FMP – Task 4

Project Recap

The project’s goal was to create a distinctive brand that resonated with the client’s vision. The process involved dealing with clients, creative exploration and refinement. I also had to make sure that my project abided by the parameters and criteria of the FMP brief. Before I started the production stage of my project, I broke down each element of the production stage into different topics I should research. I included mindmaps to help me visualise what I needed to write about, keeping things simple and effective. I started my project by briefly discussing the brand’s intentions with my cllient. They seemed eager for a change and wanted me to create a sub-brand scheme that didn’t stray too far from their original logo.

From this, I started drafting my first logo scheme which ultimately failed to satisfy the client – they stated that the scheme didn’t relate to any of the products that each sub-brand was intended to represent and that the scheme was too different the original base brand, creating an unnecessary and unwanted part of difference. However, this draft served as a valuable lesson for my next draft to become a hit.

I made the necessary adjustments, I brightened the colours to make them friendlier, as the previous colours were quite dull and uninviting, going against the brand’s objective. The new draft was created with legability in mind, making sure they are recognisble when used at different sizes. The logos themselves won’t be used without the “Envira” text, which explicitly tells the viewer what the key brand and product is at a glance.

Once I had the logo part of my production completed, I moved onto creating a brand guidelines PDF to demonstrate the acceptable usage and communication to be expected through the brand’s resources. Containing descriptions of the brand’s keywords and overall aesthetic based on colours, shapes, words, moodboards and images.

Final Thoughts

1. Communication Is Key
   Establishing clear communication and feedback from my client helped me to understand the flaws in my first draft and why the draft wasn’t upto standards. With this, I made the necessary adjustments to rectify the problem.
2. Ability To Accept Criticism
   A lot of designers may find criticism to be harsh and generally unwanted especially if negative. It’s impossible to please everyone but it’s important to keep in mind that the person you should always listen to is your client. In the world, clients are typically bosses, and bosses are there to instruct and to direct people in their desired direction. It’s important to be able to let go of your own gut instincts and trust communication, because that is what will lead you to a happy client in the end.

I am proud of the work I have managed to create within this project. It will serve to be a great precedent for any future project related to my chosen business. I was able to put my general knowledge and skills within the graphic design field to good use throughout the research and production sections of this project.

If I were to do a project similar to this again, I would make more efforts to attain the foundation for the rebrand, making sure I get more information from the client in terms of what they invision. This way I can hopefully dodge a lot of the possible setbacks that comes with drafting, though it’s a totally normal process that usually takes a long time.

I wish I did more research into brand guidelines before I started producing my own. Because of this lack of research, I was slowed down in the production due to my lack of knowledge on what the contents could have been. I primarily missed an opportunity to take logo spacing and proportions into account.

Logos

Brand Guidelines