Case Study:
Personal Branding
in Graphic Design
Melanie Mendieta
“I aspire to be a political scientist and immigration lawyer helping minority groups. As an immigrant myself, I have seen how hard the process is for my Latino community. I want to show people that they belong in this country just as much as any other person who is a citizen already. I want to help people. That’s my ultimate goal.”
Logo
A people-first approach is vital to Melanie, both because of her personal values and because she wants to make her future clients feel welcome. Additionally, as stated before, maps are a pivotal piece of her branding because she wants to act as a metaphorical map for others. Because of this, each "i" in her logo references both a human silhouette and a pin in a map.
Photography Style
Because Melanie wants to one day help minority groups navigate the complex immigration system, photographs of maps are used extensively throughout her branding. This bolsters the theme of Melanie guiding people from one location to another.
Letterhead
Her letterhead contains an image of a map with typography and lines darting across the page. The white rectangle containing the words in the letterhead gives the readers' eyes a place to rest.
Overarching Branding
Before we explore further, we should touch on the cornerstone of Melanie's professional identity: guidance. In her future career
as an immigration lawyer, Melanie wants to help people navigate the convoluted immigration system. Because of this, imagery
of maps are used throughout her branding.
Typography
Melanie's future line of work is serious. She needs to convey to employers that she is professional and prepared. This is why her branding consists of authoritative serif font family like ones often used in important places like government buildings and legal offices. The typeface, called Timeless, is effective and professional.
Color Palette
Melanie's color palette utilizes bold colors to reflect her confidence and competency, as well as earthy colors to convey her welcoming nature. The colors are also derived from the Nicaraguan flag, the country that Melanie immigrated from. This personal tie to her color palette emotionally signals a person to feel both trustful and confident in Melanie.
Business Card
The map-like imagery in Melanie's business card depicts how she plans to help minority groups navigate the immigration system.
Her business card folds open, referencing the unfolding of a map. The outside is dotted
with pins sticking out of the map, creating an image of a complex road to immigration; Melanie realizes how difficult the immigration system is and does not shy from it.
Envelope
Melanie's envelope remains consistent with the theme of helping others navigate the immigration system. In this envelope, the viewer is given a sense of ease from the singular, confident pin in the map pointing to the address in the center.
Career Brochure
Because Melanie has a connection to immigration, this personalized brochure is designed to display her story in a memorable way. It is modeled after a foldable map and when it is unfurled the reader is not only presented with Melanie's contact information and relevant experience, but also a roadmap detailing her journey to immigration law. This allows future employers to see that Melanie has purposefully thought about her future and has taken actionable steps to fulfill her goals.
Community Involvement Book
As a future immigration lawyer who values belonging, it makes sense why Melanie is involved with so many community-oriented organizations. This booklet acts as a guidebook of Melanie's involvement. It displays how she leads people to success in her community through leadership, strength, and empathy.
Social Media
Melanie's social media accounts feature images of her gaining hands-on experience and interacting with her community.