1. Samantha Snow
FA 102A
January 15, 2013
Branding and Presentation: Related Links Summary
The related links provided resources and great design tips that help designers create effective
brands and identities for a product and/or company. They discussed the most important aspects of
branding, from presentation to web presence.
It is no secret that Steve Jobs was a master of his work. But that mastery didn’t come at the snap
of his fingers. Jobs did things the old-fashioned way – by practicing for hours. He would go through his
slides, which he kept short and simple; practice his words; and study his product day in and day out in the
weeks leading up to his presentations. Because of this hard work and dedication, his public talks were
fluid, smart, and charming, no matter the setting or how many technical difficulties happened. Carmine
Gallo watched these presentations and wrote down the lessons that could be learned from them in the
article from assignment one. It details how to be engaging, entertaining, and memorable while maintain a
sense of poise and professionalism.
A presentation is like an experience. The audience is going on a ride with the presenter, who is
creating the journey with anecdotes, pictures, and the occasional joke or two. A brand is very similar. Lots
of people think brand is all design; that the two words are synonymous. But that is not true. Design is part
of it, but in actuality, a brand is an experience that is foddered by anecdotes, human connection, and yes,
some design elements. If someone asked Seth Godin to define brand, he would say:
A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories and relationships
that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one
product or service over another. If the consumer (whether it’s a business,
a buyer, a voter or a donor) doesn’t pay a premium, make a selection or
spread the word, then no brand value exists for that consumer.
One of those design elements that helps to create a brand is the logo. It is probably the most
important design element because it is the flagship, the signature, of that brand. For instance, when
someone sees the bitten-into apple, he or she generally knows it is Apple. That iconic symbol
immediately identifies the company of the product. By Paul Rand’s standards, the effectiveness of a good
logo depends on:

2. A. distinctiveness
B. visibility
C. usability
D. memorability
E. universality
F. durability
G. timelessness
A logo does not have to be as literal as Apple’s logo; it doesn’t even have to match the business it
represents. It just has to be distinctive and memorable. It has to say, “We care,” according to Rand.
The company also has to say, “We care.” To do that, they must engage with their fans,
particularly their superfans.They are the active supports, the top advocates, of a brand. Why pay so much
attention to these people? Riley Gibson bases it on this logic: “For every dollar or minute a brand
dedicates to Facebook, the brand will receive more back fromsuperfans than the average fan,” Therefore,
in his article, Gibson gives three tips on how to acknowledge superfans on Facebook. The first tip is to
reward their loyalty by providing discount codes or other fun surprises. The second is to build a genuine
relationship by acknowledging their presence and engaging with them on multiple occasions. The last one
is to ask for their opinions and feedback to improve the brand. This not only lets the brand interact with
them, but it gives them an opportunity to contribute to something they love.
One of the best ways to interact with fans is through a social media presence, but it is also
important to find ways to interact with them through the brand webpage. Web media proves to be
essential because it provides an interactive user experience. But in order to provide that experience, a
good web design is crucial. Jakob Nielsen describes how to create a profitable website and effectively
dispense information on a 1-D plane without frustrating or overloading the audience, as well as explains
why it is so effective. Because most people generally read left to right and “spend more than twice as
much time looking at the left side,” he says that it is best to stick to a conventional layout, in which
navigation is to the left, important content is a bit left of center, and secondary information is on the right.
This will ensure that the website is maximizing its functionality.