BA (Hons) Graphic Design Context of Practice 3 Proposal Form 2013 Make sure you print a copy off for your own records Name:
Stephanie Pickard
E-mail:
Sp90852@students.leeds-art.ac.uk
SUBJECTS OF CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH ALREADY UNDERTAKEN
Level 4:
Focusing on specific examples, describe the way that modernist art and design was a response to the forces of modernity?
Level 5:
How do subcultures communicate identity and what roles do the media play in this?
AIM AND/OR OBJECTIVE OF YOUR PROPOSED C.O.P.3 PROJECT In what ways are consumer choices manipulated by the strategies of branding?
1. What research needs to be undertaken into the general and specific contexts of your practice?
When did branding first come about? What legislation or laws has been produced regarding intellectual copyright, trade marking and brand associated laws? Did World War 1 and 2 influence has brands are perceived? What visual aspects form a part of an overall brand? How does a brand form an emotional connection with its consumers? Why can an emotional connection be successful and unsuccessful within a brand? How do brands use emotional connections to sell their product? What brands use these techniques and how does this make them more successful? Who are the key figures and branding within my chosen topic? Are They any dominant processes or trends that shall affect my subject? How do brands use semiotics and how did this theory first come about? Are they any key theories or theories relating to branding and brand aesthetics? Can brands be successful without a logo? How has technology influenced branding or brand aesthetics? Do brands control our lives? How do brands control what we buy? What is brand experience for consumers? and how does this impact on consumer purchasing?
BA (Hons) Graphic Design Context of Practice 3 Proposal Form 2013 Make sure you print a copy off for your own records
2. What approach(es) will you take and what processes, methods, materials and tools are to be involved in research into your practice? I shall produce and fine a range of research using the following processes. Primary research, this shall be used to gather information, facts, figures and statistics relating to my chosen themes. These types of primary research shall consist of interviews with relevant figures relating to my dissertation. Visits to achieves, museums and relevant placed that shall allow me to gather information relating to the theme, this information shall be first hand and very reliable, however as these are from a few people it maybe unreliable as it could be an opinion. The biggest form of primary research that I shall produced is surveys and questionnaires, this shall use a larger range of people allowing the results to be more precise and accurate. Questions that could be asked within the survey could be “What do you think branding is?” and ”Do you believe that you form and emotional connection with brands? E.g. Apple products”. Secondary research, this shall allow me to gather information from books, journals, documentaries, websites, audio records. This secondary research looks into academic and visual research, which involved theorists, and their theories into the subject I am producing my dissertation on. This shall allow me to produced a strong argument against subjects within my theme that are relevant and important to brands today. Journals and magazines are more visual pieces of research allowing me to use these within my practical work, this is important as both the dissertation and practical works should connect with one another. Some theorists that I shall looking into and research further are John Berger, Philip Kotler, Kevin Lane Keller, Marc Gobe, Daniel Chandler, Charles Morris, Roland Barthes, David Boyle, Ferdinand de Saussure, Williamson,J, Sigmund Freud and Edward Bernays. I could study Sigmund Freud and Edward Bernays within my topic as they are the founders of manipulating a crowd with semiotics and physiological techniques what are still being used within branding today. A range of methodologies I shall focus on within my dissertation will be Semiotic- would help me analyse the branding. And psychological- would help me analyse the consumer behaviour. These are important methodologies that are used within branding today and have been used for a long time.
BA (Hons) Graphic Design Context of Practice 3 Proposal Form 2013 Make sure you print a copy off for your own records
3. What preparation or investigations do you need to undertake for your creative practice to take place?
Academic Books, these shall look into more theoretical and contextual information relating to my topic. This will allow me to answer relevant question with evidence from theorists and quotes. An example of a question that I would ask “Did World War 1 and 2 influence has brands are perceived?”, “How are brands constructed?” and “semiotics involved within branding?” This shall allow me to reconise theorists within this sector. Journals and magazines, theses shall come from a more designer perspective, as they will hold interviews. It shall give me second hand information about ideas, theories idea and how brands are constructed. This shall also provide more visual information that I can dissect and help influence my practical side. Books, magazines, reports, these sources of material shall give me a informed view of how brands have been developed and also allow me answer relevant questions such as the connection between brands and their consumers. These sources may not be 100% reliable but they can help influence exactly what people and the consumers think of a brand and if they have a cult following. Visits, visiting specific brands shall allow me to get first hand information relating to my topic and how that brand has been influenced, inspired and how they respond and use social connection within their brand. An example of studios that could be ask would be, Coca Cola, Mars and other large well known brands. Also visiting design studios shall allow me to get a visit hand view of how branding with social connection and aesthetics is generated and also ask the question “ which is more important”. These answers could also influence other research areas. Online material, I shall use this source to research into how my dissertation should be written and structured, how I should go about produced first and secondary hand research also skills that I should developed to produced my own factual research. Other material could be researched online allowing me to get answer relating to questions such as technology and brand as well as what branding is all about. Questionnaires and interviews, these forms of primary research shall allow me to find out information relating to my topic. I could answer questions such as what makes a successful brand; this would support my argument with factual relevant data. Using brands with out the logo or important reconisable parts such as colour, showing them these can help explain if brands are reconisable without their logo.
BA (Hons) Graphic Design Context of Practice 3 Proposal Form 2013 Make sure you print a copy off for your own records
4. What research do you need to undertake regarding who your creativity is for?
The dissertation shall be written to target consumers that are affected by brand manipulation this shall be the main target audience for the dissertation, as it shall help too understand how emotional connections can be created, how effective these are and the link they have between the consumer and brand. These questions that would be answered shall allow this selected consumer group to understand how branding is used and how it effected them as well as the population in general. My tone of voice that would be used within my dissertation would be changed and adapted to become more visually informative towards that target audience giving visual diagrams and info-‐graphic information making it more appealing and understandable. The research that would have been undertaken would not change as the information would be displayed different allowing them too target that target audience. Terminology used within the dissertation would be simplified allowing others to understand this more easily. The audience I shall target would be consumers that are affected and interested in brand manipulation. Theorists could also be targeted as they would be interested in branding, and how brand strategies affect the public. The audience would find this interesting as it shall give them help and advice on what brands do and what they don’t do within their branding allowing them to understand how they target their consumers the develop small cults. While this would be the main target audience smaller company owners may read this as it shall give them advice and information on what they could improve. The dissertation shall be written in a professional manor allowing anybody from these sectors to easily and understand and user the information given. The target audience I am aiming for doesn’t have any implications on my research as the dissertation shall be targeted at well educated and informed people who don’t have much experience within branding. My dissertation shall look into the existing knowledge and practice of branding, this would challenge the theories and practices already used the creative industry. While challenging these theories I shall also try to help improve and educated how these theories could be used collaboratively with other theories and understandings. Primary Sources of Information 1. Description Location
Visiting Company Branding Department Visit Branded companies such as Coca Cola, Pepsi, Innocent Smoothies
2. Description Location
Visiting relevant museums relating to branding and how its developed. Museum of Brands, London
3. Description Location
Asking Questionnaires, surveys and interviews with relevant people Anywhere across England/ Europe.
Secondary Sources of Information 1.
Designing Brand Identity: An Essential Guide for the Whole Branding Team By Alina Wheeler
2.
Ways of Seeing (Penguin Modern Classics) John Berger (1972)
3.
Fundamentals of Branding By Melissa Davis
4.
http://justcreative.com (Brand and identity)
5.
Branding: The Past, Present, and Future: A Study of the Evolution and Future of Branding - Journal
BA (Hons) Graphic Design Context of Practice 3 Proposal Form 2013 Make sure you print a copy off for your own records 6.
Semiotics: The Basics by Daniel Chandler
 Perceived problems or difficulties: I could come across a variety of different issues and problems that may arise such as, Not been able to talk to or get a visit with brand agencies or companies. This is something that I should plan in advance and make sure I have all prepared and relevant questions and talk to the right people within the company. There is also the expense of visiting these museums and companies, which may be far away or at a distance. There is always a risk of not finding relevant or helpful theorists or references that will form the basis of my dissertation allowing me to fins interesting and quotes which can back up my opinions and academic writing. This could also be apparent within people giving me false information that will hinder my writing and make my dissertation weak. My own personal opinion could also cloud the judgment of my dissertation. There is also the practical side of my dissertation that need to be considered and comes with the risk of not communing across clearly or been relevant.
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