Brand Strategy for Online Platforms

James starts the course by telling you about his professional journey that involved traveling to different continents, and how this influenced his design perspective. He talks about the designers that inspire him, dividing them between “design sinners” and “design angels”, as well as mentioning some books which have shaped his vision of design, branding, and UX.

In the second unit, go through some essential branding theory, discovering how a brand is similar to a person to help you conceptualize your brand. See the visual differences between offline and online branding and how a communication strategy differs for each.

Once you have done the groundwork for your branding concept, move on to interpreting it in the context of typography, color, tone of voice, and more. Create a digital mood board of the visual elements, filling it with as much information as you can to tie in with your concept.

Start building your webpage by creating a wireframe to locate how and where your elements will fit on the page. Experiment with all the elements in your mood board to find the ideal composition for your visual style.

Next, create your style guide to ensure consistency throughout your interface. Define all the specifics of what James calls “the single source of truth” for your digital product—your style guide—using his easy step-by-step methodology.

In the final unit, focus on the written elements of your webpage, seeing how a text works online to optimize how readers engage with your page. With the focus on your brand’s values, define the tone of voice and personality that is most suited to your brand using James’ key tips, leading you to the final touches of your project to conclude the course.