Figma – 04. Purpose Statement)
    – Identify three possible archetype combinations and rationales (Figma – 04. Purpose Statement)

Week 3: 9/22/2021 WED

  • Presentation: Brand IdeaL and Brand Archetypes
  • Lecture/Discussion: Brand Positioning, Brand Mantra, and Brand Personality (Yeh)
  • In-class Workshop / Homework:
    – Draft brand positioning statement, brand mantra, and brand personality (Figma – 05. Positioning Statement)

Week 4: 9/29/2021 WED

  • Lecture/Discussion: The Art of Logo Design (Shin)
  • Team Review: Brand Positioning, Mantra, and Personality
  • In-class Workshop:
    – Minimum 30 logo design sketches per student using at least 3 different logo design styles (90 per team, upload to FigJam)
  • Lecture/Discussion: Dynamic Identity System (Yeh)
  • Homework:
    – Logo design presentation first round – 9 candidates total. (Figma – 06. Logo Sketches)
    Discuss as a team and each team member selects three logo sketches.
    Digitize & refine them (black and white)
    Demonstarate potential dynamic systems.

Week 5: 10/6/2021 WED

  • Lecture/Discussion: Visual Design in Branding (Shin)
  • Team Review: Logo Sketches
  • In-class Workshop / Homework:
    – Logo design advanced drafts (Figma – 06. Logo Sketches)
    – Brand color pallet and type pairing drafts (Figma – 06. Logo Sketches)

Week 6: 10/13/2021 WED

  • Lecture/Discussion: Communicating Your Design Visions (Yeh)
  • Team Review: Advanced Logo Drafts, Color Pallets, and Type Pairings
  • In-class Workshop / Homework:
    – Logo, color pallet, typearing refinements (Figma – 06. Logo Sketches)
    – Prepare midterm presentation (Figma – 07. Final Logo Direction)

Week 7: 10/20/2021 WED

  • Mid-term Visual Identity Presentation (three options): Advanced Logo Design, Colors, Type Pairings, and Identity Applications

Week 8: 10/27/2021 WED

Week 9: 11/3/2021 WED

  • After Effects and Brand Style Guide Workshop (Shin/Yeh)
  • Team Review: Team members roles and responsibilities
  • In-class Workshop: Workplace and workflow will be assigned based on each student’s role & responsibility.
    – Brand refinement & dynamic system
    – Brand style guide
    – Motion application storyboards

Week 10: 11/10/2021 WED

  • After Effects Workshop
  • Team Review
  • In-class Workshop:

Week 11: 11/17/2021 WED

  • Team Review
  • In-class Workshop:

Week 12: 11/24/2021 WED

  • Team review
  • In-class Workshop:

Week 13: 12/1/2021 WED

  • Team review
  • In-class Workshop:

Week 14: 1`2/8/2021 WED

  • Team review
  • In-class Workshop:

Week 15: 12/15/2021 WED

  • Final Presentation
  • All project files upload to Google Drive for final grading

Creative Technology & Design (CT&D) Attendance Policyities Policy
Attendance is not optional. If you are going to miss a class, you must contact the professor via email before the class. Due to the quantity of material covered in CT&D courses, the professor will not be able to spend additional class time reexplaining missed assignments or redo lectures. If a class is missed, it is your responsibility to get information regarding missed assignments and lectures from one of your classmates.

  1. Students are required to attend all classes, be on time, and remain for the entire class. Remote accommodation requires a Doctor’s note.
  2. If you have to attend remotely, you must turn on your webcam during class time.
  3. The student who arrives 10 minutes after the starting time of the class will be considered late.
  4. 2 late occurrences = one absence
  5. A student who arrives over 30 minutes late or not returning from the break will be considered absent from the class
  6. Active class participation is required, therefore, working on projects for a different class or using digital devices for socializing (texting, social media…etc.) or playing video games during class time will be recorded as an absence.
  7. Students who miss three classes for classes meeting once a week, or four classes for classes meeting twice a week, will receive a failing grade.
  8. An excused absence is still recorded as an absence. The difference is an excused absence won’t impact your grade for professionalism and class participation.

Note on Absences: Compliance with Fall 2021 Covid Protocol
For students in a testing protocol:
The Dean of Students will receive regular reports from Health Services for students who have not submitted their weekly PCR test results and are therefore non-compliant. Those students will receive an email each day of the week that they are scheduled to be at FIT reminding them that they have not submitted their information and that they are not permitted on campus until a negative PCR test or vaccination record has been submitted to the health portal. Faculty will receive an email each day of the week that their class is scheduled with a list of non-compliant students enrolled in that class.  If a non-compliant student arrives at class, they will be instructed by the faculty member to leave the campus.  If they refuse to comply, Public Safety will be called by the faculty member to escort the individual off-campus.

Failure to comply with weekly testing does not constitute an excused absence and/or permit a non-compliant student to attend class remotely. Extenuating circumstances will be discussed with the student’s academic department chair and dean.

Syllabi statement on classroom protocols, Fall 2021
The return to campus will mean adapting to new routines and standing together in our shared responsibilities. To support the health of our FIT community, every member of this course will commit to abide by the following guidelines: 

  1. We, the students, faculty, and classroom personnel must wear masks in all indoor FIT spaces including classrooms, studios, labs, and hallways. 
  2. We will wear masks such as N95s or other double-layered masks that cover our noses and mouths. We will follow NYC guidelines for mask-wearing: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/coronavirus/resources/facecoverings.page
  3. If we arrive on campus without a mask, we must pick one up from campus security desks before entering FIT buildings. 
  4. If we don’t comply with this shared responsibility, we will be asked to leave the campus.
  5. We will monitor our health regularly, and, if feeling ill, we will stay home and seek Covid PCR testing before we return to campus.
  6. We will be mindful of spacing issues within the class, and practice reasonable distancing when practical.
  7. We affirm that we, as members of the FIT community,  will provide proof of vaccination or proof of weekly Covid PCR testing results to FIT Health Services as outlined in campus communications.

Creative Technology & Design Policy on Plagiarism
Plagiarism and other forms of academic deception are unacceptable in any CT&D classes. Each instance of plagiarism is distinct. A plagiarism violation is an automatic justification for an “F” on that assignment and/or an “F” for the course. A student found in violation of FIT’s Code of Conduct and deemed to receive an “F” for a course may not withdraw from the course prior to final grade assignments.

FIT Student Code of Conduct
Student Disability Services
Academic Honesty and Integrity Policy
FIT’s Course Withdrawal Policy 
Children on campus policy
FIT-ABLE 
Academic Advisement Center 
FIT Writing & Speaking Studio
FIT Counseling Services
Academic Skills Tutoring Center
Dean of Students Office
Technical Support for Blackboard with Open SUNY Help Desk

Additional Course Information:
Credits/Hours: 2/3
Grade appeal process: http://www.fitnyc.edu/registrar/grades/appeal.php for more information.
Library Resources: FIT Library Databases
Academic Advisement Center: http://www.fitnyc.edu/academic-advisement/index.php
Technical Requirements: High-speed internet and Adobe CC
Textbooks and Required Materials: Lecture slides will be provided every week after class,