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.

[ Brand Development Video ]

Hi, I’m Amy, and in this video, I’m going to discuss what I’ve learned in this month’s class, Brand Development. I’m also going to talk about my thesis project selection.

During this course, three topics that I definitely connected with were using metaphors and analogies, identifying ideals and asking questions. Both metaphors and analogies are storytelling mechanisms that use comparison to help illustrate new ideas by relating them to what we already know. Since the dawn of civilization, we’ve relied on stories to communicate, stay alive and evolve. Story is a very powerful tool, and learning how to weave it visually is going to be in the forefront of my mind.

Identifying ideals is another topic that seemed very important to me. I feel that if we don’t pin down precise, unique ideals, we’re unable to effectively design. This process can be somewhat elusive, because we’re dealing with a lot of intangibles, but as designers, it’s our responsibility to thoroughly assess these ideals, so that we can make them tangible, through our designs.

Asking questions was another concept that was important to me. I found this to be quite pertinent, because I have a background in journalism and reporting. It’s not just about asking questions- it’s about asking the right questions- the ones that will get you the type of answers that will make your designs authentic and effective.

Now for some information about my thesis project, Teavana. Teavana’s industry is the tea and beverage sector, and its competitors include Harney & Sons, The Republic of Tea, Tazo and Numi. There are many promising trends including ready-to-drink teas, specialty tea and topical and health products with tea extracts. All four companies are providing specialty teas, and Harney & Sons, The Republic of Tea and Numi are all capitalizing on the bottled, ready-to-drink tea trend. I don’t think any of these companies, including Teavana, are tapping into the tea-infused product market, so that’s a huge area for development.

As far as differentiating factors, Harney & Sons has tradition and elegance, The Republic of Tea has healing and active lifestyle, Tazo has whimsy and possibility and Numi has earthy and community. I’m going to differentiate my thesis company, Teavana, from its competitors by focusing on the figurative heaven their tea manifests. I plan to do this through a multi-media campaign designed to be blissful, soothing, satisfying, intuitive and inviting. At minimum, this campaign is going to include a revamped identity, a new logotype, a new or redesigned trademark symbol, other promotional materials and package designs for a new line of tea.

Thanks for listening, and I’m excited to share with you my progress in the future!

References:

The Tea Association of the USA. (2011). Tea Fact Sheet. Retrieved January 24, 2013 from:

http://www.teausa.com/14655/tea-fact-sheet

Simrany, J. (2012). The Tea Association of the UStA. The State of the U.S. Tea Industry. Retrieved January 24, 2013 from:

http://www.teausa.com/14654/state-of-theindustry

[ Reflections: Design Delightful Experiences, Use Metaphors and Analogies and Audit Design ]

In this week’s material, the three concepts that stood out to me most were designing delightful experiences, utilizing metaphors and analogies and auditing design.

Designing delightful experiences means thinking about every aspect of the user experience, and then integrating that information to tailor a pleasurable, pain-free and intuitive experience for the user. Don’t make the user have to think too much- think for them, and they will repay you kindly.

Utilizing metaphors and analogies was another concept that stood out to me, probably because it’s something I do naturally as a writer. I think that metaphor, analogy and story are literary elements that are very necessary in the design world. Long before traditional education, people used story and metaphor as teaching mechanisms, so story is inextricably related to learning in every culture on this planet. Because story is so innately human, these are truly effective tools for crafting personal, pleasant communications with the intended audience.

The final concept for this week, auditing design, is going to be crucial in the coming months. For the brand campaign thesis project, a thorough design audit is absolutely necessary. The most critical parts of the design audit are discerning between successful and unsuccessful brand elements and determining whether the design budget is being utilized effectively.

When you implement a comprehensive design audit and weave story into your designs, you’re well on your way to designing a delightful experience for the user.

[ Brand Strategy: Teavana ]

1. What, in particular, makes the companyʼs brand that youʼve chosen for your campaign project unique from the others (What is the differentiating factor, “zag,” or USP)? What could you do to increase the differentiating factor?

For Teavana, I think their “zag” or USP is creating a figurative heaven, or supremely blissful state. Their name is a play on the word Nirvana and, according to their website, means heaven of tea, however I don’t see them executing this concept as well as they could. A good name is a highly influential design chess piece, and I think theirs could make big moves, if maximized with a new interpretation. For weeks I’ve had a potential tagline circling my head- Sip Your Bliss. It’s short, sweet, contains a call-to-action, gives you a visual of the tea experience and also suggests tea as a route to bliss.

When you look at the word Nirvana, it doesn’t quite translate to heaven. I think their heaven of tea interpretation is an attempt to Westernize the concept of Nirvana and not get too Eastern and alienate their audience. Well, I think that I can create a feeling of bliss, peace, tranquility, supreme understanding and freedom from suffering (as the word Nirvana denotes), without taking it too Eastern. Terms like Nirvana, bliss and meditation are becoming increasingly mainstream, so I think that people intuitively understand the meaning of the name Teavana, but they don’t necessarily see a strong correlation to the Teavana brand.

Some words that I’ve heard (and thought personally) about Teavana experiences include: stuffy, over-priced, high-pressure and snobbish. This is pretty much the opposite of what I would expect in a heaven of tea. That’s why I’m also including a redesign of their store. Their tea is good, but aside from that, the only lofty things in their store are their prices. In my version of Teavana, I want to give people an experience that matches their name and subliminal expectations. Like David Srere says, a design should be easy, intuitive, pleasant and effective, because “people go back to those experiences.” (Srere, 2013) People don’t return to over-priced, high-pressure tea stores.

As a side note, I’m going to tweak my onliness statement for Teavana to make it a bit more enticing.

2. “Brand strategy is the process where ʻthe offer is positioned in the consumerʼs mind to produce a perception of advantage.ʼ ” (Levens 88). In considering the companyʼs USP, list three ideas that might produce a perception of advantage for your companyʼs brand over its competitors in the minds of the target audience (also see “Big Idea,” pages 16– 17 in Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheeler).

1. Redesign Store: Sensory-Inducing, Inviting, Serene, Relaxing, Caring and Intuitive Social Mecca

2. Make Tea More Affordable: Packaged Tea Line, Wider Price-Range, Incentive Program, Specials

3. Create Blissful Experiences: Delightful Packaging, Fun Tea Learning Experiences, Tea Tastings and Tea Classes (tea pottery, tea growing, tea traditions)

Reference:

Srere, D. (2013). Siegel+Gale. Brand Development [Video]. Retrieved February 19, 2013 from:

http://www.siegelgale.com/services_detail/brand-development/

Image:

Blunden, A. (2013). Retrieved February 21, 2013 from my personal collection.

[ Reflections: Ideal Identification, Competitive Advantage and Brand Valuation ]

In this week’s material, the three concepts that stood out to me were ideal identification, competitive advantage and brand valuation.

I found that identifying ideals is somewhat daunting at outset- often, we’re beginning with intangible feelings and subtleties. That can make it hard to pinpoint the ideal precisely. From the feedback I received, I think that extracting ideals is a process of refining vision. I felt that I had the right idea with my brand ideals for my tea industry brands, but I just needed to keep refocusing and refining my vision until I harnessed the essence of the ideal.

Competitive advantage was another concept that stood out to me. It makes sense that in the competitive business world, it would be advantageous to be keenly aware of what your competitors are doing. The competition helps shape and prime the market for all of the brands in an industry, and those who are nearest to your target market, are the ones from which you can glean the most knowledge.

The third concept, brand valuation, was a new term for me. While this concept is probably the most foreign to me, it is definitely a practice that I could benefit from. Quantifying the value of a brand in financial terms gives the brand and its designers power in the eyes of a business. It backs the so-called intangibles with numbers, which can give your campaign much needed leverage.

[ Brand Ideals ]

Harney & Sons
Harney & Sons is the only high-quality tea brand steeped in tradition, providing refined teas to warm your heart. Our masterful teas conduct an ornamental atmosphere, emanating honor, poise and elegance.

Vision: Elegance. Enables an ornamental atmosphere.
Authenticity: Mastery. Conquering tea technicians.
Meaning: Stability. Grounded process, products and expectations.
Differentiation: Refined. Sifted to reveal purity and alleviate waste.
Flexibility: Poised. Balanced, assured and well-prepared.
Coherence: Tradition. Aids in continuity and historical relevance.
Value: Honor. Acting out of integrity and respect for people and procedures.

The Republic of Tea
The Republic of Tea is the only high-end tea company that creates healing through tea for your active lifestyle. Highly energized, we seek to increase health, wellness and immunity naturally, by providing restorative products and vital information to help heal the world.

Vision: Healing. Focused on curative, restorative ends.
Authenticity: Active. Energized and in-motion.
Meaning: Wellness. Devoted to increasing life quality and prolonging life.
Differentiation: Immunity. Promoting natural disease resistance.
Flexibility: Natural. Formed organically, highly in-tune and adjustable.
Coherence: Informative. Imparting knowledge through intelligent products.
Value: Purveyor. Seeking out the finest teas in order to share them and heal the world.

Tazo
Tazo is the only tea brand that uplifts you into an ethereal, whimsical world of possibility. Unfurl and immerse yourself in our highly emotive world of tea, where possibility meets simplicity, and dreams grow gossamer wings.

Vision: Possibility. Increases the likelihood of manifesting your dreams.
Authenticity: Whimsical. Whirlwind of playful imagination.
Meaning: Blossoming. Unfurling you, revealing inner truth.
Differentiation: Ethereal. Flowing, airy and delicate in nature.
Flexibility: Immersive. Involving senses deeply and altering states.
Coherence: Simplicity. Unfettered by complexity.
Value: Uplifting. Eliciting hope, excitement and inspiration.

Numi
Numi is the only organic, fair-trade tea brand that is as conscious of our community, footprint and social impact as we are of what goes into our tea. We’re devoted to consciously creating a culture of purity through 100% organic ingredients, adequate wages, sustainable practices and community roots.

Vision: Community. Devoted to common culture.
Authenticity: Earthy. Rooted in robustness and nature.
Meaning: Purity. Free from contaminants and pollution.
Differentiation: Organic. Derived exclusively from unfettered plants.
Flexibility: Fair-Trade. Assuring workers are paid fairly, freeing from poverty.
Coherence: Concern. Cares for people, planet, ingredients and sustainability.
Value: Conscious. Aware of ingredients, impact and affect on surroundings.

Teavana
Teavana is the only tea brand that invites you into a heavenly world of tea, and encourages you to sip your way to bliss. Transcend restraints, honor your inner authority and enter a lofty, transcendent world of freedom, where satisfaction and peace reign.

Vision: Transcendent. Ushering you into an extraordinary other-world.
Authenticity: Bliss. Inviting you to enjoy contentment.
Meaning: Satisfaction. Exemplifying gratification.
Differentiation: Lofty. Exalted, elevated and extending into air.
Flexibility: Freedom. Enabling unrestrained action.
Coherence: Peace. Initiating a state of inner and outer harmony.
Value: Supreme. Rousing your ultimate, inner authority.

Images:

http://www.harney.com/?___SID=U

http://www.harney.com/blog/

http://blog.englishtrackers.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Cream-tea.jpg

http://www.republicoftea.com/

http://res.mindbodygreen.com/img/ftr/herbs-glowing-skin-330.jpg

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m960cslI4s1rcwtu5o1_500.jpg

http://www.tazo.com/

http://tiogadentalnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/young-woman-drinking-green-tea.jpg

http://www.numitea.com/people/celebrating-people

http://www.numitea.com/pure-tea/100-real-ingredients/

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9z5QpmcXOQg/TFA3eI_et2I/AAAAAAAAAq0/A-L9mYjjpFk/s1600/1952947_med.jpg

http://vitamincenteragourahills.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/tea-29712rxuyzzok6j.jpg

http://www.gnet.org/wp-content/uploads/girl-drinking-yerba-mate.jpg

[ Reflections: Be Aware of Yourself, Ask Questions and Build Brand Experiences ]

In this week’s material, the three concepts that stood out to me most were being aware of yourself, asking questions and brand-building through experience.

I thought being aware of yourself was an important concept, because everything a person does, or doesn’t do, contributes to their brand. Every interaction, phone call, e-mail and social media post we make helps define us in the eyes of our audience. This, of course, is also true of brands that represent entire companies and organizations. It’s also especially pertinent to remember that as designers, we’re representing ourselves in all that we do, so it’s best to be mindful.

Asking questions is a technique used to extract information about ourselves, our process, our clients and our decisions. Questioning helps us explore all of the facets and options available to us, and it helps us assure that our designs will be on-point and reach the heart of their audience. In life, and design, I feel it is good to begin with questioning yourself about who you are and why. I believe that a clear understanding of oneself is the first step to being able to see and understand another.

The last, and perhaps most pertinent, concept was how brands are built through experience. While many identity elements tend to be static pieces, it’s the experience the user has with the branded object, place or service that creates a lasting memory in their minds. It’s vital to engineer the most delightful experience imaginable through your brand, because that’s how you fulfill the needs of your users.

[ Brand Identity Ideals ]

1. Referencing the “Brand Identity Ideals” from your book, Designing Brand Identity by Alina Wheeler, list and describe 6–8 ideals that differentiate you as a person from others. What, in particular, makes “you” as a brand unique? How do these ideals relate to Marty Neumeierʼs 17-step process? Provide direct quotes with in-text APA-style research citations to substantiate your statements. (Note: Please make the statements about yourself in the third person).

Vision
Manifestation. Seeks to change the world through creative communication, utilizing language, design and typography.

Meaning
Passionate. Powers her life with intense feelings.

Authenticity
Bold. Speaks her mind courageously.

Differentiation
Independent. Navigates life by an internal compass.

Coherence
Articulate. Strives to make her words and ideas easy on the eyes and ears.

Flexibility
Changeable. Wears many disparate colors, like a peacock.

Value
Inspiring. Loves helping people find truth and passion.

What makes me unique as a brand is my ability to integrate my communication skills with my vision. I communicate boldly, clearly and authentically. Who I am as a person is who I am as a designer. I’m not going to be a different person, put on a role or be someone I’m not. As well, I bring these qualities to all my other endeavors- not just the ones that involve design. In addition, I’m quite malleable. I used to consider myself a chameleon, with many colors, adapting to suit the occasion. Now, I’m more of a peacock- I proudly display all my colors at once and am able to relate to a wide variety of people, while staying true to myself. This is who I am professionally, as well as personally, because I don’t want division in my life.

These ideals are very similar to the results that Marty Neumeier’s 17-step process will produce. His process is a series of questions designed to produce answers quite aligned with Alina Wheeler’s ideals. I think that Neumeier’s process is a bit easier to wrap your head around, because it’s interrogotive nature prompts your brain to start thinking and answering, while Wheeler’s process is a bit more cumbersome to work with. In example, I think that asking a question like “What makes you the ‘only’?” is much more effective in instigating creative thinking than stating a category for elaboration, such as authenticity. (Neumeier, 2007)

2. Research, select, and post images that illustrate at least 3 of your “Brand Identity Ideals.” Why is each of these images relevant to your “brand?” Explain. (Note: Please research and obtain your images from Creative Commons: http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/. You can also provide your own images if they best communicate your ideals and are of a professional quality).

The peacock lady is relevant, because it’s my animal totem, and it signifies my ability to be many colors at once, utilizing many talents and skills in my work and life. The calligraphy image is relevant, because writing has always been central to my life purpose. The typography image is mine from 2009, and it’s a good example of how I’m going to use writing and design to communicate and achieve my vision. It’s also one of my favorite quotes, and it says a lot about who I am and what I want to achieve.

3. Post a “Onliness Statement” for your personal brand (in the third person). Why is this relevant? Provide direct quotes with in-text APA-style research citations to substantiate your statement.

Onliness Statement
Amy Blunden is the only poetic typophile who grew up watching her grandfather hand-letter signs, who can speak boldly to the common denominator utilizing her linguistic and journalistic training. Fluent in advertising, and armed with an arsenal of words and writing instruments, she aims to awaken the world through articulate type bombs. Aided in this mission by her technicolor personality, she hopes to inspire all the palettes of the world.

This is relevant because I have a fierce core purpose, which “is the fundamental reason your company exists beyond making money.” (Neumeier, 2007) My professional purpose is completely intertwined with my personal purpose, and it goes so far beyond making money, although I’ll need to make sure I can still make ends meet, so that I can continue to inspire the world with well-designed words.

References:

Neumeier, M. (2007). ZAG: The #1 Strategy of High-Performance Brands. Pearson Learning Solutions.

Peacock Image Credit: Martin, M. (2002). Flickr. Retrieved February 6, 2013 from:

   http://www.flickr.com/photos/smithsonian/2548102479/

Calligraphy Image Credit: New York Public Library (2008). Flickr. Retrieved February 6, 2013 from:

   http://www.flickr.com/photos/nypl/3110870620/

Typography Image Credit: Blunden, A. (2009). Retrieved February 6, 2013 from my personal collection.