An Exploration of the Importance of Design in Branding

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to explore how good design is used to enhance and communicate a brand’s image. At its core, a brand is a personality. Thoughtful marketing and good design are tools that can effectively communicate that personality. The products, promotions, and experiences that your company presents should resonate with your target audience and illicit an emotional response that matches your brand. My thesis consists of two major sections. The first section is an accumulation of research and personal observations on how brands function in our society today. In this section I will define what a brand is, discuss the importance of design within a brand’s structure, and compare two existing brands to illustrate how design communicates different experiences for consumers. The second portion is an exercise where I have created the entire identity for my own fictitious brand. Using the ideas, concepts, and philosophies I researched in the first section, I created my brand, Beep, Beep! Sweets. Beep, Beep! Sweets is a innovative, fresh company that strives to bring naturally sweet cupcakes to its consumers with its new line of Cupcake Trucks. The design package includes a logo, office pieces, truck materials, promotions, and media platform designs. For each elements I have explained my design decisions.