Graphic Design Commons^™

Message Journal, Issue 4: Design Politics What Are The Politics Of Your Design And What Is The Design Of Your Politics?, Peter Jones, Camilla Afanador-Llach, Anne Berry, Sarah Rutherford, John Calvelli, Kristen Coogan, James Dyer, Cathy Gale, Anne M. Giangiulio, Elizabeth Herrmann, Chae Ho Lee, Gwen Lettis, Pamela Napier, Adam De Eyto, Muireann Mcmahon, Omari Souza, Dave Wood

Message Graphic Communication Design Research

No abstract provided.

Branding On A Budget: Marketing In The Nonprofit Sector, Nicholas Biere

Honors Projects

“Branding on a Budget: Marketing in the Nonprofit Sector” This service learning project combines academic research with experiential service learning. The purpose of this project was to create a strong brand for BeInstrumental, a nonprofit music education organization from Toledo, Ohio through the creation of a graphic branding plan. Principles of visual communication technology, graphic design, marketing strategies, branding, and graphic design are all implemented in this project.

Establishing & Applying Brand Guidelines For The Wood County Humane Society, Paige Isovitsch

Honors Projects

The purpose of this combined VCT Synthesis and Honors Project was to create consistent branding for the Wood County Humane Society (WCHS). The objectives were to create brand guidelines for the non-profit, and then implement the guidelines to create new marketing materials. This project is interdisciplinary in nature and includes visual design, marketing, and communications.

Many non-profits struggle with revolving staff, and some, such as WCHS, do not have a staff member with expertise in marketing and design. In the case of WCHS, this resulted in inconsistent branding that appeared unprofessional and confusing to the community. With this project, I …

Consumer Response To Green Brands Vs. Traditional Brands On Digital Platforms: An Analysis Through A Series Of Case Studies, Madison Busick

Honors Scholar Theses

In the age of environmental crisis, consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their decisions. Accordingly, many companies seek to provide more eco-friendly and sustainable products while building their brand around these values. Consumers also are increasingly using and engaging on social media and other digital platforms. But just how well do these "green" brands do in the digital space? This study aims to compare differences between brands that embody environmentalist values and traditional brands with a variety of case studies across several consumer goods segments including clothing, cosmetics, and technology. The data is collected from a variety …

The Utilization Of Visual Design Systems To Promote Higher Levels Of Learning In Educational Environments, Keenan Sultanik

Masters Theses

Traditional higher education environments have changed very little in the last hundred and fifty years, while technology has advanced in nearly every other area of society making each more productive and more capable. This study identifies key aspects of a comprehensive and universal visual learning system that incorporates a more holistic approach to design and interactivity in educational environments. The desired effect of this is elevating classroom learning to higher levels as defined by Bloom’s Taxonomy. In this thesis, I have collected and explored empirical and observational data to examine the relationship between effective learning environments and the use of …

The Process Of Creating A Successful Brand, Madison Fogarty

Senior Honors Theses

The contents of this thesis will explain the detailed process behind a successful brand campaign. It includes the most important aspects of a brand such as brand strategy, brand identity, color theory, and logo design. Successful brand campaigns were studied to determine if there was a common underlying process. The research process began by outlining the steps that are needed to accomplish a strong brand campaign. After outlining, identification of these steps can be further implemented into the creative brand campaign which will focus on product packaging. The results of this paper show that a comprehensive design process is crucial …

Goliath Sized Campaign: Promoting Leadership Principles To The Millennial Generation Utilizing A Guerrilla Design Campaign, Ryan Smith

Masters Theses

We are nearing a critical juncture with the retirement of the Baby Boomer generation. The growing demand to replace this workforce with the millennial generation causes us to consider if millennials are up to the challenge. Although this next generation is tech-savvy, resourceful and innovative, many millennials have shared shortcomings including a sense of entitlement, demand for attention and praise and a poor work ethic. Lack of experience and no sense of direction, causes other generations to patiently wait to see what will come of millennials. But through strong leadership development there is hope. By instilling leadership characteristics and encouraging …

Cultural Investigation On Typography In Branding In The United States And In Brazil., Carolina C Ganon

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

This cultural thesis is set to investigate the use of typography in branding, and how the same is influenced by cultural aspects, specifically in the United States and Brazil. The contrasting experience I have had as a student of graphic design in these two countries led me to discover the influence culture has in dictating the typography design use in branding. Typography, branding and cultural influences have been significantly researched in the past, but historically as three separate subjects, without focusing on the importance of their association and how they influence one another cross-culturally. Since the impact of graphic design …

Creative Micro-Entrepreneurship In Practice: Exploring Digital Tools For Small Creative Businesses, Olivia Messina

Honors Scholar Theses

For the scope of this thesis, my focus is on independently owned businesses

run by “creative micro-entrepreneurs.” I’m using this term, coined by the digital

selling platform Etsy, to encompass artists, craftspeople, and others who sell artistic

goods and services they have made themselves. In addition to being part of this

community personally, I also think that it is important for these small businesses to

have the resources they need to thrive in our rapidly changing economy. Selling

online, clothing & accessories businesses, and cooking & baking businesses are

among the top 5 “side hustles” for Millennials, making creative small …

This Book Is Valuable: An Anthology Of Essays On Design And The Perception Of Value In Luxury Fashion Objects, Carlos Velasco

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This Book is Valuable seeks to analyze how different concepts related to design and culture have influenced the apparent and perceived value of luxury fashion objects. This question is explored in different contexts to provide clarity and observation to the contemporary construction of value through systems of design.

This thesis is an anthology of three essays. The first essay is about immaterial capitalism, a system of knowledge, skill and imagination based capital. The second essay is about the strategy of artification, using fine art as a way to link systems of value together. It is also about how luxury conglomerates …

Geekreformation.Com, Jacob Leonhardt

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Several years back, my best friend and I were discussing how there seemed to be no outlets for Christian geeks to enjoy being geeks without having to worry about inappropriate content. As there did not seem to be a place, we thought we should make one. Fast-forward to my senior year at Western Kentucky University, I am an Interactive Design major, and my friend has graduated with a degree in Film and Marketing; and what was once just conversation has now become a reality. This work explains what Geek Reformation is and how we went about branding and designing it. …

The Importance Of Branding In Small Businesses, Amber J. Rabie

Senior Honors Theses

The Land of Milk & Honey Farm exists to provide quality food produced in facilities that practice good stewardship to the Earth. It is a small business devoted to loving, careful stewardship and the production of quality goods. The mission of The Land of Milk & Honey is to combine traditional farming practices with a sustainable and environment-friendly approach to agriculture. It aims to provide customer satisfaction by being respectful and responsible over animals and the earth, and by producing quality products. To reach this objective, the farm intends to educate consumers and provide an alternative source for truly farm-fresh …

Building A Brand For A New Generation, Joel Schlaudt

Senior Honors Theses

In a segment of the market as highly competitive as is the coffee industry, it can be difficult to forge a new brand strong enough to stand on its own and unique enough to stand above the competition. However, by choosing the millennial generation as a target audience and strategically constructing a creative strategy to reach them on an emotional level, a brand concept emerges with the ability to connect with consumers in a new way, transforming a daily necessity into an emotional experience unlike that offered by any other competitor. A Harry Potter-inspired brand built upon a delivery …

Zoetic Fitness, Brooke S. Fremeau

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Graphic design is a problem-solving field. A client or company tasks a designer with a problem, and to solve that problem the designer uses 2D fundamentals and technology. As a designer, one must carefully listen to the client to understand their needs before making design decisions. While graphic designers are responsible for creating stunning visuals for both print and digital media, one of the most important aspects of graphic design is branding. Broadly speaking, branding is the process involved in creating a unique name and image for a product or service in a consumers mind. Through branding, the designer aims …

Cultivate: Inspiring Women In Their Pursuit Of Creativity And Entrepreneurship, Ana P. Campbell

Senior Honors Theses

Cultivate Magazine’s purpose is to inspire and educate creative women in their business ventures. Furthermore, Cultivate serves as a catalyst for our readers’ business by featuring insightful interviews from other creative women and practical advice on how to run a successful creative business. In short, Cultivate’s target market is female creative business owners with occupations such as photographers, designers, writers, entrepreneurs, artists, and bloggers.

The Project Shop, Lindsey Sullivan

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The Project Shop is a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) brand designed to promote a value-creating activity that impacts the lives and personal development for those who participate. The strategic culmination of research, marketing, and graphic design generated during the creation of this brand is intended to attract a target demographic of 18-24 year olds. This target market is identified as a transient population often typified by being civic-minded and pragmatically idealist.

The Project Shop caters to the needs of its target market by concentrating on habits and particular styles of living. This demographic often seeks DIY projects that are customizable due to …

The Advertising Toolbox: Principles Synthesized And Simplified, Rachael Fusting

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This paper is a supplementary text to Duct Tape Advertising: The Quick Fix Solution to Your Promotion Problems. It serves to further cite the sources of the guide’s claims and elaborate on their importance to the field of advertising. Reasons for the creation and design of the guide are analyzed and justified.

Designing An E-Commerce Website For Summit Outdoor Supply (S.O.S.), Eliott Kentaro Mason

Graphic Communication

The purpose of this study was to design an appealing and easy to use e-commerce website for a startup company called Summit Outdoor Supply (S.O.S.) in order for them to expand their customer base and continue to grow. This new website will provide customers with a convenient online store to order S.O.S.’s unique survival gear products at the click of a button.

This study investigated the requirements to design a successful e-commerce website along with increasing visibility of the company through search engine optimization techniques. A usability testing questionnaire was sent out to students, faculty, and personal friends through e-mail …

Brand Identity For New Artists In The Music Industry, Drea Achacoso

Graphic Communication

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the aspects of brand identity and apply it to new artists in the music industry. The research from this study was applied to Hills & Strongholds, an aspiring alternative rock band. Designs were created for the band’s brand identity on multiple platforms that attempted to portray the band’s musical vision. A survey was conducted to determine which logo and album artwork designs were able to effectively transport the bands genre and vision based on the audience’s perception. The results of this study can be used to develop Hills & Strongholds into a …

The Impact Of Branding And Marketing Strategies On Events With Sole, Jennifer Vucinich

Graphic Communication

The purpose of this study was to research current marketing, branding, and social media strategies and apply those to Events with Sole, a nonprofit organization that establishes running and multisport races in Northern California. This study explored the impact of these strategies on nonprofit organizations and the importance of sustaining a brand identity. More specifically, this research defined effective logo design for nonprofits, and based on collected data, provided suggestions for potential improvements to be made to the current Events with Sole branding. This research also provided suggestions for improvements to be made to social media strategy and marketing tactics, …

Flexible Branding: An Explorative Case Study On The Effectiveness Of An Adaptable Visual Identity, Adam Scott Houghton

Graphic Communication

No abstract provided.

Literacy Volunteers Of Washington County: Brand Guidelines, Arnold Robinson

Graphic Design

No abstract provided.

Herreshoff Marine Museum: Logo Redesign And Style Guide, Arnold Robinson

Graphic Design

No abstract provided.