Corporate Identity Designer Course

Lesson 1 • Defining Corporate Identity

Clarify the scope of corporate identity versus brand, logo, and image. Establishes shared terminology used throughout the course.

Lesson 2 • Business Context and Strategy

Connect identity design to organisational mission, vision, and competitive positioning. Grounds visual decisions in business rationale.

Lesson 3 • Design Thinking for Identity

Apply design thinking methodology to identity challenges, emphasising empathy and iteration. Prepares students for a research-driven design process.

Lesson 1 • Competitive and Market Analysis

Map the visual and strategic landscape of a client's market to find differentiation opportunities. Prevents derivative design and reveals white space.

Lesson 2 • Client and Stakeholder Briefing

Extract strategic information through structured interviews and questionnaires. Translates client intent into actionable design criteria.

Lesson 3 • Audience Research Methods

Gather qualitative and quantitative data about target audiences to inform identity resonance. Connects design choices to real user expectations.

Lesson 1 • Principles of Effective Logo Design

Apply the core principles of simplicity, scalability, memorability, and versatility to logo concepts. Builds evaluative criteria for critiquing and refining work.

Lesson 2 • Concept Development and Sketching

Generate a broad range of logo concepts through rapid sketching before moving to digital tools. Encourages exploration and prevents premature commitment.

Lesson 3 • Logo Types and Anatomy

Distinguish wordmarks, lettermarks, pictorial marks, abstract marks, and combination marks. Provides criteria for selecting the right logo type per brief.

Lesson 4 • Digital Logo Construction

Build precise, production-ready logos using vector tools and grid-based construction methods. Ensures technical quality and file integrity.

Lesson 1 • Colour Psychology and Brand Meaning

Map psychological and cultural associations of colour to brand attributes and audience expectations. Enables evidence-based colour selection.

Lesson 2 • Accessibility and Colour Contrast

Evaluate and adjust colour combinations to meet accessibility contrast standards for inclusive design. Integrates accessibility as a non-negotiable design requirement.

Lesson 3 • Colour Specification and Reproduction

Specify colours accurately across print, screen, and environmental media using industry-standard colour models. Ensures consistent reproduction across all touchpoints.

Lesson 4 • Colour Theory Essentials

Review hue, saturation, value, and colour relationships as they apply to identity design. Provides the perceptual foundation for strategic colour decisions.

Lesson 1 • Typeface Selection for Brand Personality

Match typeface characteristics to brand attributes using structured evaluation criteria. Prevents arbitrary font choices and aligns type with strategy.

Lesson 2 • Typographic Specifications and Rules

Document precise typographic specifications including sizes, weights, spacing, and usage rules. Ensures consistent application by any designer or vendor.

Lesson 3 • Typography Fundamentals

Review typeface anatomy, classification, and key typographic metrics. Builds the vocabulary needed to evaluate and specify type with precision.

Lesson 1 • Layout and Composition Principles

Establish grid systems, white space rules, and compositional principles for brand layouts. Creates structural consistency across all designed materials.

Lesson 2 • Identity System Coherence Testing

Evaluate the full system for visual coherence, flexibility, and distinctiveness before documentation. Identifies gaps and inconsistencies before brand guidelines are written.

Lesson 3 • Photography and Imagery Style

Define a photography and imagery style that aligns with brand values and visual tone. Ensures consistent visual storytelling across all media.

Lesson 1 • Designing the Guidelines Document

Design the brand guidelines document itself as a branded artefact that models the identity. Reinforces the brand while communicating its rules.

Lesson 2 • Structure of Brand Guidelines

Map the standard architecture of a brand guidelines document from introduction to application rules. Ensures completeness and logical flow for end users.

Lesson 3 • Writing Clear Usage Rules

Write precise, unambiguous usage rules that prevent misapplication without stifling creativity. Balances prescription with flexibility for real-world use.

Lesson 4 • Digital and Print Specifications

Document technical specifications for digital and print applications within the guidelines. Ensures vendors and internal teams can reproduce the identity accurately.

Lesson 1 • Digital and Screen Applications

Adapt the identity for websites, social media, email, and digital advertising formats. Addresses the unique constraints and opportunities of screen-based media.

Lesson 2 • Packaging and Product Applications

Apply the identity system to product packaging and branded merchandise with structural awareness. Demonstrates identity flexibility across three-dimensional surfaces.

Lesson 3 • Environmental and Signage Design

Apply the identity to physical spaces including signage, wayfinding, and branded environments. Explores scale, material, and spatial considerations unique to environmental design.

Lesson 4 • Motion and Animation Identity

Translate static identity elements into motion guidelines for video, animation, and digital interfaces. Extends the identity into time-based media with consistency.