I’m entering the 4th week of my summer semester at the Iovine Young Academy at USC. It has been an intense few weeks, but the pace of work has caused me to narrow my focus on the things that really matter. I was pretty burnt out by the end of last week, but thankfully I am writing this newsletter on the first day of a 4-day weekend from work (yay!).
One of the things that my Designing Brand Identity class has got me thinking about is how my studio brand is different that the brand for the games I make or work on. While it might be convenient for me to make everything about the studio, the truth is that the games are really the focal point of my craft. Each game that I work on needs to have its own voice, look, and feel. Whether it’s the steam page capsule or a YouTube short, I need to work with the grain of the game and make sure I’m emphasizing the elements that make it special.
For my first game, Puzzle Milk Tea, its identity should be centered around fun and vibrant colors with the feeling of ordering a drink at a boba shop. Player customization and round shapes become key parts of the brand. The mechanics of the game should align with that as well, so that players experience the game as a round and bubbly time.
Now that I have a better understanding of how to analyze and design a brand, I need to rethink what that means for Sunday Brunch Studios. The name is meant to be something that feels familiar and welcoming, which aligns with my current mission of “bringing people together through video games”. Originally, this meant making play experiences that people would want to share. Now, I want this to also extend to creating games with others and being an active part of the game dev community. As I start to engage more with players and game creators, I want to make a deliberate effort to be mindful of how I authentically show up and present myself. This is not meant to be a way to virtue signal to others. It’s meant to be my own compass that can center me in all situations. I will definitely share more on this as I continue redesigning the studio brand as part of class.
Here are some sketches of new logos. Send me a reply if you have a favorite! 1, 2, 3, or 4
As one of my professors loves to say, “A brand is what a friend tells a friend”. I’m excited to know what people will say about Sunday Brunch Studios in the future. For now, I’ll continue honing my craft and experimenting my way toward a path to full time game development. Thank you so much for supporting my journey and I look forward to talking to you again soon.
Cheers,
Connor