CT303 (Fall)
Dynamic Branding
Fall 2026
Section
601, 65A
Date & Time
Tuesday 2:10 pm - 5 pm, Thursday 6:30 pm - 9:20 pm
Professors
Christie Shin
Classroom
C315
Co/Pre-requisite(s)
NA
Credits/Hours
2 credits; 1 lecture and 2 lab hours
School
School of Art & Design
Major
Advertising & Digital Design BFA
Minor
Branding
Office Hours
Monday 1 to 3, Wednesday 2 to 3, Thursday 5 to 6
Office at FIT
D317 (email to schedule a remote meeting)
christie_shin@fitnyc.edu
Course Description
CT303 Dynamic Branding course covers theories, principles, and skills of brand identity design using media to convey brand messages and personalities. It includes advanced topics like systemic thinking, fluid identity, data-driven design, and generative design.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
Develop brand identities aligned with brand strategy.
Create branding concepts for screen-based media.
Utilize systemic thinking in branding.
Prototype data-driven and generative design.
Collaborate on creative solutions in multidisciplinary teams.
Project: Brand Redefined
In teams of four, students will conceptualize and design a new dynamic branding system to enhance the brand message and elevate the consumer experience.
Weekly Branding Case Study (3 per student)
Choose a well-established branding system and explain what makes it effective or notable in an article format. Your logic, analysis, and explanation will be key factors in grading. Start with Pentagram and Wolff Olins.
Deliverables:
1. Research & Analysis
Target Audience (Primary, Secondary)
Competitor Landscape
SWOT Analysis
2. Brand Profile
Core Values, Mission, and Vision
Purpose Statement
Value Proposition
Positioning Statement
Brand Archetype
Brand Personality
Tone of Voice
Tagline / Slogan
3. Visual Identity System
Design Statement / Principles
Primary Logo / Other Logo Variations
Brand Typeface
Structure Analysis
Color Palette
Typography
Iconography
Images & Graphics
Motion Elements
4. Applications
Brand Identity in Motion (minimum of 4 different motion applications)
Other Applications
5. Brand Style Guide Website (Figma)
Grade Breakdown and Evaluation
Professionalism (Class Participation and Attendance): 20 Points
Weekly Brand Identity Study: 10 Points
Presentation 1: Brand Profile: 20 Points
Presentation 2: Brand Visual Identity Proposal (One Option per Student): 20 Points
Presentation 3: Brand Identity System Style Guide & Applications: 30 Points
* You must submit all your projects for the final grade no later than the last day of class
A/A-: 90 pts or above (A- 90-94 points, A 95 points above)
B+/B/B-: 89 pts – 75 pts (B+ 89-85 points, B 84-80 points, B- 79-75 points)
C+/C/C-: 74 pts – 60 pts (C+ 74-70 points, C 69-65 points, C- 64-60 points)
D: 59 pts – 51 pts
F: 50 pts or below
Weekly Outline
* Weekly outline is subject to change according to the pedagogical needs.
Week 1: 9/1/26, 9/3/26
Course & Project Introduction
Lecture
What Is Dynamic Branding?
Brand Profile Process
Brand Research Guidelines
Comparative Analysis
Brandscape
In-Class Activities
Introduction to Miro, Google Drive, Slack, and Figma
Team formation
Brand selection (due by tonight)
Homework (Google Drive & Miro)
Brand research (raw data)
On-site visit (photos)
User interviews (interview script and summary)
Week 2: 9/8/26, 9/10/26
Part 1: Brand Profile
Lecture
Target Audience
Core Values, Mission, and Vision
Purpose Statement
Value Proposition
Positioning Statement
Brand Archetype
Brand Personality
Tone of Voice
Tagline/Slogan
In-Class Activity
Group review
Homework (Google Drive & Miro)
Brand Profile
Week 3: 9/15/26, 9/17/26 (Class Cancellation)
In-Class Activity
Group review
Week 4: 9/22/26, 9/24/26
Guest Speaker: John Kudos
Lecture
Branding and its application across interactive experiences, environments, exhibitions, objects, and other touchpoints
In-Class Activity
Group review
Week 5: 9/29/26, 10/1/26
Presentation 1 (Grading: 20%)
Brand Profile
Part 2: Visual Identity System
Lecture
Visual Design: Mood Boards & Visual Motif References
Week 6: 10/6/26, 10/8/26
Lecture
Visual Identity System
Week 7: 10/13/26, 10/15/26
Lecture
Dynamic Branding System
Visual Design: Typography
Week 8: 10/20/26, 10/22/26
In-Class Activity
Group review & workshop
Week 9: 10/27/26, 10/29/26
Presentation 2 (Grading: 20%)
Visual Brand Identity Proposal (4 concepts)
Week 10: 11/3/26, 11/5/26
Guest Speaker
Bethany Lesko: Partner, Design, Lippincott
Week 11: 11/10/26, 11/12/26
In-Class Activity
Group review & workshop
Week 12: 11/17/26, 11/19/26
Part 3: Applications
Lecture
Brand Design System
Week 13: 11/24/26, 12/3/26 (Thanksgiving – No Class on 11/26)
In-Class Activity
Group review & workshop
Week 14: 12/1/26, 12/10/26
In-Class Activity
Group review & workshop
Week 15: 12/8/26, 12/17/26
Presentation 3 (Grading: 30%)
Brand Style Guide & Applications
Creative Technology & Design (CT&D) Attendance Policy
Attendance is not optional. If you are going to miss a class, you must contact me via email ASAP. Due to the quantity of material covered in the course, I will not be able to spend class time explaining missed assignments or redo lectures. If a class is missed, it is your responsibility to get information regarding missed assignments and lectures from one of your classmates.
Students are required to attend all classes, be on time, and remain for the entire class.
Students who miss three classes for classes meeting once a week or four classes for classes meeting twice a week will receive a grade of “F.”
The student who arrives 10 minutes after the start of the class will be considered late.
Two late occurrences = one absence
A student who arrives over 30 minutes late or not returning from the break will be considered absent from the class.
Working on projects for another class or using digital devices for socializing (texting, social media…etc.) or gaming during class time will be recorded as an absence.
An excused absence is still recorded as an absence. The difference is an excused absence won’t impact your grade for professionalism and class participation.
Additional Course Information:
Grade Appeals: Include information on the grade appeal process. See Grade Appeal for more information.
Department Policy on Plagiarism
Plagiarism and other forms of academic deception are unacceptable. Each instance of plagiarism is distinct. A plagiarism violation is an automatic justification for an “F” on that assignment and/or an “F” for the course. A student found in violation of FIT’s Code of Conduct and deemed to receive an “F” for a course may not withdraw from the course prior to final grade assignments.
Use of AI tools
It is permissible to utilize AI tools in your creative process. However, you must identify which AI tool is being used at each stage of the process. You are required to fact-check AI output and avoid stereotyping and bias in your work. Finally, you are responsible for ensuring that the final creation is unique, ownable, and without any copyright issues.
Fact-checking AI output
AI tools are not infallible. They often generate incorrect or misleading information. It is your responsibility to fact-check any AI output before using it in your work. This includes checking the source of the information, evaluating the quality of the information, and considering the context in which the information was generated.
Avoiding stereotyping and bias
AI tools can be trained on data that contains stereotypes and biases. This can lead to AI output that is also biased. It is your responsibility to avoid the potential for bias in AI output. You should also be mindful of your own biases when using AI tools and take steps to mitigate them.
Ensuring the uniqueness and ownership of your work
You are responsible for ensuring that the final creation of your work is unique and ownable. This means that you must not plagiarize the work of others, including submitting works done solely by AI tools without meaningful improvement and input from you.
Penalty for violation
Violation of this policy may result in a grade reduction or suspension from the class.