Competencies

Multi-platform delivery and responsive design mean that you must consider multiple distribution channels and their respective specifications to ensure compliance with each one.

When evaluating the ecosystem and understanding its implications, essential skills include planning digital production, defining an asset framework, version control, and methods for managing element sets efficiently.

Key competencies in this area involve organizational management, process optimization, tool choice, creative strategy, and effective communication with clients. These skills allow me to manage complex branding projects effectively.

Production scheduling is a science and an art. The science is structural the art is the tone that doesn't suck the souls out of the people involved. Deadlines and timelines, deliverables and factorials, excellence and predictiveness, are all important.

What differentiates a production schedule for ideas from manufacturing is the addition of tasks such as research, exploration, and reflection. By creating a brand project schedule I am confident in applying this in the future.

Radio spots may first appear as a bit old school, but the research conducted shows that there are huge opportunities for reaching audiences through various digital podcasting, video streaming, and possibly other on-demand platforms. The skills necessary include copywriting with on eye on brevity, audio production, and advertising management all experienced first hand several times during the program.. The process includes proper research, strategies, goals, and metric monitoring.

An understanding of motion design is a value-add for any advanced digital media initiatives. Although not a critical component at this time, they help capture audience attention, tell complex stories visually, tie brand identity to audience emotions, and enhances experience. In a world flooded with information this tool can help improve engagement. Having created numerous motion videos I would not say I am cutting edge, but have the basics that can be built upon. I would consider motion assets as a nice bit of extra touch.

Visual storytelling, right along with other forms of the art permeates much conversation but seems to be intellectual decoration. I had to break it down to basic story telling skills to assess my potential in this arena. The story is a framework that needs to earn an audience attention when they really don't have any any interest in more information.

The story must appeal to curiosity such as a question without a clear answer. It needs to appeal emotionally and carry a narrative that is lean, purposeful, and in the end, satisfying. Personally, my version has evolved from a script writing lesson on scene construction that prescribes starting the scene 'late' and ending it 'early'. No wasteful writer self-indulgent set-up and no definitive ending.

Graphic form and color skills were deepened through hand's on projects by stretching one's own capabilities to use the tools to construct the vision. The details matter so the most important keyboard shortcuts in graphic design software is zoom-in and zoom-out. The tools used for the program is the Adobe Creative Suite, but research into alternative software meant finding alternative functions, if they were available.

I have used both in the course of earning this degree. Artificial Intelligence is the latest software release features and increase efficiency but there are often new learning curves involved.

The MDM program emphasizes the power of tactile pencil sketching as a method for visualization. Words to marks is a term used by David Ary in his book, Logo Design Love, and provides an approach that relies on a physical sketch pad and word mapping. Developing design elements with purpose is a combination of method and artistry. I am now sketching more often and plan on continuing to grow my hand strength. The artistry is a learn-by-doing path and will be a skill I put on my continuous improvement list.

Logo design grew from it's origins in identification, through graphical design and simplicity, digitization that increased effects like gradients, and now a focus on scalability, versatility, and language bridging.

In the end, I learned how not to be come attached to my own ideas. There is more in the results than just artistic visual composition, but in the usage, the application, and the alteration to meet different applications.

Color theory is a journey in color harmony methods, emotional meaning, psychology, industry category compliance, and multi-platform delivery. On the internet the latest features regarding light and dark modes increases the need for contrast in color palettes which in some schools of thought means palette shades.

I took risks in the program that I never would have attempted in the real world and consider myself a bit more risk resilient as a result. This title is the comprehension of the complex nature of color usage and approaches to defining brand palettes. However, the industry vocabulary may be due for a restructuring. The flip in design drivers has a strange way of creeping up upon professionals steeped in history.

A critique is not a criticism as much as it is an analysis. It's a matter of observing, evaluating and informing. There should be reasoning and not an emotional outpouring. I have always been good at giving verbal critiques but have picked up slowly how to do so in written formats. Just a focus on the analysis doesn't mean there aren't emotions involved.

I favor the love sandwich. Praise, critique, and then praise again. At least early on until a relationship with the creators along with mutal perception are established.

There scope of design decisions needs to scale with the nature of the solution. A micro-decision can be based upon design principles, communication effectiveness, and lower risk elements. A macro-decision likely impacts not just the audience but the brand the brand organization, and even stakeholders at large. I have made many decisions, big and small, in my career and consider this a drill bit in the toolbox.

The fundamentals include systems thinking and design thinking where the goal stretches beyond the design concept and the decisions reflect an integrated strategy. Creative directors operate at this level where they are working with concepts more than designs.

Christopher Frayling identified three perspectives for approaching design research, research into design, research for design, and research through design. Once the perspective is understood the scope, methods, and process for research can be better defined. I see better focus for research insights as critical for executing future design programs.

I've received positive feedback concerning the breadth of my research, which is part of my exploration of information from different vistas.

The branding process is not an identification and definition process, it is a customer relationship process. Brand isn't built by a company representative, it is co-built with customers. It's a two-way communication where sentiment matters. Where business actions matter whether they are clearly related to business or broader in nature.

Knowing this positions me to create better emotional connection, establishing active listening to customer voice, setting expectations, and consequentially building trust.

Headlines grab attention. Taglines grab memory. Stories grab engagement. And the list goes on. Acts of design should have outcomes in mind. There are design elements that are so sticky they should be sacrosanct. Nike recently ran a campaign tagline 'Why do it?' to appeal to a younger generation.

They have done other campaign taglines but in the end, they all point back to 'Just Do It!' Knowing where an organization's value lies helps squash solutions looking for problems.

The statement requires immediate mastery. No room for me to be a slow learning on this topic. I knew this before this Master's program, but working with it as part of the design process instead of just a marketing campaign embeds the power of connection deep.

Knowing that brand is foundational and marketing is reliant upon that clarity to perform exceptionally well and is an executive edge.

In working on this thesis, I often forgot there is a distinction between my personality and my personal brand personality. The recognition of my shortcomings is a reflection of honesty. Time to do some research and think more strategically about Brand Me. It's not about ego. It's about focus and presentation and does not conflict with authenticity.

Brands too, must have 'do's' and don'ts to establish a clear message and a no-fly zone.

When I first joined Nokia Mobile Phones, I was given broadcasting lessons to help me lose my New York accent. Video, video casting, podcasting, and a growing transparency to the individual is changing the nature of work. It's difficult to be known just for writing, or research, or graphic design.

It's about a rounded brand and to do that it is an absolute necessity to get over the fear (and physical reaction) to watching oneself on video. The ability to self-critique is an important step. It is the fastest way to make presentation improvements of which is an ongoing journey for me. Give it a try yourself.