Bridging Strategy & Design

We’ll start with an introduction to the idea of branding: what ‘branding’ encompasses and where it originated; how brands’ constant presence influences our decisions; the opportunity in storytelling that brand strategy presents; and why branding or rebranding would be warranted or necessary. The lecture will be accompanied by a history of branding theory and industry perspectives on the role of brand strategy in modern practice.

Often brand design is inspired, but not necessarily informed. Where is the right place to start, and how should we design cultural research? How can designers introduce a culture of research in their organization? In-depth and thorough research, often expensive and deprioritized, can give designers and strategists a unique perspective into the marketplace, the challenges they face, and the opportunities that are emerging. Decoding the contextual environment is the only route to finding a path forward that’s both informed and inspired.

With sufficient insight on the challenges and opportunities facing a brand, we can start to define what it should be: its purpose and reason for being, its core essence or foundational positioning, its personality, and more. This is the work of brand strategy: to help creative teams align on the narrative strategy for the brand. Often agencies and in-house teams have unique perspectives on how to structure this work (there’s not a ‘right way’), so we’ll discuss different models for brand foundations.

With strategy, comes designers who have ignored the strategy. It’s inevitable, and yet with careful planning and inspiring work the narrative strategy can be the catalyst for strategic and beautiful work. How do we bridge the gap? Moreover, early explorations as a design team can inspire copy, and vice versa. How do you create an environment that helps both teams to influence the other?

The brand strategy and visual identity are both finalized. It was a wild and wonderful collaboration. But without thoughtful, single-minded, and consistent implementation of the brand’s values and expression, the core idea (or essence) can be lost. How can brand leaders protect and extend their work, while also making space to be flexible when thousands of people might influence or wield the assets?

Finally, we’ll spend time exploring and critiquing various case studies (including my own). By analyzing examples, we’ll understand how brand theory is applied in real-world scenarios. Responding to an earlier assignment, each student will also present their proposed narrative strategy for a struggling brand to a surprise guest critic.