High Cotton Brewery: Identity Design Analysis

High Cotton Brewery is a local Memphis brewery that was started a little over a year ago. Within that year they have become an iconic brand in Memphis and have pulled the affection of all the residents. Not only is their packaging and branding put together seamlessly; they also have a plethora of touch points ranging from a tap room to t-shirts to growlers.

Their main brand statement: "High Cotton mean times are good. It also means beer is good" is clearly revealed in their branding. High Cotton wanted to reminisce on the days when people worked for what they had, and while their aesthetic to some may be clean it also has a sense of dirt and work put into it. This grunge is what makes High Cotton a successful brand that has clean and modern aspects, but also can bring in the nostalgia of hard work.

Main Branding:

 Touch Point 1: Tap Room:

 Touch Point 2: T-shirt and Alternate Logo Design

 Touch Point 3: Growlers

Touch Point 4: Website Design

AppOven

AppOven's mission is simple: empathize, educate enact. We aim to develop software that improves the quality of life of users through devices already at their disposal. To this end, if our apps and programs are not accessible on a wide range of devices, priced forgivingly, and apply to as many people as possible, we are not doing our job. It must address relevant issues to our cultural conversation, such as women's rights, freedom of information, and LGBT equality. There are many angles to these issues, and no matter our own personal beliefs, we must services all parties involved, so long as bigotry is not involved. For our reach to be all of the above, we must be resourceful. The design should be effortless, simple and devoid of extraneous detail. From letter head to interface to coding, we our work should not only be utilize up to date practices in the field, but be innovating the next step. Lastly, the design should be malleable; the brand across many platforms and media and the efforts across many content areas. 

Skype Brand: Ashley Lulo

New York City Transit Authority

Brand Guidelines & Rules of Management

Brand Guidelines are a living and breathing design artifact with the purpose of establishing brand core values, brand identity and brand usage standards and guidelines. Defined as a comprehensive standards manual, it is a tool used to manage all brand assets in all of its potential forms. “Creating the brand identity is easy; managing the brand assets well is harder” (Wheeler 2009, 172).

In addition to presenting the guidelines you have studied, think about how your brand solves complex management issues of fixed and flexible components of the identity. A good fixed and flexible system can ensure that the brand is consistent, recognizable and memorable but also interesting, creative and spontaneous as it is applied across infinite possible touchpoints, and engages with shifting trends and technology. Include your own analysis of the identity system, including identifying gaps and/or highlighting strong points.

Create a video of your final presentation that can live online self-sufficiently. Include voice over of your script and automate slide transitions. Post your final .mov file to the blog. No written statement is required.