The eLearning Center for Gatlin Education Services

Develop essential skills for designing logos, marketing materials, and advertising programs to establish and promote corporate identities. Case studies focus on giant corporations such as CBS, BMW, and Sony, and how they established their corporate images and business strategically. Course projects require designing or redesigning corporate identities for both existing companies and newly established businesses.

LESSON 1 Intro to Corporate Identity How does a company and organization project a coherent identity that's as recognizable as a human personality? Lesson One explores the history, purpose, and possibilities of corporate identity. The lesson presents the concept of experienced value and how it relates to visual design and includes case studies of CBS and BMW. In the exercise, you will design logos for three companies with different goals but the same name.

LESSON 2 Design and Corporate Strategy Where do company logos come from and how do they evolve? Lesson Two looks at the reasons for identity overhauls and how to make the most of change. Case studies of British Airways, Texaco, and others are discussed to explore the connection between company identities and changes in national and worldwide consciousness. The lesson is wrapped up with an exercise on company logo redesign -- you'll give your favorite local TV network a makeover.

LESSON 3 Designing a Corporate Brand What skills do you need to design a great company logo or communicate with a corporate client? These characteristics will be discussed in Lesson Three so you can work professionally and with the needs of clients and consumers in mind. A case study documenting the evolution of the BBC identity will be explored, then you'll work on designing a logo and visual identity for a complete company product line in the exercise.

LESSON 4 Design Process and Methodology Lesson Four focuses on the first of three critical phases of company design. Methods of solving important problems will be addressed, which is key to successfully handling the actual company identity creation. You will also explore a case study of NSB, a Norwegian railway company that decided to modernize its identity, only to encounter a world of problems in need of solutions. In the exercise, first of a three-part project, you will tackle the "problem phase" of an identity for a new New York City restaurant.

LESSON 5 From Solution to Evaluation Every problem has a solution, and in this lesson we present the "solution phase" of the design process with a focus on generating effective ideas, overall strategies, and the all-important design manual. The lesson wraps up with a look at the "evaluation phase" in which solutions are put to the test, and then you embark on creating solutions for your restaurant project.

LESSON 6 Product and Corporate Design A company logo is merely cosmetic without a strong product to back it up, and we'll look at the role the product plays in a company design in this lesson. Specifically, you'll explore how identity is presented through product designs from Apple and Sony. In the final exercise, you'll wrap up the restaurant project by designing print materials and a storefront. You'll then test your knowledge of key facts in the final exam.