Database official
My thesis is finally available on Google Scholar
My master’s thesis, Brand New: How Visual Context Shapes Initial Response to Logos and Corporate Visual Identity Systems, has finally made it to ProQuest and appears in Google Scholar* searches. If you have access to the ProQuest database through a university or public library, you can download the full PDF. I’m proud of how it turned out, and look forward to continuing my research into visual context during my Ph.D. studies. Here’s the abstract:
When a new logo is released, it does not have an established meaning in the mind of the viewer. As logos have become more highly scrutinized by consumers and critics, it has become more important to understand consumers’ initial response to logos. While other studies have researched the impact of aesthetic choices on viewer reaction to logos, few researchers have attempted to understand the effect of the surrounding visual identity system when a new logo is introduced. This study combines a content analysis of the logo review website Brand New with the voting data from their polls to understand how visual context correlates with a viewer’s initial response. The study also takes into account the different types of context that can be presented – from logo variations and environmental examples to videos and animation – and their varied effects. Results show that most types of visual context correlate to improved viewer response.
Anyway, feel free to check it out. If you don’t have access and want a copy, reach out and I’ll send you a PDF. Now comes the difficult part — editing my 84-page, 17,000 word thesis into a 5,000 to 7,000 word journal article.
* Also, because I have an official publication, I now also have an official Google Scholar profile.
Bob Wertz writes about design, technology and pop culture at Sketchbook B. Bob is a Columbia, South Carolina-based designer, University of South Carolina Ph.D. student, mass comm researcher, college instructor, husband and dad. He’s particularly obsessed with typography, the creative process and the tools we use to create. Bob occasionally and begrudgingly posts to Twitter and Instagram. He wears a mask and got vaccinated to protect his community. #TeamModerna