Branding Ourselves
Brands of War and Disruption View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session David Gardener
Much has been written over the years, concerning the separate domains of conflict and branding, however, the combination of the two and how one is impacted by the other is rather scarcer, especially from a British perspective. Conflict and the well-documented effects of war can be argued that it had a direct influence on the visual development and positioning of a brand during the Second World War. Furthermore, this can also be aligned to contemporary brand strategy and that of recent events concerning the COVID-19 pandemic that impacted on the world in early 2020-22 and continues to have considerable economic impact. This paper offers insight into how modern-day brands have evolved when referencing and adapting their brand’s identity, influenced this time not by wartime conflict, but an equally pernicious global event as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. How have modern-day brands leveraged and adapted their visual persona to reflect their new environment, brands that traditionally are not related to pharmaceutical and healthcare. What circumstances enabled them to change their brand persona and tone of voice?
Presentation of Design Strategies in the Form of Visual Communication View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Onur Mengi
In today's dynamic and visually-driven world, effective design strategies are essential for conveying ideas, solutions, and concepts. From the perspective of design strategies, incorporating visual communication design is a tactical decision that significantly enhances the effectiveness of presentations. It serves not just as an aesthetic choice, but as a strategic tool for clear and impactful communication. In developing a design strategy, the use of visual elements is a deliberate approach to transform complex data into easily digestible and visually engaging formats. This strategic use of visuals is crucial in ensuring that the strategy is accessible and comprehensible to a varied audience. The paper considers the use of visual communication design for innovative product development. It explores the role of visual communication in translating complex design strategies into compelling and accessible formats. From infographics to interactive presentations, the paper focuses on the diverse tools and techniques available to designers to articulate their vision in strategic thinking and research into the political, economic, social and technological contexts of new products, services or systems. The methodology involves analyzing different aspects of communication design, focusing exclusively on the final stages of strategic decision-making. It consists of reviewing student outcomes related to tasks such as planning, creative thinking, research, product and design concept development, presentation skills, and business proposal composition. This analysis presents the evaluation of coursework, assignments, and project submissions to assess the effectiveness of design strategies in these final phases. The results discuss how visual communication design influences strategic decision-making.
Notions of the EU Ecolabel in the Danish Furniture Industry: Co-creating with the Business and Design Students and the Industry View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Aroop Ratan Guha, Camilla Hedegaard Møller
This paper explores the process of co-creating a set of guidelines for the EU Ecolabel for furniture, together with stakeholders from small and medium sized furniture companies and students from the master's program Strategic Design & Entrepreneurship at the Royal Danish Academy, Copenhagen. The study is a qualitative and ethnographic study of the stakeholders and the notions of the understanding of the EU Ecolabel and sustainability, and business models associated with them. The activities that were studied happened in fall 2023. The paper uses concepts and methodologies from Actor Network Theory, Circular Economy and Design Thinking. The research presented is part of a bigger PhD study, ‘Circular Economy in the Danish Furniture Industry’. The core findings highlight the notions of certification amongst the stakeholders and how the process required to attain these licenses affects the small and medium sized companies. It also sheds light on the struggles, dilemmas and hurdles faced by small brands and young designers on their journey to become more sustainable and circular. This paper addresses a discussion of the relationship between a design business owner and certifications like the EU Ecolabel and the bureaucracies that come along with the pursuit of it.
