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Date of Award
Fall 2024
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Visual Communication Design
Department
Art
Committee Chair
Patrice Anderson
Exhibition Date
11-15-2024
Description
View the Digital Exhibition of Seventeen Steps to Strategy
The concepts of design and branding have evolved significantly over time, becoming increasingly complex and interdisciplinary. Despite the general presence of the design field in contemporary society, specific definitions and practices in design often seem ambiguous to people not in the field. This thesis focuses on exploring the multifaceted nature of design within education, particularly as it relates to strategy and branding, and proposes a shift in perspective, namely regarding how young designers are taught to deal with conceptualization, research, and project development related to brands while in university. Through research into existing and updated publications, as well as personal academic and professional experiences involving branding strategy, it seems that there is a demand in the field for the reevaluation of existing teaching methodologies and project development as a whole. There is a need to reevaluate how young designers and students in design could focus more on strategy, research, meaningful communication, and emotional connection with the audience. This research is primarily inspired by Donald Norman and Fabian Geyrhalter. Norman highlights the importance of and how to achieve an emotional connection with the user or target audience, while Geyrhalter is a specialist in branding strategy, having authored numerous books explaining how to create your branding strategy, step by step. Their writings have contributed to the improvement of branding project teaching and research of projects related to design and branding. My own experience lends a varied point of view, as my undergraduate degree in design was completed in Brazil, but I sought higher education in the United States. With my unique perspective, I can consider the research of both Norman and Geyrhalter while also weighing the differences in educational theory in other environments. This thesis aims to contribute to the discussion of improving teaching approaches related to design and branding, as well as aiding in the evolution of the role of designers in brand communication.