7A: Business Identity Project

Client Situation

The company you designed a logo for in 6C has now asked you to design a business card (front and back) and letterhead using the new logo. Research well-designed letterhead and business cards. Use the new logo to design consistent layouts and branding for a business card and letterhead.

Preparation

  1. READING: Take a look at the Extra Tips & Trips chapter in The Non-Designer’s Design Book
  2. VIEW: 7A Sample Blog Post
  3. TOOLS: Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign
  4. OTHER RESOURCES: How To Design A Striking Letterhead
  5. ADDITIONAL LEARNING: If you want to go a step above on your presentation, you can create a mock up of your design. This is optional, but is very beneficial to learn and is not as difficult as you may think.

Instructions

1. LAYOUT

Use the logo you decided on from 6C to design consistent layouts for a business card and letterhead in InDesign. Photos may be used on business card and letterhead as additional design elements. Letterhead should be 8.5 x 11. Business card should be 3.5 x 2 with a front and back design.

2. DESIGN

Apply typography rules, keeping the body copy small (8 – 10pt). Keep designs simple with light watermarks (3 – 15%) and plenty of white space. Include contact information: name, address, phone, website, and email on each piece. Use periods, bullets, or spaces in phone number; no parentheses/ hyphens.

3. EXPORT 2 JPEGS

1. Save stationery document – with both business card (front and back) and letterhead – in InDesign (.indd) for future editing
2. Choose File – Export – JPEG
3. Name your file: “7AYourName.jpg”
4. Set Quality to “Maximum”
5. Change the resolution to 72 ppi
6. Select “RGB” for the Color Space
7. Press “Export”

4. CRITIQUE

Find more details in Course > Critique Process Guidelines
1. Class Facebook Critique: Post jpeg or png by Tuesday 6:00am MDST
2. Client Critique: Watch Instructor critique recording on Tuesday
3. Critique Meeting: Hold a critique session before final blog post
4. Critique Report: Write a paragraph in blog post about Who-When-How-What (See Course > Critique Process)

5. BLOG POST & SUBMISSION

View 7A Sample Blog Post as a guide.

Submission – Find more details in Course > Blog Post: Submission Instructions
1. Go to project submission and attach the SCREENSHOT of your blog post.
2. Then you will be able to insert a working HYPERLINK to your blog, in the comments box.
3. State if you “attended class” by watching the entire INTRO/DEMO VIDEO and list the KEY WORDS.

Resources

(Click to go to tutorial page)

Save

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Rubric: (30 points)

NOTE: Meeting these minimum requirements will result in a 80% or B- grade, according to the University Grading System. To receive a higher grade, students must exceed these minimum expectations.

√ Design Principles

• Message: Clear message • Audience appeal/relevance
• Proximity:  Adequate white space/grouped white space/not trapped • Proximity Grouping/adequate spacing
• Contrast: Draws eye/focus • Hierarchy • Avoid conflict
• Repetition: Repetition (elements repeat) • Unity
• Alignment: Avoid centering • Placed with purpose • Creates relationships
• Good Design, Creativity and Uniqueness, and Shows Effort

√ Typography

• No more than 2 fonts • Contrasting fonts • Title size/font contrast • Appropriate leading/kerning/tracking • Easy to read • Text spacing in box • Text not too close to edges of page or other elements • Proportional text (not squished or stretched)
• Small body copy (10-12pt) • No widows • No orphans • No underlining • No hyphens • Consistent paragraph alignment/Indenting
• Appropriate caps • Correct spelling / punctuation / grammar

√ Logo

• No images • Original illustrations (no live trace) • Proportional (not squished or stretched)

√ Stationery

• Consistent design on letterhead and business card • Optional Light watermark (3%-15%)  • Enough space for letter  • Design elements are proportional (not squished or stretched)

√ Contact Info

• The same on both Card & Letterhead • 8-10pt copy size • Name • Phone number (no – or ()) • Email • Company Website • Physical Address

√ Submission

• Blog Post: Project displayed on post as large thumbnail: Original 3 Logo Drafts (from step 1), Final Logos, Letterhead, 8.5×11 Business card(s) • Description • Well-written process (Programs/tools/skills/design principles) • Critique Report • Message • Audience listed • Top thing learned • Color scheme and color names listed • Title/Copy font & category listed  • Add link to blog post in I-Learn and attach a screenshot of full blog post • Class Participation & Keywords

CAUTION: your assignment is not complete until you submit in I-Learn. However, you are allowed a one-time extension, if you choose to use your mulligan. (See syllabus). We check your blog post for completion right at the deadline, so please do not add things after submitting your link, until it has been graded.