Challenge: creating a brand identity for Australian comedian Nina Oyama

Think you know what it takes to create a brand identity from scratch? 

In partnership with Punkee, we challenged our graduates to put the skills they learnt at Billy Blue College of Design at Torrens University Australia to the test.  

Enter Isabel Ugonotti: a gifted graphic designer and Billy Blue graduate. Isabel was tasked with creating a unique brand identity for Australian comedian Nina Oyama. 
 
Spoiler alert: she smashed the brief. Watch Nina’s reaction as Isabel describes her creative process, from designing a logo in Adobe Illustrator to creating a style guide using Adobe InDesign. 

“I wanted Nina’s brand to be raw, authentic, honest and relatable... much like her comedy,” says Isabel, who took cues from the comedian’s fashion sense and personality. 

At Billy Blue, we teach our Graphic and Communication Design students how to push their creativity to the max. Whether it be through typography, iconography or illustration, they hone their craft throughout their studies so that future challenges are met with winning solutions.  

Plus, our courses are designed together with industry. Which means our students leave here with the theoretical know-how, business insights and practical skills to launch a successful career. 

Steps to creating a brand identity 

To create your own brand identity, follow Isabel’s steps: 

1. Read the brief 
Understand the task at hand and begin ideating solutions to the proposed brief or creative problem. 
 
2. Conduct research and look for inspiration  
Plan your approach by researching ideas and finding inspiration for the design you want to create. 

3. Create a logo in Adobe Illustrator 
Design your logo, drawing from your research and inspiration. 

4. Build a brand guideline in Adobe InDesign 
Build out your guidelines, deciding on the look, feel and tone of the brand. Use your logo as the foundation, then choose a colour palette and typeface. These guidelines will be applied in various contexts – think website, social media, business cards and more.  

5. Showcase your work 
Now that you’ve got your brand logo and identity, it’s time to put them to work. 

 
Want to see Isabel’s final design? Full video including Nina’s reaction below: 

Start your adventure into Graphic and Communication Design today.