In this brief, we are to explore and investigate the full extent of a cycle of a professional design brief within the context of proper and good industry practice. We are also to create a comprehensive design proposal which would include client needs, time constraints, costing, personal strengths and weaknesses and resources. To complete this brief, we would need to research, analyze, develop and execute our design solution in response to the brief and what the brief outlines. It will, in the interest of being as professional as possible, critically evaluate our own work and client feedback. 

Below, is an illustrative diagram that highlights the key points in the design cycle and what to do to achieve those. Such as that found in the research section which requires summarizing historical contexts and existing similarities. 

Unfortunately, I was not able to specify for the 'infer specific research' section due to space but what I mean by that, is to infer specific research as the development of ideas progresses, such as that found in my own work with brand patterns and their importance for example. In that work, it also needs evaluation and analysis to highlight what it is you are trying to infer from that research. It is not about research into historical context or inspiration, but instead research into actual developmental outcomes. 

Another idea I have is based on robotics. Robotics have always been something that is interesting to people, whilst also intimidating, my idea would be to create a brand that is consumer friendly robotics, using design that may be legible, exciting or minimalistic and soft. The reason for this idea is because of something interesting I found on the science museum website that the typical toy robots of the 1950's and 1960's was a visual and tactile optimism towards advancement and technology at the time, something that I would like to create, whilst referencing and researching modern trends, brands, and brand ideas. 

Robotics, as an industry, has always been viewed with suspicion, for a long time, 'robots' were a symbol of humanities uncertainty with the future and technological development. During the 1950's and 1960's, as explained, robotics were seen as a symbol of optimism as the wartime era was over and industries were recovering and as was mechanical innovation. 

Possible names: Techligance, Biotek, Robotika, Jest, NextTech, TechNext, Innovexa. 

Previous project development 

Below, is some work I created before restarting the project. I restarted partly due to technical difficulties with my laptop and partly because I found the idea and concept hard to tie together. My concept was a food truck based on the Berlin wall and the cities graffiti and punk scene, it got complicated, partly due to work being lost because of technical problems and partly because it was difficult tying in historical contexts to relatively modern and on-going scenes in the city. 

I looked at many inspirations such as 'TICK' and 'KASE' who are prominent Berlin-based graffiti artists, I also inferred historical Berlin artists like Paul Klee and Gerhard Richter, and spoke about their personal lives and how that effected their work during wartime. I also looked at similar brands and how and what they did to achieve success in their branding. As for development, I was really trying, because I had more time, to use less digital approaches to get that punk, do-it-yourself feel and approach to it, which is also consistent with those graffiti/urban art themes I wanted to portray. I did this using Lino cutting and through woodblock printing typography, which lead to interesting results that almost looked like graffiti on a wall being torn and shredded by time itself. 

Tomato Design is a graphic design and communication studio who are well known for their use of type in their projects. The design studio have worked with many companies including Levi's, Surface Noise, Colnaghi, Stijl and more. 

Below, to the left, is a piece of their work which has very nice, almost futuristic, whilst being somewhat retro, typography coming from all perspectives. I like this because the type is what becomes the main visual focus on this project, and with the retro sci-fi typography, it is something to think about in my own development. It allows for a lot to look at, whilst being fun to read and still holding legibility in type. The design as a whole, is loud, vibrant and almost resembles the chaos of a cityscape, with the way the type climbs on to these box-like shapes. 

Below, to the right, is a piece of their logo developmental work for the tech company 'Stilj'. You can see the development which leads to the logo being more and more abstracted, which I find interesting. What else I find interesting is how the logo is chopped, resembling soundwaves, which is important to note because the company specializes in digital sounds such as ringtones. The type is chopped, quirky and abstracted which resembles sound and music as a whole. What I would take away from this, in my own development, would be using words that describe robotics and using that knowledge when deciding a typeface or creating a logo.

RO Design is a studio that is most known for their work with Elon Musk's companies, Space-X and Tesla, of which there are examples below. They have also worked with a wider range of companies such as Fathom, Cent Banc and Carino Massage. 

Below, to the left, is editorial branding work done by the company for Space-X, you can see how it is simplified, sleek and corporate but has interesting visual elements that resemble blueprints and reflects optimism and reaching beyond the stars. 

Below, to the right, is logo developmental work created for Tesla, you can see the futuristic elements, much like Space-X, and the way the 'T' starts off top heavy and works its way down, this, combined with the bold lines almost resembles electricity or a lightning bolt, which is important to note because the Tesla company sells electric cars and is named after Nikola Tesla, who helped develop modern electrical currents. 

Perception Design is a design studio who have worked with many digital forms of creative design such as 3D, UX, UI, AI and CGI design. The studio has worked with major tech brands such as Microsoft, Fove, Ford, Maxon and much more, they have also designed CGI and 3D works for Marvel, DC, Pixar and so on. 

Below, on both slides, are shots from their work with the GMC Hummer EV development team, the studio was tasked to create work that an highlight the vehicles attributes and EV capabilities. You can see how they have designed work that is modern, but also very minimalistic, this is because it is to reflect GMC's influence on the space program of the 1960's, which prioritizes clarity over style. 

Something to take away from all this is the type, it is bold and technological, which reflects the car brand and also reflects the new and modern.

Ideo Design is a design and innovation company who help develop creative technical solutions for a wide range of clients. They have a wide range of employees and creators that help envision a experimental and playful future.

Below, on both sides, you can see what appears to be UX/UI design stuff for a semi digital shopping experience, In which, you can scan products within a store and it can tell you about the product as well as how much it will cost and what it is for. This independent consumer aesthetic to retail and software design is interesting because it reveals to us a glimpse of what the future could possibly look like. It reveals to us that shoppers could be left to their own devices with their purchasing power, this can mean one of two things, a free market, in which consumers can make up their own mind on what they want to buy OR it could be used as away to push possibly dangerous/carcinogenic products to people if that is the only item that is selling well and trending. Only time will tell.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a 2020 action/sci-fi videogame set in the future in a place called 'Night City'. The game is decorated with neon, artificial lights, robotics and sketchy corporations. It is a lore that almost reflects the society we are in now, with a worrying fusion of entertainment and fact, corporate greed and the rise of advanced technologies we don't yet fully understand, such as AI. 

Below, you can see conceptual art and a screenshot from the game itself. On the left, is the piece of concept art designed by Michal Lisowski, It is a grimy picture with tall, monolithic skyscrapers that create a broad contrast with the palm trees at the bottom of the strip, palm trees are a sign of 'tropical living' and 'taking it easy' whereas big, chunky skyscrapers are almost intimidating and remind you of the constant rat race of work. It is almost as if the palm trees were placed there as a visual distraction by whoever designed the layout for that part of the city. A tool for hypnosis. 

Below, to the right, is a screenshot from within the game itself, it shows one of the characters, but what is interesting to note is the robotic arm, the character seems to use it as if it is no big deal, this reveals to us, as the viewer, that bio-robotics seems to be a common practice in the world of the future. More o this point, the character seems to be wearing clothes that aren't overly futuristic which indicates that the world of cyberpunk is a world that takes the future from a realistic standpoint, advancements in technology but with certain things like fashion, maybe music, maybe art that does not stray too far with what we have in the present day. This is worrying to me, as a viewer, because if the developers are taking a more realistic approach to how this games presents the future, does that mean, like the lore of the game that OUR futures are also to be rampant in corruption, misinformation and violence?

Omni was a science and sci-fi magazine that contained articles on the world of science and technology, as well as written science fiction works and visual images of the same nature. 

I really like the look of the magazine from an editorial perspective, it is punchy whilst always showcasing something to do with science and sci-fi, whether that is paintings, concept art or digital art. The typography across the top is also interesting to note, it is quite heavy but abstracted which gives a friendly, less clinical vibe to it, whilst remaining futuristic, as well as being easily readable. 

The colours are also very 20th century sci-fi, they're bright and optimistic, which is something to consider in my work but something else to consider when developing a brand identity, are the colours going to be taken seriously? It works well for science fiction, but when marketing in real life, technology companies often use sleek and modern design, but, then again, I want my brand to be consumer friendly and trusted and I believe that the the modern sleekness of design is almost cold and isolating.  

In the past the Apple company logo had a rainbow colour palette, which has almost become a sign of it's time during the 1970's and 1980's, in the companies early days. 

In the modern era, the colour palette of the company has a drastically reduced and has since become more a symbol, rather than branding. This is because the Apple company has grown massively and started selling a wider range of technology and electronics, the colours went from rainbow to cool greys, whites and silvers, which represent purity and modernity. 

So we know the logo and branding has become more symbolic in time, with it's change of colours which now represent purity and modernity. What is also interesting to note is that often, the logo also depicts a leaf on top which can represent growth and make the impression that the brand, whilst reaching new heights, is also down-to-earth and humble. The name and logo of the branding could also represent something deeper than face value, the apple itself is often depicted in history and literature as a symbol of want and lust or, even through renaissance era, used as a symbol of knowledge so this means that the brands logo can also be subtly marketing itself as something that needs to be desired and something that can provide knowledge, which I think is very important for a consumer grade, technology-based company.  

The older Apple logo was definitely, as I stated, a sign of its time but it was also friendly and the vivid colours seem to represent more than technology, it seemed to represent diversity and a company that was really more connected to it's homegrown roots, made even more obvious with hindsight as the company was founded in a suburban garage, not some major skyscraper in a cities heart. 

Whilst the new branding represents modernity and seems to be a lot more purist in it's intent of selling commercial-grade electronics, the old logo has more charm and more soul in my opinion because it was not perfect and due to this seemed more relatable and reliable to it's customers. 

The new logo does have pros, it is simpler, represents the modern age and looks clean and sleek enough to last into the foreseeable future and will likely not become a sign of the times, even though it's influence is known all over. The cons are that it stripped away character in exchange for longer lasting profit, as if it sold it's soul. 

The previous branding for Eurostar is interesting to note because of the idea behind using sculpture and real-word physical applications, the idea behind this, even though it is fairly elaborate, is to be flexible and future-proof. 

The logo, like the Apple logo, has become more of a larger symbol through the action making it into a sculpture, literally cementing it's place in the history of branding. The logo is quite abstract, with what appears to be an elongated shape bursting through something more circular. What is also worth noting, is that the abstract shapes make up a lowercase 'e' which I think could be a reference to the Eurostar project title. This is a conceptual and abstract depiction of the Eurostar's purpose which is an engineering feat based on trains running from the UK to mainland Europe, this means then the logo has the elongated shape going through as a resemblance of the Eurostar tunnel. 

This suggests that the brand is representative of easy, safe and effortless travel from the UK to mainland Europe. The colours of the sculpture are almost chrome-like silver which is sleek but also reflects and further perpetuates how much of a modern engineering marvel this entire Eurostar project was. 

The Eurostar branding has recently changed. The new branding is much simpler and less ornate but there are still positive points to make for it, one is that the new typography is loose and flowing, which like the sculpture design I previously mentioned, could be representative of effortless travel in the modern age. The branding is now simpler yes, but it is more recognizable and the icon is solid and geometric and could possibly also be a reference to the locomotive industry's past with a more wheel-and-spoke pattern to it. What is more likely however, is that the design encompasses and represents all forms of travel, it could represent the North Star, a sailing reference, it could represent old wheel-and-spoke locomotive tracks and it could also represent car wheels. This means, whilst the previous branding was definitely more elaborate, I would use their new branding as inspiration because it seems more versatile and the fact the sculpture was supposed to be 'future-proof' but got changed recently proves that. 

Below, I have listed different notes and keywords I have taken to consider within my own work, this will help me 'narrow down' for the development of my ideas. 

1) 'Bold and technological' - this could be for colour and typography possibly. 

2) 'No visual distractions' - this means nothing that is unrelated to my idea, working practically or digitally will mean working with materials specifically related to technology - no palm tree distractions.

3) 'Safe and trusted' - this means my branding has to be able to communicate with the public and would-be consumers and build a good relationship with the clientele. 

4) 'Legible' - This means the typography and logo design must be either easily readable or something that is semiotic and easily recognizable and associates well with the brand.

Below are some ‘pieces’ I created by stringing key words together to create sentences to feed into an AI prompt to create a mess of synth wave colours and shapes that resemble characters and the world around us in the future (I thought it was fitting, given the direction this robotics project is going) but does that mean these pictures are my work? Well, no, not really. But it doesn’t mean that myself or another designer couldn’t use this technology to simplify the process of visualization and creating drafts, but the question is should we?

You also have to consider that people prefer a specialist touch; would you rather stick a suit in the washing machine or take it to a dry cleaner? AI will either be a technological revolution, like the advent of the camera, or dive steeply into a bloated market, I doubt there will be an in between.

Below, are two mood boards created for this project, I chose from a wide array of imagery including conceptual art, branding, packaging, robotics and typography. This is to create a picture out of possible inspirations and design elements I may consider as development goes on in this project. I also used keywords and possible colour options that might communicate advancement but in a friendly manner. 

I chose the Apple logo, for example, because it is simple and yet really effective and is a brand that is typically well enjoyed amongst consumers and professionals, releasing cutting edge technology. I chose the packaging, from all different avenues, because they are sleek in design, with simple colouring, almost as if the product and brand is more important than how the packaging is. 

I highlighted items such as wires and a motherboard, because if I was to work practically, these are materials I could find and utilize or take inspiration from when creating digital work.

Recently, I visited the Arnolfini in Bristol, they had an interesting exhibition on about technology and wastefulness by Ethiopian visual artist Elias Sime. 

Elias Sime is an Ethiopian artist who creates artwork with discarded technology and technological components such as wires and keyboard keys. His work also weaves between technology and nature, often times his work appears to reflect natural beauty such as rolling hills or flowers, all made with discarded wires, cables, buttons and more, it is a cross-breed of nature and tech, something that is further explained in his short-film called 'Tightrope'. The artists work also seems to be inspired by traditional African patterns and colours as seen below. 

This has inspired me because it shows a way how practical methods can be used in a renewable and responsible way, whilst still looking clean and 'trustworthy'. How I would go about creating work for this brief, in a practical manner, is to use things like cables and discarded, broken pieces of motherboard and maybe scan them in and use their interesting colours or as a visually interesting and unique texture or overlay. 

**ALL IMAGES BELOW ARE MY OWN, TAKEN AT ARNOLFINI, BRISTOL**

Below, are logos that I have sketched up, I wanted something that is bold whilst still being friendly to look at, I chose to create a logo out of the 'T' from the name chosen which is 'Technext'. I also wanted to characterize building as part of the logo to be a metaphor for building a better relationship between consumer and technology, hence why, in some of the designs, they have bits of the letter coming off them. 

I also like the idea of using an arrow, because an arrow, with the way it is structured, resembles a 'T' and can also be used to characterize progress and advancement which is what technology is all about. 

Below, I have listed the designs with numbers which will help define what is effective or not about each of them.

1) Too pointed, does not work as it does not come across as customer friendly and looks to extravagant for modern designs trends.

2) Works well, it is bold but not too sharp and has a focus on the concept of building, experiment with different type faces for a more futuristic look.

3) Again, works well, it has that arrow in, which reflects on the idea of progress, whilst still containing the characteristics of building.

4) Could work well, it is a little too sharp and so has a similar problem to the first design, but it is bold and can work with current design trends.  

5) Real possibility, it is unique and futuristic with the ring that spirals around it, almost looks like a planetary ring and contains the arrow of progress.

6) Abstract design, very futuristic which could work, but with how extravagant it is, there is a lot of room for error and improvement, for which, I simply do not have the time.

7) Solid design, it is bold and has 3D, which is something not seen within the other designs, could work well with an embossing effect.

8) Does not resemble too much to the other designs, also looks like a hit-marker, which undermines being customer friendly. 

9) Too thin, would possibly not be able to recognize it from a distance, which is ultimately what makes a solid logo design. 

With these considerations in mind, I will choose 2, 3 and 4 to develop further as a complete logo design. 

Below, are logo developments I have made based on the initial sketches above, I have added different flares and a wider range of design options to see what could work best.

For number two, I simply used fonts that I found interesting (and were license free) to make a 'T' and then I created lines of division through them to capture and communicate that idea of building. One thing I would experiment with, if I was to take one of these ideas further, is to create something that has a bit more substance, maybe by adding a colour gradient, stroke, or effect to it to make the logo more recognizable and memorable. Out of these, to narrow it down, I like the second alternate of Geist, I also like Rethink sans (which could pair well as a typeface) and Akony, I like Akony because it is bold and has an alternative take on the building concept, as if a robot was being put together. 

I created a range of arrow concepts and I don't think they work quite as well as a concept. I think this because, whilst it can communicate progress, it is also easy to misinterpret the logo the more advanced or sci-fi inspired you try to make it. For example, take a look at the first arrow below, it looks good and it points upward, but conceptually it could also be mistaken for a rocket, which does play into the sci-fi theme, but does not particularly match up with the robotics company idea. 

Below that, is the sharper idea for logo concept number 4, I like that it resembles a 'T' and almost resembles the shape of a steel axe, this matches steel with robotics but I want the company to be customer friendly and an axe can resemble violence, which is not good, I did match these designs up with the dark green and blue tones, to get a better, more realistic feel, of how the logo could look.

Below, are a couple of screenshots of my process of creating my final logo. I created a square grid, on Adobe Illustrator, to make sure my logo was geometrically perfect, I then used the merge tool (control + M) and filled merged areas in black (control + x + change swatch). I then exported as a PNG asset.

Then, I took the logo and added it to my chosen colours, I wanted the logo to have a similar feel to the Alkony type experiment, but personally made and making sure it is geometrically perfect, when creating the Alkony type experiment, all I did was split the letters rather imperfectly with the square tool on Photoshop. This way means that I, and the client, know it is geometrically perfect and personalised towards the brand. 

It is personalised towards the brand because the shape appears like a 'T' but splits with blocks on each end, this represents that 'building' idea and also resembles a figure being assembled which is key for a modern/futuristic robotics company. 

Below, are a few type sheets I made for the font 'Rethink sans' they show a range of how the type responds with colours, ranging from black and white, and from colours on my mood board.

I like the typography because it is well-designed and has a wide range of options to choose from, such as extra-bold, bold, semi-bold and regular. I think this type could work because it is unoffensive, and by unoffensive, I mean that it is focused on legibility and sits on the fence about anything else. It would be a good type choice for displaying informational body text, and with a robotics company, there would be a lot of information for a viewer to digest. 

It is also a typeface that reacts well with colour, it sits nicely and does not provide for much distraction. With the wide range options to choose from, it is good because you can use different settings of the type to create headers, subheadings and body text. 

Geist is a typeface that, again, reads nicely and focuses on legibility over style. The san-serif typeface is also quite stylish on it's own, it is something that inadvertently became what it was trying to avoid whilst still doing it's job in being well-readable.

As mentioned, in the logo development section, the bold version of this typeface is a little harder to read but that makes it a good typeface to create a logo from. 

I believe that this kind of typeface can work well with negative space and make for some interesting, contrasting designs between the simple and the complex, could possibly experiment with minimalism in this design.

Next, we have a much more lavish and extravagant typeface by the name of 'Lakoshen.' It is apparently inspired by Korean letter structure and I thought this could be worth experimenting with due to the inspiration research into Cyberpunk. 

The issues I have with this typeface is that, for one thing, it is not license free, which is something I am trying to avoid, and also because I feel as if it is more complicated than what is necessary to read it. The typeface also has only capitals with no changes and does not have all the numbers on the keyboard either, it also has no type setting for a variable option or bold/semi-bold, I am unfortunately stuck with this one type setting and so will not be taking this further. 

One thing that can help a brand become recognizable, is colour. We, as consumers, associate colours with different things. For example, green and red are often associated with Christmas. A better example is that red and yellow are often associated with hunger, this is almost directly because of large brands such as McDonalds, using those colours in their branding.

What colours do I want for this brand? well, I could use corporate colours that other, modern brands use such as greys, whites and blacks but I think, whilst those colours certainly work well for a reason, they may not always be the most customer friendly, they can come across as cold and too uniform, that being said though they can add a sense of professionalism. 

Below, is a colour chart that I created for this project, it defines what colours are complimentary or work well in pairs, I will experiment with this further when it comes to final logo developments. 

So far, I like the idea of using what was on my original mood boards, colours such as dark blue (3d4b54), dark green (5a9360), black and white.

In terms of association, whilst dark green may not be seen as a colour that resembles technology, I believe it does represent healing, it used often in medical and scientific marketing and promotion. This could further implement the concept of being trusted and truthful to a consumer. 

Blue tones are often seen as trusting as well, it is seen on many logos and can indicate order and security (including the NHS logo, further supports the 'trusting' idea in branding.) To further prove this I have a quote taken from a website called Logocoast:

Developing a brand pattern is important because a brand pattern can help make the company more recognizable, with eye-catching, creative designs and patterns, add depth to a brands presence, can help remain consistent in things like packaging, deeper brand foundations and can help further reflect on brands core values to a possible consumer. 

Below, is an example of a brand pattern by the food company 'Casa Grande' you can see that purple is in wide use throughout, which seems to be their brand colours, but further than that, you can see the use of triangular shapes which can possibly, if I had to guess, be a reference to Mayan geometric art from the central American region, which makes sense due to the company selling Mexican food. You can also see other references to Mexican culture such as Sombreros and Cacti. All of these little icons develop into a larger brand pattern to the point where, if you only saw the pattern and nothing else, you would guess it is Mexican food that they sell. This is how a pattern that reflects the brand can help with visual identity in branding.

Below, is packaging design for the company Pukka who specialise in selling different types of tea. Brand patterns help them in their packaging because through the use of different flower-based arrangements that are symmetrical and the use of colour can help guide the consumer in knowing what flavour the tea is. 

Below we have 2 of their products, we have a night-time tea and a mint tea, you can tell which is which because the night-time tea uses mellow, blue tones with a symmetrical brand pattern of a floral arrangement, whilst it is not stated what plant it is, given that it is a night-time tea and the product contains things within the tea that make it more 'mellow' such as Chamomile, you can clearly infer that Chamomile is the plant on the packaging and because a consumer and easily, without really thinking about it, infer this knowledge, that is what makes it a successful brand pattern. 

The same goes with the mint tea that has a more vivid and fresh green which can symbolise being more alert and naturally healthy. The brand pattern is also reliant on the leaf designs which resemble, in a charming, illustrative way, mint leaves. One thing I would note is that due to the colour use, you could possibly be mistaken for green tea, which literally has green in the name. This is a small detail but it is worth noting because a customer could end up picking it up, assuming it is green tea due to the colour and brand pattern use, and get a kick of fresh and pungent mint instead of distinctive taste of green tea, this indicates that, whilst very similar, the mint tea pattern is not quite as successful in my opinion because of how easy it could be to mistake it for a different flavour.

This also indicates another reason why brand patterns and use of colour is important, because what might work for one aspect of branding, may not work for another. 

To summarise, brand patterns are important because they can:

1) Increase instant brand recognition - this means that incorporating specific colours and patterns and making them work together can help people recognize the brand more quickly, these patterns often bring in aspects of design elements which reinforces brand compatibility to a changing market and brand consistency. 

2) Memorability - like previously, the use of an effective brand pattern can help people remember your brand, in some cases an effective brand pattern can be more visually memorable than the logo itself, which sounds counter-intuitive but as long as the consumer can recognise the brand, that is what's important.

3) Attention - the use of interesting brand patterns can draw in attention due to being unique and appealing and can serve as a point of customer interest when used in a wide range of marketing. 

4) Consistency - using a brand pattern, that incorporates other design elements, can ensure consistency throughout all outlets and create a cohesive and unified brand identity. 

5) Versatile - brand patterns can be used across all outlets and forms of marketing from packaging, promotional material, digital media and even physical environments like posters and wall decoration. 

Below, is a simple brand pattern that I created. I used the brands colours to create these white boxes, with lower, dark blue boxes underneath. It is a simple design but I did this because I believe it further represents the idea of building a better relationship with the public and consumer, as well as, showcasing creativity in a minimal sense, much like that found in the Apple logo, It works well on a corporate level whilst being representative and stand-out. 

How I would use this brand pattern would be on things like promotional material, where more freedom on how the pattern is used can be granted because promotional marketing material is ever-changing and always being released, so the ability to have a bit more freedom allows the design to be present but not boring and stale to the consumer and target audience. 

I also think that, whilst not directly taken from the logo, like in some cases of brand pattern building, it still represents and reflects what the logo does and, whilst corporate, is not intimidating to a larger audience on a visual level, it is simple, minimal and friendly. 

So, now that colours and typefaces have been decided, I can create some mock-ups for promotional material relating to the brand, taking into consideration the brand colour and typeface. 

Below, is a design that showcases a new full robot for a consumer to buy, I wanted it to have a personal feel to my own work, which is why I added the halftone, screen-printed, look to the product itself, with the brand values and colours in mind, I then wanted the rest of the design to be cleaner and more sleek, so I left a lot of room for negative space and used a simple colours scheme that represents the brand. 

Below, is another concept, which showcases prosthetics and attachments, as a selling point, I wanted there to be this idea that different attachments can offer different things, the one below, for example, highlights versatility and strength. The design also uses that halftone, screen-printed look also, this may be a common theme with the brand, it adds character to an otherwise sleek and corporate design which can help build another layer of trust with the consumer and target audience because it shows, to an extent, the brand cares about creativity as well. I also like the look because, with the green in the background, it almost looks like an old videogame graphic or a hologram which adds to that cyberpunk, sci-fi grittiness I wanted to showcase. 

The large logo that is seen in the background of these promotional materials is to give it an extra corporate feel whilst subtly making the logo and brand in the forefront at all times, which is good for marketing and promotion.

Below, are 2 ideas that I think are quite minimal, compared to the other designs I did (shown above) but have a lot to say with the repetitive use of that brand pattern, which does not consist of the logo but instead of blocks, which represent building and connectivity, which I think is relevant a technology goes on because of how connected we already are with the use of modern luxuries such as social media.

In both designs, you can see the use of drop shadowing on the lettering, this is something I will define more clearly within my brand guidelines, but I believe that using the drop shadow effect can really make the text stand out in a promotional format because it helps the text not blend into the other whites and greys of the spread, such as that found within the brand pattern. 

The reason the brand pattern is laid out like such, is because I believe it creates something that resembles foundations, which further perpetuates the idea of building, and because it creates something that is ever so slightly less formal than the corporate norms which can inspire creativity and be more visually appealing. 

Below, are also some mock-ups of how both designs can be used in the urban advertising landscape, notice how the green of the brand colour stands out whilst not being overly intimidating. 

Below, are a range of brief, basic sketches for the development of my editorial work, such as leaflets. I want something that sticks with the colour theme I have chosen for the brand, which is good representation of the brands core values, whilst being readable. I also want to test the boundaries of formal design, by this, I mean that I want to create something that is informative and can be seen in a large scale, technological context whilst highlighting creativity and testing the limits of presentation and gridding with programmes like InDesign being used and manipulated to create such an effect. 

Below, are some examples that further visualise my ideas in relation to creating editorial leaflets for the brand. Information is a priority and so there will be a lot of text throughout but that does not mean that there cannot be creative thinking intertwined with what we know about god editorial layout design. Because these leaflets are so text-driven, I do want the typography to be clear and presentable which is why I chose different variations of the font family 'Rethink sans' (see type sheet development for more information.)

As for imagery, I may focus less on what specific imagery to use, due to time constraints, but also because it might be interesting to see what I can visually do with just elements of the brand pattern throughout the design. 

For these ideas, I used different elements of what I have created so far over the course of the development stages of this project, I like the third style of design because it integrates the brand pattern idea quite well. To take this idea further I will create a fully developed front and back page, with all the considerations of low or no imagery and focusing on the brand patterning and presentation of typography. 

I will also keep in mind that I still need to create a brand guideline on how elements of the branding such as typography, colour, patterning and so on work and what can and cannot be done more specifically. 

Below, is the final design development for the editorial, informational leaflets about the company and the brand. I wanted to add a forward-facing feel and so I used a lot of personified language in the text such as 'we' to create a subtle sense of relatability and connectivity, the text also allowed me to provide some information on the inspirations of the brand and highlight what the brand specifically sells. I like this approach because it personifies the brand more, which as I said further represents those ideas of being more connected and relatable. I like this approach also because it reminds me of a home-grown brand like that found in modern, independent coffee brands, beer brands and so on, which can make a heavy subject, like technological advancement, more publicly acceptable.

I used elements of the brand pattern down both page spines, this is a way of fleshing out sections, keeping it in theme of the brand, whilst not having to, due to time, write more about the brand and most of the important text is the forefront of what you see on the leaflet design. I like this idea because it is power in repetition which can make the shapes and colours more memorable to the public and become symbiotic as well. I also added background imagery of numbers and coding which is an obvious hint towards computing and science and also adds an extra layer of depth visually which I also like, if given more time, I would have put more consideration into using scanned in discarded bits of technology which would have been a better reflection on my research. 

I also have that slogan 'Choose Better, Build Better' written in large text going across different sides of the page. This is a reference to what I have done so far for the promotional material and packaging, which becomes another repetitive item in the branding itself. I also did it this way specifically, because that way, no matter which waya consumer picks up the informational leaflet, they can still clearly recognize and read the slogan. 

Packaging design development 

Below, is packaging I have made for boxes of different items, I want a semi-minimalistic look with those same corporate undertones I previously spoke about. I added in key items of the branding into the packaging designs such as the logo, representing building and the brand patterning which is also representing building, but also representing connectivity. The fact the packaging and branding is green, this could also act as a helpful reminder to recycle as green can also represent nature and in a world of environmental challenges, it is good that the branding, inadvertently, accounts for and recognizes that, which is further linked into my research on ad evidence on Elias Sime and his artworks created from discarded technology. 

Going further into the final development stages, I want packaging that looks good but also looks feasible and a more realistic adaptation of how the packaging can look, rather than something that is clearly digital such as that found below. To do this, within the necessary time frame, I will find and edit pre-existing mock-up designs, with keeping in mind what I have done so far and what aspects of the branding can represent to the target audience and consumer, as well as, if there is time, print out these digital designs to see how they look in person. 

Above is the final design for the packaging, it is on similar lines of what I had done in the development stages, using that iconic brand pattern to represent building and transparency. As said previously, it is good that the colours are green and could be representative of nature because it could subtly remind people to recycle and also portrays the image of a brand that cares for the environment, especially within technology sectors. 

I also think it could appeal to the target audience of young adults because it has that brand pattern as well as having a quirky but not overly tacky, use of texturing that makes the design more visually appealing without being glaringly pop-ish that could end up targeting a different audience. 

To tie my work and branding back to my initial idea from the toy robots in the science museum, I created a conceptual design for a robotics toy the company could sell as a promotional product and as a way of linking the company and branding to it's roots which the brand prides itself on. 

For the conceptual work, I wanted something that looked almost screen-printed and imperfect, this is tie in the ideas of being relatable to the customers and as a way for me to show below the process of that, from deciding on halftone options and threshold to give that stencilled/screen print look around the outline and I also wanted to include some glowing edges to add a more in-depth contrast between the darks and highlights. 

A brand object is important because it could be used as a unique selling point and gain attention from unlikely sources such as collectors, from outside the target audience. 

With more time, I would have liked to create an actual small-scale sculpture of the robot toy for a better visualisation. But, I do like how the concept turned out, it is in line with the brand colours and visual aesthetic, from mixing sleek, corporate style and the grittier but more creative flare to design, I say this because the use of halftones to capture that screen printed or stencilled look is not something that would be typical found in corporate level branding but adds to that homegrown and relatable feel. 

Below, are screenshots of my brand guidelines that summarises what I have created for the branding as well as how to use different elements of the branding correctly.

Brand guidelines are important in a project because it helps to provide an insight into the final results of a project, it helps to maintain consistency in the branding, they help to maintain quality of the brands image and core values, they help to ensure that the branding is used correctly and effectively and they help to provide a better understand of the process.   

In my brand guidelines I wanted to highlight the final outcomes for different aspects of my branding such as promotional material, editorial design, logo design and typography. I also wanted to highlight why these are effective and how to use them properly to guide the client in their brand and how the design aspect can support and promote what the brand stands for. 

The feedback from asking peers about my brand work is largely positive and the branding seems to have done it's job well in being more customer facing whilst maintaining a professional and clean look and visual appeal. 

If I was to have more time, I would have liked to create a questionnaire sheet that will help specify good and bad points within the design and then respond by adding in areas which could have been improved. 

In my opinion, as the designer, I am happy with the majority of the outcomes, such as the promotional material and the logo design development, but I do feel there was room for improvement such as adding in my own discarded technology to use for texturing and creating physical mock-ups.

Overall, over the course of this brief, minus the technical difficulties that led me to restart the project, I enjoyed the challenge of mixing my own design style and corporate, sleeker design styles because it is important to learn to harness both for a project. 

With more time, I would have liked to be able to find and scan-in discarded technology because it ties even further into my research trip to see the Elias Sime exhibition and it could have also made my developmental work more interesting and unique. More time would have also allowed me to create physical mock-ups of my work such as that branding object, creating a small sculpture of the would-be toy and packaging, to get a clearer visualisation. 

I do think that speeding ahead with my research helped me to refine my ideas and guided me in directing which way the brand was going to go and making sure that, even though I have less time, that the work I put is a good quality and puts my ideas across clearly. I also needed to be consistent about the brands values and ideals and show that in my work as well as my evaluation of the work, which I believe I did quite well. 

In conclusion, the branding shows the core values and signifies to a young professional audience through branding that feels relatable and almost 'homegrown' even though it is a robotics corporation, the use of friendly graphics, colour and typography makes it appear forward facing and professional whilst being customer friendly, if I had more time I feel I could have done a wider range of experimentations and even broaden my research for a more refined idea, but all in all, I think the project was something that developed well. 

'Creating a brand identity - a guide for designers' - Catharine Slade-Brooking 

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