S | 9 | Client Brand Project

This is Unit 9’s project block, and the last new-content project before Unit 10’s ACP review and certification window. Deliver this exactly like a real client handoff. Packaged, correctly exported, and with every asset’s licensing checked.

Design Brief

Design Brief - Sample

Client	(Who is asking you to make this?)
Target Consumer	(Who is this video targeted for?)
Director	(Who are you?)
Opportunity Statement	Your production company has the opportunity to differentiate itself by becoming the leading Youtube creator on a topic of your expertise.
Design Statement	(What is your solution to the problem?)
Criteria	The video must: Be between 1-3 minutes long Contain an intro, outro and have voiceover throughout. Keep viewers engaged through graphics, camerawork and editing.
Constraints	Production Process: Must be shot on a smartphone, using the Blackmagic Camera app Aspect Ratio: The video must be recorded in a 16:9 horizontal aspect ratio. Time: Research is due ________. Time: Script is due ________. Time: Edited video is due ________.
Deliverables	Pre-Production Handout Script 1-3 Minute Edited Video (exported as an H.264 .mp4)

This brief’s template is shared across DigCom’s courses, so a few fields read video-specific. Adapt them to this project: your “Director” is you, the designer; your “Opportunity Statement” is the small business or organization you’re designing for; your “Criteria” and “Deliverables” are the brand identity pieces below, not a video.

This project’s actual deliverables:

1. A primary logo mark (built using techniques from across the course).
2. At least one applied piece using that logo (a business card, social media template, or letterhead).
3. A complete, packaged project folder (File > Package) with a sourcing log for every non-original asset.
4. A screen-ready export set and a print-ready export of the finished identity.

[10 Mins] Bell Ringer / Hook

Today’s stinger: name one real brand’s logo you recognize instantly, and one specific design choice (shape, color, or typography) that makes it memorable.

[15 Mins] Project Brief & Demo

“Here’s a packaged, exported deliverable I built for a made-up client. Watch how the folder is organized, what the export set includes, and how the sourcing log documents every asset that wasn’t originally mine.”

[45 Mins] Studio Time

1. Choose or invent your client and sketch initial logo concepts on paper.
2. Build your logo and at least one applied piece in Illustrator, drawing on techniques from across the whole course.
3. Keep a running sourcing log as you work. Every stock image, font, or AI-assisted element gets a one-line entry naming its license and why it’s clear to use.
4. Structured Peer Review (middle project day): trade screens with a partner and run a Plus/Delta pass, standing in for the brief’s second client meeting.

1. Prepare

• The Draft: Ensure your work is exported or ready to view. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Placeholders for missing pieces are okay!
• The Plus/Delta Chart: Create a simple T-chart on a piece of paper or a digital document:
• Plus (+): What is working well? (Strengths, clear storytelling, strong technique).
• Delta (Δ): What should be changed or improved? (The Greek symbol for “change”).

2. The Review Process

• Silent First Pass: Experience the work all the way through once without speaking. This allows the reviewer to experience the “flow” of the piece.
• Second Pass: Go through it again, but this time, the reviewer should jot down specific notes in the Plus and Delta columns.
• The Golden Rule: Feedback should be Specific, Objective, and Kind.
• Bad: “I didn’t like the ending.”
• Good: “The ending felt abrupt because the music cut off before the reporter finished speaking.”

3. Giving Feedback (The Reviewer)

• Identify the “Pluses”: Start with what is successful.
• Suggest the “Deltas”: Instead of just pointing out a mistake, offer a solution.
• Example: “The transition at 0:45 is a bit slow; maybe try a simple cut instead of a dissolve.”

4. Receiving Feedback (The Creator)

• Listen Without Defending: It’s tempting to explain why you made a choice, but for now, just listen and take notes. If a peer is confused, a general audience likely will be too.
• Ask Clarifying Questions: If a note is vague, ask for the exact timestamp or location: “Can you show me exactly where the audio got too loud?”

5. The Revision Plan

After the session, look at your Delta column and prioritize your edits:

1. Level 1 (Critical): Technical errors (missing audio, black frames, typos).
2. Level 2 (Message): Pacing issues or confusing sequences.

3. Level 3 (Polishing): Color tweaks, fancy transitions, or extra effects.

4. Revise based on peer feedback before your final project day.

[30 Mins] GMetrix / BrainBuffet Self-Guided Strand

Continue GMetrix Practice Test 1 (training mode) during earlier project days. Students who finish it may begin Practice Test 2 (testing mode) ahead of Unit 10.

[8 Mins] Package, Export & Submit | Final project day

Organize (File Management)

1. Ensure that Google Drive for Desktop is syncing to your computer.
2. Create a Project Directory (Folder) in your Google Drive Google Drive/My Drive/Digital Design/YYYY-MM PROJECT NAME
3. Try to keep all of your project files for this project together, so your work is not interrupted due to technical issues.

Storing all your files in the /Downloads folder in your computer is a BAD idea. If any of these files are lost/deleted you will have to reconnect them. Put them in your project folder directly. This will also be helpful in the event of any computer issues.

1. In your project directory, maintain subdirectories for every category of resource you will be using.

YYYY-MM Project Name

📁 Graphics

📁 Sketches

📁 Photos

📁 Notes

1. It’s also good to include directories for related files

📁 Project Files

📁 Exports

1. Run File > Package on your finished project and review the summary report for any restricted fonts.
2. Export your screen-ready set (Asset Export panel, Use Artboards) and a print-ready PDF.
3. Save your packaged folder as LastName_FirstName_S9_ClientBrand/.

Publish your work to your Google Sites Portfolio

1. Create a new page on your Google Sites Portfolio to catalog your work.
   • Your work should be exported in a web-safe format in a manner that allows for the work to be embedded without requiring Google Drive permissions
2. Your work should be accompanied by a detailed project description
3. Submit the published portfolio page to your LMS (Schoology)

🗂 Organize: Put a written sourcing log confirming the usage rights of every non-original asset used in your binder. Save your packaged project folder (File > Package) in the Project Files folder of your Digital Design project folder on Google Drive. Save your screen export set and your print-ready export in the Exports folder of your Digital Design project folder on Google Drive.