Design Systems | Michael Arnold Mages

Catalog Description

An intensive course, which focuses on the principles and elements of brand marks and identity systems. Students working as individuals and in teams engage in long-term projects that address the significance of brand design, applications, and identity management. Company mission, goals and objectives will be researched, investigated, and presented in detail. Content hierarchy, complex grid systems, typographic hierarchy, text/image integration and color identification are explored in depth. Students also examine 20th century and contemporary branding systems. At the conclusion of this course via long-term projects, students will demonstrate the conceptual and technical ability to establish, define and design a graphical standards system.

Goals

Contextualize the design process through predesign research.
Create a complex design system using a design process.
Develop an understanding of the development of branding and brand identity as applied to modern business
To research, strategize, create and plan for deployment of a brand identity across multiple communication channels
Understand and participate in an in-depth design process, including idea generation, rapid prototyping, user-centered concept development and team interactions
Explore design solutions in 2-d, 3-d and time-based media
To develop a critical awareness of the role that design and brand identity plays in the creation of value for an organization
Demonstrate knowledge of information design in different contexts.

Objectives

Students will demonstrate understanding of brand and brand identity through practice-based research
Students will be able to conceive and articulate brand strategy
Students will demonstrate knowledge of creation and management of brand assets through preparation of a flexible identity standards manual

Books & Articles on Reserve

Redefining Designing: From Form to Experience, C. Thomas Mitchell

The brand gap : how to bridge the distance between business strategy and design : a whiteboard overview, Marty Neumeier

No logo: taking aim at the brand bullies, Naomi Klein

Branding : The Power of Market Identity, David E. Carter

Managing brand equity : capitalizing on the value of a brand name, David Aaker

Simulacra and Simulation, Jean Baudrillard

Periodicals> EbscoHost > Business Source Premier>

“Nokia's Design Research For Everyone.” Business Week Online, 3/14/2007, p5-5, 1p; (AN 24377604)
“The Power of Product Integrity. (cover story)” By: Clark, Kim B., and Fujimoto, Takahiro. Harvard Business Review, Nov/Dec90, Vol. 68 Issue 6, p107-118, 12p, 9 diagrams; (AN 9012241293)
“Prototyping for Tiny Fingers.” By: Retting, Marc. Communications of the ACM, Apr94, Vol. 37 Issue 4, p21-27, 7p; (AN 12620731)

Other Resources

Shaping The Future: User-Centered Research and Its Impact Upon the Healing Environment

http://nurture.steelcase.com/Files/ddb854a397874a538e0bcb3f6514ed69/PageContent3.pdf (accessed June 18, 2007)

Personas

http://www.cooper.com/insights/journal_of_design/articles/using_personas_to_create_user.html (accessed June 18, 2007)
http://www.cooper.com/insights/journal_of_design/articles/getting_from_research_to_perso_1.html (accessed June 18, 2007)

Persona Power

http://www.ddj.com/dept/architect/184415105 (accessed June 18, 2007)

The Baseball Project

http://loop1.aiga.org/content.cfm?ContentID=17 (accessed June 18, 2007)

Concept Map of Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=58299511&size=l (accessed June 18, 2007)

Alistair Cockburn: Structuring Use Cases With Goals

http://alistair.cockburn.us/index.php/Structuring_use_cases_with_goals (accessed June 18, 2007)

Conduct a Usability test

http://www.utexas.edu/learn/usability/testing.html (accessed June 18, 2007)

User testing

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/testing_two_users.html (accessed June 18, 2007)
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20050214.html (accessed June 18, 2007)
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/user-test-locations.html (accessed June 18, 2007)

Symbol Signs

http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/symbol-signs (accessed June 18, 2007)

Ultimate Symbol Collection

http://www.ultimatesymbol.com/ (accessed June 18, 2007)

Using Symbols

http://www.hablamosjuntos.org/signage/symbols/default.using_symbols.asp (accessed June 18, 2007)

Signage

http://adabuild.com/ADAAG-Manual/4.30.htm (accessed June 18, 2007)

Wayfinding System

http://www.buildings.com/Articles/detailBuildings.asp?articleID=3036 (accessed June 18, 2007)
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3734/is_200204/ai_n9063779 (accessed June 18, 2007)
http://art.webesteem.pl/9/wyman_en.php (accessed June 18, 2007)

Hero’s Journey:
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/smc/journey/ref/summary.html (accessed June 18, 2007)

http://www.yourheroicjourney.com/Journey.shtml (accessed June 18, 2007)

Required Texts

Designing Brand Identity: A Complete Guide to Creating, Building, and Maintaining Strong Brands, Alina Wheeler, John Wiley & Sons, ISBN: 0-471-21326-8

Branding: From Brief to Finished Solution, Mono, Rotovision SA, ISBN: 2-88046-563-X

Recommended Texts

The following books are not required, but you may wish to consume/acquire them to enhance your conceptual skills and/or technical abilities in design.

The Elements of Typographic Style, by Robert Bringhurst
(October 9, 2004)
Hartley & Marks, Publishers
ISBN: 0961454733

Art and Fear, by David Bayles & Ted Orland
(April 2001)
Consortium Book Sales & Dist
ISBN: 0961454733