Weeks 7 to 9 · about 20 hours
Module 4: Someone Else’s Brand: City of Milwaukee
Instructor notes (instructor view only)
- The brief is fictional and the brand is real. Check every piece for the credit line.
- Design History opens in Week 7: confirm group sign-ups by the end of Week 8.
Build list before this module opens
- Create and caption the video: Reading a brand guide: clear space, minimum size, palette values (5 minutes, captioned)
- Create and caption the video: Figma walkthrough: file setup, color and text styles, one frame built only from styles (8 minutes, captioned)
Objectives
Module 4 objectives. By the end of this module, you will be able to:
- 4.1 Apply the City of Milwaukee brand rules to a coordinated poster, Instagram ad and two welcome-kit mockups from the provided brief and copy. (Course Competency 2; Apply)
- 4.2 Integrate downloaded brand assets at correct size, color mode and clear space, and produce a press-ready poster PDF with bleed, crop marks and CMYK color. (Course Competency 3; Apply)
- 4.3 Convert a brand’s colors and type into reusable Figma color and text styles. (Course Competency 3; Apply)
- 4.4 Critique classmates’ work against the same brand rules. (Course Competency 6; Evaluate)
Overview
Most junior designers start by working inside rules a client already wrote. Here you design a welcome package (poster, Instagram ad, two welcome-kit items) inside the real City of Milwaukee brand guidelines, load the brand into Figma as styles, and revise the set from critique. Applying a brand before you build one teaches consistency and rationale.
Watch
- Reading a brand guide: clear space, minimum size, palette values (5 minutes, captioned)
- Figma walkthrough: file setup, color and text styles, one frame built only from styles (8 minutes, captioned)
- Videos are posted in Canvas before the module opens.
Read
- City of Milwaukee Brand Guidelines, read the whole guide; free to view and download, all rights reserved
- Figma Help, Styles in Figma
Practice
Activate Myriad Pro and download the logo files before Step 1.
Assessment
- Milwaukee Step 1: Poster Sketches: 10 points, Process Work; due Sun Mar 7 at noon
- Milwaukee Step 2: Poster and Instagram Ad: 10 points, Process Work; due Thu Mar 11 at noon
- Milwaukee Step 3: Welcome-Kit Mockups: 10 points, Process Work; due Thu Mar 11 at noon
- Milwaukee Step 4: Brand Styles in Figma: 10 points, Process Work; due Thu Mar 25 at noon
- Milwaukee Step 5: Final Revised Set: 30 points, Projects; due Sun Mar 28 at noon
Design History checkpoint
- Design History: Sign Up and Scope: 5 points, Exercises; due Thu Mar 11 at noon
- Design History: Research and Verification Log: 10 points, Process Work; due Sun Mar 28 at noon
Critique
Each comment names one rule from the brand guide that the work follows or breaks.
Due
- Milwaukee Step 1: Poster Sketches: Discord Sat Mar 6; due Sun Mar 7; hard close Mon Mar 8, all at noon
- Milwaukee Step 2: Poster and Instagram Ad: Discord Wed Mar 10; due Thu Mar 11; hard close Fri Mar 12, all at noon
- Milwaukee Step 3: Welcome-Kit Mockups: Discord Wed Mar 10; due Thu Mar 11; hard close Fri Mar 12, all at noon
- Milwaukee Step 4: Brand Styles in Figma: Discord Wed Mar 24; due Thu Mar 25; hard close Fri Mar 26, all at noon
- Milwaukee Step 5: Final Revised Set: Discord Sat Mar 27; due Sun Mar 28; hard close Mon Mar 29, all at noon
- Design History: Sign Up and Scope: due Thu Mar 11; hard close Fri Mar 12, all at noon
- Design History: Research and Verification Log: Discord Sat Mar 27; due Sun Mar 28; hard close Mon Mar 29, all at noon