Example​ ​Reflection​ ​–​ ​Mind​ ​Mapping

Introduction     As​ ​a​ ​designer,​ ​one​ ​challenge​ ​that​ ​I​ ​often​ ​face​ ​is​ ​to​ ​develop​ ​strong​ ​branding​ ​for​ ​my​ ​clients.  Branding​ ​is​ ​much​ ​more​ ​than​ ​a​ ​logo​ ​and​ ​nice​ ​colors,​ ​it​ ​involves​ ​research,​ ​strategy,​ ​creation,  design​ ​and​ ​finally​ ​management.​ ​Since​ ​the​ ​company​ ​and​ ​employees​ ​values​ ​must​ ​be  reflected​ ​in​ ​the​ ​branding,​ ​a​ ​deep​ ​investigation​ ​must​ ​be​ ​realized​ ​in​ ​early​ ​stages​ ​to​ ​capture  elements​ ​and​ ​values​ ​of​ ​the​ ​company​ ​and​ ​its​ ​employees​ ​that​ ​will​ ​match​ ​with​ ​clients  expectations.​ ​Branding​ ​structure​ ​can​ ​be​ ​divided​ ​into​ ​4​ ​segments;​ ​graphic​ ​elements​ ​(logo​ ​and  colors),​ ​user​ ​experience,​ ​voice,​ ​and​ ​character.    To​ ​achieve​ ​brand​ ​character​ ​you​ ​must​ ​incorporate​ ​on​ ​it​ ​human​ ​characteristics​ ​to​ ​achieve  personality.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​more​ ​than​ ​just​ ​an​ ​appearance;​ ​it’s​ ​an​ ​experience.​ ​People​ ​connect​ ​with  your​ ​brand​ ​and​ ​whatever​ ​meaning​ ​they​ ​assign​ ​to​ ​it​ ​is​ ​due​ ​to​ ​its​ ​personality.    Brand​ ​personalities​ ​can​ ​be​ ​classified​ ​as​ ​archetypes.​ ​Carl​ ​Jung​ ​described​ ​archetypes​ ​as  universal​ ​collective​ ​patterns​ ​of​ ​the​ ​unconscious.​ ​As​ ​per​ ​Margaret​ ​Mark​ ​and​ ​Carol​ ​S.  Pearson,​ ​“Archetypes​ ​are​ ​the​ ​heartbeat​ ​of​ ​a​ ​brand​ ​because​ ​they​ ​convey​ ​a​ ​meaning​ ​that  makes​ ​customers​ ​relate​ ​to​ ​a​ ​product​ ​as​ ​if​ ​it​ ​actually​ ​were​ ​alive​ ​in​ ​some​ ​way”.​ ​Because​ ​they  are​ ​shared​ ​universal​ ​and​ ​unconscious​ ​themes​ ​of​ ​humanity,​ ​we​ ​can​ ​always​ ​connect​ ​to  archetypal​ ​stories.    There​ ​are​ ​12​ ​master​ ​archetypes​ ​and​ ​they​ ​are​ ​a​ ​great​ ​way​ ​for​ ​companies​ ​to​ ​‘manage  meaning’​ ​in​ ​a​ ​structured​ ​way:​ ​the​ ​creator,​ ​the​ ​hero,​ ​the​ ​outlaw,​ ​the​ ​lover,​ ​the​ ​everyman,​ ​the  sage,​ ​the​ ​explorer,​ ​the​ ​innocent,​ ​the​ ​ruler,​ ​the​ ​jester,​ ​the​ ​caregiver​ ​and​ ​the​ ​magician.    The​ ​challenge    A​ ​software​ ​company​ ​that​ ​provides​ ​human​ ​capital​ ​management​ ​solutions​ ​is​ ​struggling​ ​with  awareness​ ​and​ ​consequently​ ​not​ ​generating​ ​many​ ​leads​ ​or​ ​selling​ ​the​ ​products.​ ​The  marketing​ ​team​ ​keeps​ ​changing​ ​strategies​ ​trying​ ​to​ ​follow​ ​the​ ​frequent​ ​change​ ​of​ ​business  directions​ ​generated​ ​by​ ​the​ ​executive​ ​team.​ ​Stakeholders​ ​don’t​ ​quite​ ​understand​ ​the​ ​power  of​ ​a​ ​strong​ ​branding​ ​and​ ​how​ ​that​ ​would​ ​help​ ​them​ ​to​ ​sell​ ​more.    Insight     I​ ​believe​ ​that​ ​a​ ​strong​ ​brand​ ​must​ ​be​ ​created​ ​by​ ​a​ ​collaboration​ ​process​ ​involving  stakeholders,​ ​employees,​ ​customers,​ ​design,​ ​and​ ​marketing.​ ​Some​ ​meetings​ ​are​ ​scheduled  to​ ​stimulate​ ​the​ ​discussion​ ​and​ ​sketch​ ​people​ ​vision​ ​and​ ​minds​ ​about​ ​the​ ​branding​ ​meaning.    Selection​ ​and​ ​application   I​ ​have​ ​chosen​ ​mindmaps​ ​as​ ​the​ ​main​ ​tool​ ​to​ ​capture​ ​people​ ​vision​ ​about​ ​the​ ​ideal​ ​archetype  for​ ​the​ ​branding.​ ​I​ ​divide​ ​the​ ​process​ ​into​ ​a​ ​few​ ​meetings​ ​where​ ​all​ ​involved​ ​will​ ​have​ ​the  opportunity​ ​to​ ​showcase​ ​and​ ​also​ ​be​ ​challenged​ ​to​ ​defend​ ​their​ ​point​ ​of​ ​view.​ ​The​ ​process​ ​is  the​ ​following:

First​ ​meeting:​ ​Understanding​ ​that​ ​not​ ​everybody​ ​in​ ​the​ ​meeting​ ​was​ ​educated​ ​in​ ​branding  process​ ​or​ ​familiar​ ​with​ ​archetypes,​ ​I​ ​start​ ​the​ ​process​ ​with​ ​a​ ​presentation​ ​to​ ​clarify​ ​the  meaning​ ​of​ ​it.​ ​After​ ​that,​ ​I​ ​invite​ ​participants​ ​to​ ​think​ ​which​ ​archetypes​ ​the​ ​company​ ​or  product​ ​would​ ​fit​ ​and​ ​ask​ ​them​ ​to​ ​come​ ​to​ ​the​ ​next​ ​meeting​ ​with​ ​visual​ ​images​ ​of​ ​many  movie​ ​characters,​ ​singers,​ ​actors,​ ​songs,​ ​artists,​ ​etc.​ ​that​ ​has​ ​an​ ​emotional​ ​trigger​ ​on​ ​him.  For​ ​example,​ ​if​ ​the​ ​participant​ ​chooses​ ​the​ ​archetype​ ​rebel,​ ​he​ ​or​ ​she​ ​can​ ​bring​ ​to​ ​the​ ​next  meeting​ ​some​ ​images​ ​of​ ​James​ ​Dean,​ ​Madonna,​ ​Harley-Davidsons​ ​or​ ​whatever​ ​image​ ​he  thinks​ ​that​ ​has​ ​an​ ​emotional​ ​rebel​ ​component​ ​to​ ​him.  Second​ ​meeting:​ ​With​ ​all​ ​archetypes​ ​selected,​ ​and​ ​with​ ​this​ ​visual​ ​data​ ​os​ ​images  collected,​ ​the​ ​participants​ ​are​ ​invited​ ​to​ ​explain​ ​why​ ​they​ ​think​ ​that​ ​is​ ​the​ ​best​ ​archetype​ ​to  reflect​ ​the​ ​branding.​ ​The​ ​participants​ ​are​ ​free​ ​to​ ​change​ ​their​ ​minds​ ​whenever​ ​they​ ​want​ ​to.  The​ ​main​ ​idea​ ​is​ ​to​ ​ramp​ ​up​ ​the​ ​discussions​ ​and​ ​boost​ ​the​ ​stakeholder's​ ​creativity.​ ​After  that,​ ​participants​ ​will​ ​receive​ ​blank​ ​printed​ ​storyboards​ ​where​ ​they​ ​will​ ​be​ ​asked​ ​to​ ​write  and/or​ ​draw​ ​stories​ ​where​ ​the​ ​product/service​ ​would​ ​act​ ​as​ ​the​ ​archetype​ ​selected.​ ​The  stories​ ​will​ ​be​ ​revised​ ​at​ ​the​ ​next​ ​meeting.  Third​ ​meeting:​ ​This​ ​meeting​ ​is​ ​the​ ​most​ ​productive​ ​and​ ​fun​ ​meeting​ ​to​ ​attend.​ ​Stakeholders  will​ ​present​ ​their​ ​stories​ ​and​ ​this​ ​act​ ​normally​ ​will​ ​generate​ ​other​ ​stories​ ​in​ ​the​ ​group​ ​mind.  The​ ​participants​ ​will​ ​at​ ​this​ ​point​ ​understand​ ​how​ ​the​ ​branding​ ​is​ ​more​ ​human​ ​than​ ​they  think.​ ​When​ ​the​ ​presentations​ ​are​ ​over,​ ​all​ ​the​ ​images​ ​collected​ ​and​ ​storyboards​ ​are​ ​placed  into​ ​a​ ​wall​ ​in​ ​archetypes​ ​groups.  Final​ ​meeting:​ ​This​ ​meeting​ ​is​ ​opened​ ​to​ ​the​ ​public​ ​where​ ​anyone​ ​can​ ​bring​ ​their​ ​own​ ​ideas  and​ ​place​ ​into​ ​the​ ​wall​ ​with​ ​post-its.​ ​At​ ​this​ ​point​ ​many​ ​different​ ​points​ ​of​ ​view​ ​were  represented,​ ​generating​ ​a​ ​collective​ ​mindmap​ ​to​ ​help​ ​to​ ​solve​ ​the​ ​problem.    Approach  With​ ​this​ ​information​ ​in​ ​hands,​ ​the​ ​marketing​ ​team​ ​has​ ​a​ ​compass​ ​that​ ​will​ ​give​ ​them​ ​the  direction​ ​to​ ​navigate​ ​the​ ​branding​ ​personality​ ​and​ ​how​ ​it​ ​will​ ​speak​ ​to​ ​the​ ​clients.​ ​However,  the​ ​investment​ ​in​ ​a​ ​user​ ​research​ ​before​ ​this​ ​process,​ ​would​ ​give​ ​a​ ​huge​ ​insight​ ​and​ ​data​ ​to  be​ ​added​ ​to​ ​this​ ​panel.​ ​The​ ​marketing​ ​team​ ​is​ ​now​ ​ready​ ​to​ ​proceed​ ​to​ ​next​ ​the​ ​steps​ ​in​ ​the  creation​ ​of​ ​a​ ​strong​ ​branding.

