The Design Tax

We’re all subjects—designers and non-designers—to hidden design taxes.

About Branding, Core BeliefsDJ TrischlerSeptember 25, 2022design tax, branding, vibe, restaurants, heskett, neighborhood-centered design

How's the White Habitus?

I had never heard the term white habitus before Pastor/sociologist Oneya Okuwobi introduced me to the idea this past Sunday at church. I was telling her about my theory that company brands are modern-day receptionists. Like a receptionist, as Don Draper advises in Mad Men, a brand's job is to “manage people's expectations” (Weiner and Cleveland, 2008)…

Branding In A Time Of Covid

The visual identity for Covid-19 is pretty scary. It’s often a super-condensed sans-serif typeface, all caps, in blood red. I’m pretty sure the design team went to movie posters for Outbreak and Contagion for inspiration. As much as I don’t love the Millennialification of everything via branding, I was curious about what the Covid-19 identity would look like if it was more approachable like Chobani. It’s incredible how much a few colors and typefaces can change the presentation of an idea. I’m left almost as scared of branding as I am of Covid-19.

What's The Matter With Branding?

For the first installment of Process Out Loud, I interviewed my friend Emily Hill. Emily recently earned her Ph.D. from the University of Aberdeen, where she wrote her dissertation on perils of marketing as it relates to the Church. Emily and I often find ourselves in conversations related to theology, branding, marketing, research, and design. I felt the desire to share the ideas of our discussions because, as you will read, most people are totally unaware of how brands influence them. Likewise, designers, like me, are often unaware of the influence we have on others through the brands we create. While I'm still left with questions after chatting with Emily, I think those questions will influence my approach to design and branding for the better. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

On Brand and Religion Part 1

Brand and religion are two things I think about often. Branding is what I choose to do as a career, and religion helps me frame my faith. Not a day goes by when I don't think about these two subjects. However, it's not often that I think of them at the same time. Yet, these past weeks, I've been starting to wonder if the two have more in common than expected.

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