Brand Corporate Identity - Task 1
TASK 1 - Logo Design Development
WEEK 01 - WEEK 09Aina Ahmed Aleem | 0355701 | BDCM
- Lectures
- Instructions
- Brand case study analysis
- Brand proposal
- Logo design concept
- Logo equation
- Digitisation outcome
- Final Presentation
- Reflection
The module follows a process from research and observation to ideation, brand positioning, and final identity execution. Task 1 focuses on researching existing brands, analysing case studies, and developing a logo through extensive sketch exploration. Logo development should be supported by research, target audience, brand values, personality, and strategic intent rather than decoration alone.
Week 2 focused more deeply on brand, branding, brand identity, and the role of design in shaping perception. A brand was defined as the overall perception people have of a business, product, service, or organisation, shaped by its values, reputation, personality, experiences, and what audiences think, feel, and remember about it.
The lecture explained that branding involves strategically shaping how a brand is communicated, perceived, and remembered, while brand identity includes the visual and verbal elements that express it. Examples of established brands demonstrated how elements such as logos, colour, packaging, store environments, products, communication, and customer experiences work together to create recognition and consistency. The lecture also introduced how to analyse brands beyond their appearance by considering their audience, positioning, personality, values, and communication.
A strong logo should be recognisable, memorable, simple, relevant, versatile, and appropriate for its target audience and industry. It should function effectively at different sizes, in colour and black and white, and across different brand touchpoints. The lecture also covered design elements such as typography, colour, line, shape, negative space, graphics, and layout. Logo variations and systems allow an identity to remain consistent while adapting to different formats and applications.
WEEK 4 - Logo grid systems
Week 4 introduced logo grid systems, which use structured lines, circles, geometric shapes, and measurements to construct and refine logos. Grids provide a framework for controlling proportions, spacing, alignment, and relationships between different elements of a logo.
The lecture covered the benefits of using grids, including improved alignment, symmetry, balance, consistency, scalability, and versatility. Different grid structures can be selected depending on the form and characteristics of a logo. Using a structured grid also provides clear reasoning behind design decisions and helps create a more precise and consistent final logo rather than relying only on visual judgement.
Colour was presented as a strategic branding tool rather than simply an aesthetic choice. Colour palettes should be selected according to the brand’s personality, target audience, industry, competitors, desired emotional response, and positioning, while also functioning effectively across print and digital applications. The lecture connected these principles to building a consistent visual identity system in which logo, colour, typography, and supporting elements work together across different brand applications.
The task included several key stages:
- Brand Case Study Analysis: Comparing existing brands based on positioning, target audience, personality, logo type, colour, typography, visual style, tone of voice, strengths, and weaknesses to identify useful insights for the development of the new brand.
- Brand Proposal & Strategy: Establishing the brand name, industry, product or service, target audience, USP, concept, purpose, mission, vision, goals, values, personality, and tone of voice.
- Logo Concept Development: Exploring visual keywords and symbolism through sketches, selecting and refining a final direction, and explaining how the logo connects to the brand’s USP, values, personality, and tone.
- Logo Equation: Breaking down the visual elements or symbols that combine to form the final logo and explaining their meaning.
- Digitisation: Developing the selected concept into a complete logo system, including the primary logo, logomark, wordmark, primary lockup, logo grid, secondary logo, favicon, and black-and-white/reversed versions.
The final submission consisted of a Brand Case Study Analysis Report, Brand Proposal, organised Logo File Structure Folder, and Presentation Slides. Logo variations were required in multiple formats, including AI, EPS, SVG, PDF, JPEG, and PNG, to ensure they could be used appropriately across print and digital applications.
To begin developing the concept, I researched and analysed five different brands based on their positioning, target audience, brand personality, logo type, colour, typography, visual style, tone of voice, strengths, and weaknesses. This comparison helped identify useful approaches and opportunities that could inform the direction and development of my own brand
After researching and comparing the five brands, I developed my brand proposal and strategy to establish a clear foundation for the brand.
I decided on the name RIYA, which means “sail” in Dhivehi, the Maldivian language. The name fits the brand because a sail represents movement, airflow, lightness, and adaptability, qualities that connect directly to clothing designed for hot and humid climates. It also creates a subtle connection to the Maldives’ island identity and relationship with the ocean, giving the brand cultural meaning without making the identity overly traditional or literal.
Brand Name: RIYA
Industry / Category: Fashion and apparel
Product: Lightweight, breathable everyday clothing designed specifically for hot and humid climates.
Target Audience: Young adults living in or travelling to tropical climates who value comfort, functionality, simplicity, and contemporary style.
Unique Selling Proposition (USP): RIYA creates stylish, lightweight clothing specifically designed for humid living, combining breathability and everyday functionality with inspiration from the Maldivian environment and identity.
Brand Concept: Inspired by the idea of a sail responding naturally to wind and movement, RIYA represents clothing that feels light, breathable, and adaptable to tropical life. The brand takes subtle inspiration from the Maldives—its climate, ocean, movement, and island lifestyle—to create a modern identity rather than directly using traditional cultural imagery.
Brand Purpose: To make everyday dressing in hot and humid climates more comfortable without compromising on style.
Mission: To create breathable, functional, and contemporary clothing that responds to the realities of tropical climates while carrying a subtle connection to Maldivian identity.
Vision: To become a recognisable tropical clothing brand that represents a modern approach to dressing for humid climates, originating from and inspired by the Maldives.
Brand Goal: To provide a stylish alternative to conventional clothing that can feel uncomfortable in tropical weather, creating pieces that allow people to move freely and feel comfortable in heat and humidity.
Brand Values:
Breathability –
prioritising comfort and airflow for humid environments.
Movement – creating
clothing that supports an active and unrestricted lifestyle.
Adaptability –
designing versatile pieces suited to tropical everyday life.
Simplicity –
maintaining a clean, functional, and timeless approach.
Coastal Calm –
reflecting the relaxed atmosphere and natural environment of island
life.
Cultural Connection
– drawing subtle inspiration from Maldivian identity and environment.
Brand Personality: Calm, modern, effortless, lightweight, adaptable, and understated.
Tone of Voice: Simple, calm, confident, and refreshing. The communication should feel clear and effortless, reflecting the same sense of ease and comfort that RIYA aims to provide through its clothing.
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| Brand Comparison |
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| How RIYA is different from the other brands |
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| Logo sketches and exploration |
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| Logo Equation |
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| Initial Logomark |
I selected burgundy red as the primary colour because red has a strong presence within Maldivian culture and identity. It is seen prominently in the Maldivian flag and is also associated with traditional Maldivian clothing. Using a deeper burgundy rather than a bright red gives RIYA a more contemporary and refined appearance while maintaining this cultural connection.
For the secondary colour, I chose ochre, representing the warmth and sunlight of the tropical Maldivian climate. It also creates another subtle reference to traditional Maldivian dress, particularly the gold detailing and trimming found around areas such as the neckline and sleeve cuffs. This allowed cultural inspiration to be incorporated into the identity through colour rather than using traditional elements too literally.
I selected olive green as a functional colour to represent nature and the natural environment, complementing the warmer tones of burgundy and ochre. Finally, I chose a slightly off-white and dark charcoal as neutral colours. The off-white creates a softer and warmer alternative to pure white, while the dark charcoal provides contrast without the harshness of solid black.
Together, the final palette creates a balance between Maldivian cultural references, the warmth of the tropical environment, and RIYA’s modern and understated identity. Rather than relying on the more expected blue associated with island branding, the colours give RIYA a more distinctive visual language while remaining connected to the brand’s Maldivian roots.
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| Final Colour Palette for RIYA |
Once the logo system and visual direction were finalised, I prepared and exported the different RIYA logo variations into an organised logo lockup folder. The files were structured clearly to include the different logo versions and formats needed for both digital and print applications, ensuring that the identity could be used consistently across different brand touchpoints.
After completing the logo development and file preparation, I presented my brand proposal, research, design process, and final logo system during class. The presentation showed the progression of RIYA from the initial concept and case study research to the brand strategy, logo sketches, refinement, colour palette, and final visual direction. This marked the completion of the first stage of developing RIYA’s brand identity.
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| Primary Logo |
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| Secondary Logo |
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| The Favicon |
Experience
This task gave me the experience of developing RIYA from an initial idea into a more complete and structured brand concept. I started by researching and comparing five existing brands before developing my own brand proposal and strategy. From there, I explored different logo ideas through sketching, refined the selected direction based on feedback, digitised the final logo system, developed the colour palette, organised the final logo files, and presented the brand in class. The process showed me that developing a logo involves much more than creating a visually appealing symbol, as every decision needed to connect back to the brand’s concept, values, audience, and purpose.
Observations
Throughout the process, I noticed that some of my initial design choices were quite predictable. For example, I originally chose blue as the primary colour because of the Maldives’ strong connection to the ocean, but it made the identity feel too generic. Exploring burgundy, ochre, and olive green allowed me to create a more distinctive palette with deeper connections to Maldivian culture and the natural environment. I also noticed how feedback improved my logo development. My original logomark used a rotated “R”, but after further feedback and refinement, using the “A” from RIYA created a stronger symbol that fitted the overall identity better.
Findings
The main finding from this task was that a strong brand identity works best when research, strategy, and visual decisions are connected. The meaning behind the name RIYA, the logo forms, and the colour palette all became stronger when they were linked back to the brand’s Maldivian roots and its purpose of creating clothing for hot and humid climates. I also found that cultural inspiration does not have to be represented in an obvious or literal way. Subtle references, such as the meaning of the name, the movement and flow within the logo, and colours inspired by Maldivian traditions, can communicate cultural identity while still creating a modern and contemporary brand. Overall, this task gave me a stronger foundation for developing RIYA into a consistent visual identity in the next stage of the project.
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