WEEK 1
Tuesday 1/4: course overview; begin the BSG Genre Analysis project
assignments (due 1/6):
- respond to discussion #1 on design
- read How to Create a Brand Style Guide, from 99 designs
- read How to build an effective brand style guide, by Venngage
- email me (sorapure@ucsb.edu) by Thursday 1/6 @1:00 if you have a preference for your BSG Genre Analysis topic
Thursday 1/6: in-class work on BSG Genre Analysis project
assignments (due 1/11):
- respond to discussion #2 on collaboration strategies and tools
- continue working with your team on the BSG Genre Analysis project
- be prepared to report on how your team will present its findings (e.g., slides, PDF, video, website)
- read Creating a Brand to Serve, David Anastacio
WEEK 2
Tuesday 1/11: discuss reading; in-class work on BSG Genre Analysis project
assignments (due 1/13):
- respond to discussion #3 on presentation strategies
- look through some of the examples and explanations of branding in Identity Designed, by David Airey
Thursday 1/13: discuss presentation strategies; in-class work on BSG Genre Analysis project
assignment (due 1/18):
- finish your BSG Genre Analysis project and be prepared to present your team’s findings on Tuesday 1/18
WEEK 3
Tuesday 1/18: BSG Genre Analysis presentations!
assignments (due Thursday 1/20):
- respond to discussion #4 on brand adjectives and inspiration (here’s a nifty list of adjectives to get you started)
Thursday 1/20: discuss brand adjectives; Canva moodboard exercise
assignments (due Tuesday 1/25):
- upload the PDF for your moodboard to our class Google folder
- read the Foreword, Introduction, and the chapter Why typography matters in Practical Typography by Matthew Butterick
- also Butterick’s Typography in ten minutes and his Font recommendations are very helpful pages
- read Chapter 3 from Stop Stealing Sheep by Speikermann & Ginger
- watch The History of Typography 5-minute video by Ben Barrett-Forrest
- learn and have fun at the same time:
- KernType: a kerning game where you can compare your kerns to a typographer’s solution
- I Shot the Serif: only available as an app
WEEK 4
Tuesday 1/25: discuss typography readings; links for the in-class writing exercise:
- Five traits that define a typeface, by Creative Bloq
- Canva’s Beautifully illustrated glossary of typographic terms you should know
- Anatomy of a Letterform 1
- Anatomy of a Letterform 2
assignment (due Thursday 1/27):
- respond to discussion #5 on describing the look of a letter
- check out these resources on finding perfect typeface pairs:
- Type Connection: “a typographic dating game” with lots of helpful suggestions for finding typefaces that pair well
- Fontjoy: very rich interactive tool for font pairing
- 29 perfect font pairings, by CreativeBloq
- 10 Beautiful Font Combinations, by Inkbot
- 30 Great Font Combinations, by Digital Synopsis
Thursday 1/27: more discussion of typefaces; work on typography draft
- choosing a body font:
- Serif vs. sans-serif for text in print, by Fonts.com
- How to choose the right face for a beautiful body, by Smashing Magazine
- Body text, by Matthew Butterick
- check out these body text comparisons
- typography displays in various BSGs
assignment (due Tuesday 2/1):
- finalize your typeface choices and create your typography draft; upload it to the “typography draft” folder in our shared Google folder
WEEK 5
Tuesday 2/1: begin logo design process; in class we’ll watch The Art and Origins of Logo Design; we’ll work through Illustrator Tutorial #1 (Getting Started with Text)
assignment (due 2/3):
- complete the logo exercise and be prepared to share it in class on Thursday 2/3
- explore the following resources on logo design:
- The 7 types of logos (and how to use them), by 99 designs
- 31 Creative Techniques for Two-Letter Logos, by Company Folders
- 40 Creative Lettermark & Wordmark Designs, by Bashooka
- Logo of Letters, by Before and After
- Lettermark Design, Pinterest
- logos and business cards designed by previous students in the minor
- logo drafts by students in the 2021 class
Thursday 2/3: watch The Art and Origins of Logo Design; discuss logo readings; feedback on logo options; Illustrator Tutorial #1 (Getting Started with Text)
assignment (due 2/8):
- respond to discussion #6 on resources
- create a draft of your logo draft to share in class on Tuesday 2/8
WEEK 6
Tuesday 2/8: feedback on logo drafts; Illustrator Tutorial #1 (Getting Started with Text); Illustrator Tutorial #2 (Shapes) and possibly Illustrator Tutorial #3 (Fun Stuff)
assignment (due Thursday 2/10):
- complete your logo draft
- check out these BSG logo pages by former students
- check out the color resources on the Resources page
Thursday 2/10: check out these BSG color pages and these from 2021 students ; discuss color readings and resources; Photo editing tutorial #1: Interface, Filters, & Adjustments
assignment (due Tuesday 2/15):
- read How to Find the Perfect Color
- respond to discussion #7 on imagery
WEEK 7
Tuesday 2/15: in-class work on Photo editing tutorial #2: Text and creating a mood board: download melissa carter modified.psd.zip and this tutorial for creating and modifying a mood board in Photoshop and Photopea
assignment (due Thursday 2/17):
- check out the other mood board templates
- complete the mood board exercise and upload it to the “mood board exercise” Google folder before class on Thursday 2/17
Wednesday 2/16 @ 4:00: Sophie Tahran in the Professional Writing Minor Graduate Speaker Series
Thursday 2/17: feedback on mood boards; Photo editing tutorial #3: Selecting & Combining
assignment (due Tuesday 2/22):
- respond to discussion #8 on color
WEEK 8
Tuesday 2/22: feedback on color palettes; creating mockups in Photoshop
- finishing up the color section:
- check out these BSG color pages and these from 2021 students
- the presentation earlier this quarter from the BSG Color group
- mockup samples to use in class: wall sign, flower cup, and stamp
- look at Photoshop mockups at GraphicBurger, FreePik, PSD Mockups, Unblast, and/or do a Google search for “free Photoshop mockups”
- check out these mockup generators (though I’m not sure what, if anything, you get for free): PlaceIt, Smart Mockups, Visme, PixelTrue
- here’s a video tutorial for creating a mockup using Photopea
assignments (due Thursday 2/24):
- complete the mockup exercise and be prepared to share it in class on Thursday 2/24
- finalize your color choices and create your color draft; be prepared to share this draft in class on Thursday 2/24
- optional: create a page or pages for your imagery section, perhaps using a moodboard
Thursday 2/24: feedback on color drafts and mockups; page layout video and InDesign tutorial
- ideas for page layouts:
- templates: 20 Brand Book Templates ($39, but I bought the set so if there’s one you like just let me know); Zippy Pixels free/pro templates; Nancy Duarte’s slidedocs (templates are also in our Google drive)
- previous student BSGs: Ricky Nguyen, Yehna Cha, Mable Truong, Natalie Plumb, Sara Bredice, Aanya Sharma, Jade Burchett, Stephanie Foster, Kai Oda, Emily Nguyen, Melody Li, Naomi Blik, Vianna Mabanag, Esther Liu
- InDesign class tutorial video (2/24/22)
assignment (due Tuesday 3/1):
- read The Big Four
- respond to discussion #9 on page design
- layout sample pages for the logo, typography, and/or color section(s) of your BSG and upload them to the “page drafts” folder in our class Google drive for class on Tuesday 3/1
WEEK 9
Tuesday 3/1: feedback on page layouts; covers/table of contents design
assignment (due Thursday 3/3):
- create drafts of covers and table of contents and upload them to the “cover toc drafts” folder in our class Google drive for class on Thursday 3/3
- read through the intro/welcome/about and brand identity/style sections of student BSG examples
Thursday 3/3: feedback on layouts; focus on writing content and style
- for the intro/welcome and mission/style sections:
- Craft your intro, by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic
assignment (due Tuesday 3/8):
- respond to discussion #10 on writing advice
- create drafts of the introduction/welcome and (optional) brand identity/style sections and upload them to the “intro drafts” folder in our class Google drive for class on Tuesday 3/8
WEEK 10
Tuesday 3/8: feedback on drafts
assignment (due Thursday 3/10):
- create a complete draft of your Brand Style Guide
- upload the draft to the “complete drafts” folder in our class Google drive for class on Thursday 3/10
Thursday 3/10: feedback on BSG drafts
- to make your PDF smaller, try Adobe’s Compress PDF or ILovePDF.com
assignment (due Friday 3/11 – Wednesday 3/16 at 5:00 pm):
- complete the Brand Style Guide project and upload the PDF to our shared Google folder on or before Friday 3/11 – Wednesday 3/16 at 5:00 pm
Friday 3/11 – Wednesday 3/16 at 5:00 pm: Brand Style Guide project due