REVIEWING 5 AWARD-WINNING BRAND IDENTITIES

Summary

In this insightful talk, designer Matt Brunson explores the elements that make a brand identity brilliant, using award-winning examples from the D&AD 2021 competition. He emphasizes the importance of inspiration from various sources and understanding design principles to create unique and effective brand identities. The presentation covers diverse projects, from the playful Mahang Studios to the high-profile rebrand of TripAdvisor, showcasing the creative process and the power of design to elevate any brand.

Takeaways

• 😀 Inspiration is key in design; it helps to understand industry standards and broadens creative horizons.
• 🎼 Learning from the masters in any field, such as music or design, is crucial for growth and innovation.
• 🔍 To truly learn from great works, one should aim to reverse engineer and understand the design process and principles.
• 🏆 Award-winning brand identities, like those recognized by D&AD, set benchmarks for creativity and execution in the industry.
• 🛠️ Mahang Studios' brand identity reflects the essence of Minecraft without copying its style, demonstrating thoughtful adaptation.
• 🎥 The art direction and production design in Mahang Studios' brand video effectively convey the brand's fun and construction elements.
• 📚 Trip Advisor's rebrand by Mother simplifies the logo while maintaining recognition, showcasing the importance of consistency and simplicity.
• 🎨 One Football's logo by Design Studio in London exemplifies simplicity and functionality, effectively representing the brand with minimal elements.
• 🏛 Hackney Church's branding by OMSC demonstrates how creativity can elevate even traditional projects to award-winning status.
• 🎼 The San Francisco Symphony's logo by Collins is dynamic and expressive, capturing the essence of a symphony orchestra without cliches.
• 🛠️ The future of identity design may involve software and coding, allowing for client-generated variations of brand elements.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of analyzing award-winning brand identities according to Matt Brunson?

The main purpose is to be inspired, become aware of industry standards, learn about design principles, and understand how they are applied in great work, which deepens one's knowledge of design.

Why should designers look at the works of masters in their field?

Designers should look at the works of masters to learn from their approach, understand the process, and see how design principles are applied, which helps in elevating their own creativity and work.

What is the significance of the brand identity created by Mahang Studios for the video?

The brand identity created by Mahang Studios is significant because it reflects the concept of building and construction, which is central to the Minecraft game, without copying the game's style, and it includes unique glyphs and a consistent color scheme.

How did the rebranding of TripAdvisor by Mother design agency simplify the identity?

The rebranding simplified the icon and logo, retained the recognizable owl binoculars, and carried the circle element throughout the identity, including a custom typeface with a range of weights and italics.

What is the key takeaway from the One Football logo designed by the Design Studio in London?

The key takeaway is that a logo should be simple, identifiable, and versatile for different applications, such as social media avatars or animations.

What makes the Hackney Church branding by OMSC stand out as an award-winning project?

The Hackney Church branding stands out due to its clever use of geometry from the building to create a symbol, its appropriateness for the context of East London, and the creative applications across various mediums including merchandise and a website.

What is the unique aspect of the San Francisco Symphony logo designed by Collins?

The unique aspect is the dynamic logo that animates to convey the feeling of a symphony orchestra's dynamics, avoiding cliché representations and introducing an expressive typeface.

How does the San Francisco Symphony branding use software to enhance its identity?

The branding uses custom software that allows the client to generate different versions of headlines with the expressive typeface, showing a modern approach to identity design.

What is the importance of considering the audience and context in identity design as illustrated by the Hackney Church project?

Considering the audience and context is crucial as it allows the designer to create an identity that is not only appropriate but also resonates with the target demographic and cultural setting.

What advice does Matt Brunson give for designers working with clients that may not seem exciting?

Matt advises designers to use their creativity to elevate the project, showing clients how design can enhance their work, regardless of the perceived excitement of the client's industry.

How does the video script emphasize the importance of creativity in identity design?

The script emphasizes creativity by showcasing various award-winning projects that took unique approaches to identity design, demonstrating that creativity can transform any project into an award-winning one.