I learned a lot from this module. Previously, I admittedly wasn’t very familiar with the complexity of branding, viewing it as making something that looked good and that people wanted to buy into. Upon reflection I recognise that this is not the case at all; Branding is a vast and complex aspect of any organisation, product or company, a process that should be valued and carefully pieced together.

I had never considered that branding didn't begin with the actual creative aspects. If I was told to create a brand before this semester, I likely would have jumped right into Figma. Therefore, the process of brand research was particularly beneficial for widening my understanding of the branding process and how it should de executed. I truly enjoyed conducting my research, and feel that through this module I recognised that detailed research is one of my greatest design strengths. Visiting actual library locations and approaching people to interview was something very new to me, I never would have expected that I would have the confidence to do so in the past. Alongside strengthening my understanding of the type of research that goes into branding, this aspect of this module really helped to build my confidence. Since this, I can say that I haven’t been as anxious about critiques and showing my work.

One of the most valuable aspects of research that I conducted was case studies. We were advised to conduct a few of these and provided with 6 prompts, of which I did all. Although this was lengthy and difficult at times, studying different brands from a range of perspectives was one of the most helpful things I did to deepen my understanding of branding as I was breaking different brands down and learning how to apply things to my own work.

Establishing my brand’s visual identity was the aspect of branding that I found most difficult. In particular, creating my logo was a lengthy process of trial and error, and ultimately I didn’t finalise my logo design until after the week 7 critique. However, I’m grateful for this as it demonstrated that branding isn’t easy or linear. Furthermore, the fact that I designed my final logo based on my critique feedback was further evidence that asking for feedback can be daunting at first, but a great way of getting other’s insights to strengthen an outcome. Additionally, my values and tone was predominately a brand that is welcoming and friendly, so I had to incorporate this into all aspects of my visual identity.

Creating my touch points gave me some valuable learning. I developed these based on my already established brand image. I couldn’t just run free with this project like I had freedom to do with others. This illustrated the importance of fully thinking through my design decisions, for example, seemingly small things such as ensuring typography is consistent across an entire brand and following the same grid played a key role in my project. I can confidently say that I learned patience through this aspect of this module, as although I was creating touch points in a way that was far more lengthy and complex than ever before, I can see the positive impact this has had on my deliverables.