Amy Blunden [ design journal ]

[ Reflections: Develop Brands, Think Critically and Allocate Time ]

During this month’s course, Brand Development, the three most important concepts I’ve learned are developing brands, thinking critically and allocating time.

It may seem obvious, but what I’ve learned most is to develop brands- the operative word being develop. Developing brands is a process, and it involves much critical thinking, evaluating and revising. It takes time, thought and energy to thoroughly and effectively develop a powerful brand. That’s the biggest thing I’ve learned in this class- brands take time, and they involve a series of intense investigative processes that can’t be skipped over.

Critical thinking was another concept that I’ll be taking away from this course. I feel that I really got a chance to flex my cerebral muscles throughout this course, and perhaps more importantly, I also realize that I have a lot left to learn. With my visual design, I want to be a good marksman- stealthy and accurate. Thinking critically has given me an opportunity to see what I know and what I still need to learn.

Another important lesson I learned was allocating time- you have to allocate serious time to make designs have impact. As a young mother who works outside of the home, it’s often difficult to juggle it all, but through all the foregone sleep and scheduling acrobatics, I’ve proven to myself that even when I’m exhausted, overwhelmed and stressed, I’m still passionate about my work.