After writing the 4th chapter of my essay which discusses what is needed to create a brand identity for a tourism location in Uganda which is sympathetic to both the Ugandan national identity and the tourist's authentic experience, I can now begin the practical side of the module.
Plan & Rationale
For the practical element, I am going to take one of the tourism destinations that I visited and stayed at when in Sipi Falls, Mount Elgon National Park, called 'Crows Nest'. I've chosen this one as it currently barely has any form of a brand other than a hand painted sign outside letting the visitor know they have arrived. I'm going to take the arguments and conclusions of the essay and by exaggerating them a little produce a brand identity for Crows Nest which aims to give the tourist more of an authentic experience through using traditional Ugandan symbolisms and Ugandan design production methods but while bringing in a more contemporary Western design aesthetic so that the tourist can relate to and interact with the brand. This way, it would become sensitive to the Ugandan national identity while also enhancing the tourist's experience.
Crows Nest is in an incredible setting, and is comprised of traditional looking Ugandan buildings and furnishings with very basic amenities and facilities. So, to add more authentic value to the brand, I intend to play up the use of Ugandan symbolisms (such as imagery, colours, production methods), so that it adds a Ugandan feel to the place, but at the same time I plan on producing products that Crows Nest are currently lacking. Including things such as restaurant menus and a designed receipt will instantly allow the tourist to interact with Crows Nest and although these things may not be truly inherently authentic, they will add value to the brand and make a tourist's visit easier. As I discovered through writing the essay, authenticity isn't actually achievable, rather the design of tourism places has to be sympathetic to both sides, which if this 'rebrand' of Crows Nest works how I intend it to then this will be designed sympathetically.
I plan on producing a brand identity, with a logo, a chosen brand typeface, colour schemes, etc. I also intend to look into what other elements can be added to the brand in terms of the general aesthetics of Crows Nest. I also plan to reproduce the signage as it currently is but to fit within the brand. All aspects of the design process have to be considered for this 'rebrand' to be successfully sympathetic. The layout and design of all printed elements have to be considered, but also the formats, stocks and printing methods so that they could be easily replicated in Uganda. Where possible, elements should be reproduced as close to Ugandan production methods as possible.
This is my plan so far for beginning the practical work:
- Produce a logo that can be applied across the brand
- Produce a range of different products to showcase the brand
- Present the brand identity as a proposal, possibly through a book
Practical - Beginnings & Rationale
