Week 3 Part B: Developing a Brand

    

    I'm developing a brand by the name of "Dun Central." The development process has been a growing experience for me as I continue to learn about marketing, e-commerce, and building a solid brand foundation. I just want to develop games, but before I can sit around all day learning to clean up my code and create an efficient engine, I'll have to find a way to get some passive income. After some research and talking to people I discovered something called dropshipping, as well as how easy it is for any individual to start a brand or just start selling products online.

    I've always been inspired by aesthetic design, whether it be architecture, digital art, etc., and appreciative toward a clean and appealing UI. I've found that I am somewhat passionate toward graphic design and have been striving to develop my skills in my free time by watching tutorials on Youtube and taking courses on Udemy. After taking a break from college, I decided to return last semester. Staying focused for the semester, contrary to my typical habits, I was able to achieve a 4.0 GPA for the first time in my life. Ecstatic and motivated, I decided to continue on towards my associate's degree. I have spent countless hours of my life sitting at a computer desk, many of those hours playing games, and many of them researching and studying topics that interest me. I like to consider myself tech-savvy, having built a few computers, and repaired several others. I am taking four Computer Science Information Tech classes this semester, hoping to accelerate my learning in the industry. 

    After a few years of learning I am confident in my skills and believe I may be able to start building a brand. It started with an idea that I had as an overzealous teenager. I used to watch a lot of Spongebob on TV, but now I can only vaguely remember an episode where Spongebob was trying to teach the antagonist of the series, Plankton, what fun is. Somehow during those crazy years, in a moment of entropy, I coined the phrase "Dun Central," which seemed to catch on and make people laugh. As a tribute to good times, I've decided to use Dun Central as my personal brand name. I believe it envisions a place that has no limits on what is achievable. One day, coincidentally just a few weeks before this semester, I finally put my plan into action and put together a logo for Dun Central. Using my Apertura AD8 and old Samsung Galaxy S7, I am able to snap photos of the moon in different phases, and pulling these photos into Photoshop, I'm able to edit them as I see fit. I used a couple edited pictures of the moon to make a simple, yet appealing montage to set the scene for a well-placed but off-center "DUN." I overlaid the whole thing with a gradient of some of my favorite colors, as well as some other adjustments to touch it up.

    Dun Central is a brand that focuses on creating digital art and designing merchandise related to trending topics, with enthusiasm toward astronomy, game development, investing, education, and a passion for inspiration, motivation, and fun. Using Printify, Dun Central is able to apply custom designs to common brands such as Gilden, Champion, Hanes, and many more. These customized products are then listed online using Etsy, and soon, also on Shopify. Besides selling merchandise, Dun Central posts content on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and eventually Youtube. These posts are intended to generate a following for the brand while sharing and documenting the skill progression and shifts in interest that will likely occur over the years. To date, Dun Central has three products available for purchase and six posts on social media. While attending school full-time, Dun Central's development will be backend oriented, creating a solid foundation and understanding of the path forward, while being less active than usual with graphic design and digital arts.

    Analyzing how businesses operate and learning how brands can effectively market themselves has led me to gain a decent understanding of the development process for a small startup company. I understand the importance of consistency. A brand should have a specific and recognizable logo that is used for every instance that a logo is required or opted for. Establishing and maintaining an online presence is imperative for brand recognition in this era. Understanding how to appeal to and satisfy the needs of a target group of hobbyists or enthusiasts in the plethora of consumers that are constantly scrounging social media for entertainment, goods, or services to embellish their lives is crucial to fortifying a brand's following and gaining supporters. I have confidence in Dun Central, although being just one individual with a lack of income, free-time, and probably serotonin, I know it will be a long and formidable entity to establish and maintain up to my expectations. The most important part is staying motivated.