THESIS I - progress a walk through of the new idea My NguyenFall 2012 November 28th Upload

recaps of the previous upload

Thesis Proposal

• I am constructing a study of people’s handwriting

• > to learn how a person’s personality, environment (nature vs.nurture) and culture(e.g education, upbringing) influence their handwriting,

• > in order to show my viewers how their handwriting is a reflection of themselves

The Problems found during researching & prototyping period (October 15th to November 11th )

• I ran into many problems regarding the clarity and validity of the investigation.

• I had troubles making the connection between the different components and forming a refine thesis idea. With more research and fail attempts to prototype, I finally realized that my interest lies solely on the construction of individual's image which reflects his/her personality.

The new proposal - derivation of the old

Updated Thesis Proposal

• I am going to brand individuals by coming up with a branding package to portray them. I am doing this because I am interested in exploring how to represent people or how people are represented?

• I plan the outcome or the product of this project to be in many different forms, according to what method of branding I will use to represent each individuals. For example, the person can be branded using or via a digital product (i.e website) or a physical object (i.e a book or an action figure).

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The Whys?

• I find myself attracted to the choices that people make to represent themselves. I am an insane observer, I look at what people wear, what kind fashion, how people write, how they walk, how they talk, etc…

• Another area that I am interested in is branding because it seems that my dad has planted the entrepreneurship idea in my head since I was young. I had moment when I detested what he did thinking that these were expectations of my future. But I don't know since when, I began to be intrigued in branding a business. Maybe because i do not know enough about branding, or because I feel that I am not good at it therefore this urges me to learn more. I did not manage to figure out how to merge this idea into my thesis therefore I sort of hide it in the closet.

The new proposal - questions to ask

Branding Strategy

• I have to come up with a branding strategy. In order to do so, I need to observe as well as interview the person to find out about their appearance (facial features, races, fashion style) and personality (i.e hobby, like, dislikes, action, independent/dependent), consider spending some time with them.I need research to give information about what is branding, what needs to be in a branding package.

• I need to look at existing branding packages of products, find out what are the reason behind the branding, why do they choose this method.

• The brand must be consistent and coherent to the image and the style of the individual. I need to be able to prove with valid reasons, why certain objects represent certain individuals.

The Whys?

• I find myself attracted to the choices that people make to represent themselves. I am an insane observer, I look at what people wear, what kind fashion, how people write, how they walk, how they talk, etc…

• Another area that I am interested in is branding because it seems that my dad has planted the entrepreneurship idea in my head since I was young. I had moment when I detested what he did thinking that these were expectations of my future. But I don't know since when, I began to be intrigued in branding a business. Maybe because i do not know enough about branding, or because I feel that I am not good at it therefore this urges me to learn more. I did not manage to figure out how to merge this idea into my thesis therefore I sort of hide it in the closet.

target audience

Who are they?

• I am going to spend X amount of time with X amount of individuals

• Decisively, they will be college students, female and male, age 18 to 28 who are:

- enthusiastic to learn and discover themselves, to find out who they are, what are their dreams, how do they shape themselves in the future.

- interested to find out about themselves from the perspective of a different person, could be from me only or from a group of people

• Option 1: Only friends

• Option 2: People I don’t know

The Whys and How?

• Why your target audiences cares about how they can be represented?

• Why are you the one to determine what is wrong, what is right about an individuals

• Why are you going to choose X amount of time with X amount of individuals

• What determines the number of individuals that you will choose

• How can I categorize these people, base on career paths? food choices? races? sexes?

• Is it a risk to choose to investigate your friends? Consider the scholarly research necessity of this project?

• Is it better to focus on strangers?

More of why/what/who?

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER?

• What is the framework that you will design to determine target audience:

- who get chosen? friends ? strangers

- why get chosen?

- how many people get chosen?

• What is the framework that you will design to determine the branding package for each individuals?

- number of elements/categories (e.g (Possible examples, business card, perfume bottle, pencil case, character animation, erasers)

- what is similar/different for each individuals?

- how can you validate you decision, what make object A represent person A

• What is the framework that you will design to determine the platform for branding package? Where and how to communicate your branding package in the most easy way for your audience to understand? Where to do collect this information, your analysis?

- Website? Book?

- Is there a platform that can hold your entire branding package individuals? does it make sense to put these people in the same platform? or perhaps they should be displayed in different platforms.

• Who has done this type of project before? Has anyone brand people?

- Branding Celebrities

- Branding agencies branding small businesses

what are the next steps?

GOALS

• Finalize frameworks by prototyping a branding package

- Friend/stranger

• Valid Precedent research

- what to do?what not to do? what works? what doesn’t?

- understanding of the appropriate platform is?

• Inspirations for creatives things that can be in the package?

- business card, perfume bottle, pencil case, character animation, erasers

MUST?

• Scholarly research base investigation

• Have a valid reason for all your decisions

development process to the new thesis proposal

• Action Figure Research

- Kidrobot Store

• Character Formulation Research for animation purposes?

- Nimbus and Columunius

• Gallery Visit: America in color - The Contrast Series by Brian Watson, curated by Simon Watson

- Express their political views

- Each color represents each party

- Expressing identities

• Celebrities Branding

in the age range of my target audience (18-28)

- Miley Cyrus (20)

- Justin Bieber (18)

- Nicky Minaj (28)

• What is Branding? Research by looking at existing branding agencies

- Brands for the people: Online branding agency where you can choose junior/intermediate/senior designers

- Branding for the people: Tips from an experienced branding specialist

- Global points - Branding agency based in New York. They have the most up to date styles

Thanks for reading.