WEEK 10
Tuesday 3/14: chat with Trish Fancher; feedback on drafts
assignment (due Thursday 3/16):
- create a complete draft of your Brand Style Guide
- upload the draft to the “BSG second drafts” folder in our class Google drive for class on Thursday 3/16
Thursday 3/16: time for ESCIs; brief presentations of a BSG page
- to make your PDF smaller, try Adobe’s Compress PDF or ILovePDF.com
assignment (due Friday 3/17 – Wednesday 3/22 at 5:00 pm):
- complete the Brand Style Guide project and upload the PDF to our shared Google folder on or before Friday 3/17 – Wednesday 3/22 at 5:00 pm
Friday 3/17 – Wednesday 3/22 at 5:00 pm: Brand Style Guide project due
WEEK 1
Tuesday 1/10: class cancelled
Thursday 1/12: course overview; begin the BSG Genre Analysis project
assignments (due 1/17):
- 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
- look at the BSG examples on the Resources page with your analysis section in mind
WEEK 2
Tuesday 1/17: discuss reading; in-class work on BSG Genre Analysis project
assignments (due 1/19):
- respond to discussion #2 on collaboration strategies and tools and/or discussion #3 on presentation strategies
- continue working with your team on the BSG Genre Analysis project and decide how your team will present its findings (e.g., slides, PDF, video, website)
- read Creating a Brand to Serve, David Anastacio
Thursday 1/19: discuss collaboration and presentation strategies; in-class work on BSG Genre Analysis project
assignment (due before class on 1/24):
- look through some of the examples and explanations of branding in Identity Designed, by David Airey
- finish your BSG Genre Analysis project and be prepared to present your team’s findings on Tuesday 1/24
WEEK 3
Tuesday 1/24: BSG Genre Analysis presentations!
assignments (due before class on Thursday 1/26):
- respond to discussion #4 on brand adjectives and inspiration (here’s a nifty list of adjectives to get you started)
Thursday 1/26: Identity Designed; discuss brand adjectives; moodboard exercise
assignments (due before class on Tuesday 1/31):
- upload the PDF or PNG 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
- KernType: a kerning game where you can compare your kerns to a typographer’s solution
WEEK 4
Tuesday 1/31: 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
assignment (due Thursday 2/2):
- respond to discussion #5 on describing the look of a letter
- consider using a Google font for this exercise
- check out these resources on finding perfect typeface pairs:
- Fontjoy, an easy way to generate font pairings
- Type Connection: “a typographic dating game”
- A Guide to Combining Fonts, by Matej Latin
- The Ultimate Google Font Pairings, by Reliable
- The Top 50 Google Font Pairings, by Pagecloud
Thursday 2/2: more discussion of typefaces; work on typography draft
- choosing a body font:
- check out these body text comparisons
- How to choose the right face for a beautiful body, by Smashing Magazine
- BSG typography pages by former students
assignment (due Tuesday 2/7):
- “finalize” your typeface choices and create your typography draft (here are some examples); upload it to the “typography draft” folder in the “typography folder” in Google Drive
- Google Slides would be a good program to use for this exercise
WEEK 5
Tuesday 2/7: photo editing tutorials: Photo Editing #1: Interface, Filters, Adjustments; Photo Editing #2: Text; Photo Editing #3: Selecting and Combining
assignment (due 2/9):
- explore these 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
- Logo of Letters, by Before and After
- 40 Creative Lettermark & Wordmark Designs, by Bashooka
- Lettermark Design, Pinterest
- logos and business cards designed by previous students in the minor
- check out these BSG logo pages by former students
Thursday 2/9: begin logo design process; in class we’ll watch The Art and Origins of Logo Design; work on the logo exercise
assignment (due 2/14):
- respond to discussion #6 on resources
- complete the logo exercise and upload your PNG or PDF file to our Google logo folder
- experiment with these free online logo tools and upload at least one successful result to our Google logo folder
- Brandmark.io
- Adobe Stock (type your initials and “logo” to see lots of options)
- smashing logo design
- logomaster.ai
- Designevo logo maker
- Adobe express
WEEK 6
Tuesday 2/14: discuss logo readings; feedback on logo options; adding shapes, your name, and color to the logo
Please fill out this Google form regarding your plans for the Spring quarter
Thursday 2/16: class cancelled
assignment (due Tuesday 2/21):
- complete your logo draft
- check out these BSG color pages and the resources below
WEEK 7
Tuesday 2/21: begin the color section; InDesign tutorial
assignment (due before class on Thursday 2/23):
- read How to Find the Perfect Color
- respond to discussion #7 on creating a color palette
Thursday 2/23:
assignment (due before class on Tuesday 2/27):
- create a first draft of your color page and your typography page; upload both to the Google BSG first drafts folder before class on Tuesday 2/28
- be sure to include your name in the filename for both drafts
- work on revisions to your logo
WEEK 8
Tuesday 2/28: feedback on BSG color and typography first drafts; InDesign tutorials on working with master pages and overriding master pages; create mockups in Photopea/Photoshop
- 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
assignments (due Thursday 3/2):
- Using Photopea/Photoshop, create several mockups with your lettermark logo and/or lockup; upload them to the mockups folder inside the Google logo folder before class on Thursday 3/2
Thursday 3/2: feedback on mockups; work on logo page first draft
- 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, Eileen Bettinger, Anne Payaril, Anna Constantino, Jade Burchett, Stephanie Foster, Kai Oda, Emily Nguyen, Melody Li, Naomi Blik, Vianna Mabanag, Esther Liu, Aanya Sharma, Enya Bours, Stella Rufeisen
assignment (due Tuesday 3/7):
- read The Big Four
- respond to discussion #8 on page layout
- create a first draft of your logo page; upload it to the Google BSG first drafts folder before class on Tuesday 3/7
- optional: create a page or pages for your imagery section, perhaps using a moodboard
WEEK 9
Tuesday 3/7: feedback on page layouts; The Big Four and the version with ducks; covers/table of contents design
assignment (due Thursday 3/9):
- create drafts of covers and table of contents and upload them to the “BSG first drafts” folder in our class Google drive for class on Thursday 3/9
- read through the intro/welcome/about and brand identity/style sections of about page examples and identify two or three effective strategies for introducing yourself and your brand/style
Thursday 3/9: 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 3/14):
- send me an email letting me know when you’d like me to take a look at your drafts this weekend, and whether there are any specific issues that you’d like me to focus on
- respond to discussion #9 on writing advice
- create drafts of the introduction/welcome and (optional) brand identity/style sections and upload them to the “BSG first drafts” folder in our class Google drive for class on Tuesday 3/14