Branding & Graphic Design at Cal Poly

Students interested in designing a brand will get a chance to use programs like Adobe Creative to translate their big branding ideas into a physical product that will entice consumers to engage with their new brand.

Program Highlights

Learn the essential aspects of branding a business from effective creative design through product delivery.

Explore how to identify a brand personality, perform market and user research, and learn how to design with consideration for graphic and tactile elements with the consideration of what technologies might required to make it all happen.

Get a chance to design an entire suite of marketing elements for business, such as business cards, stationary, banners, packaging, and other promotional items.

Residential Tuition:
$4,998

Session 1:
June 23, 2024 July 5, 2024

Session 2:
July 7, 2024 July 19, 2024

Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo
Cal Poly SLO - San Luis Obispo, CA

Course Overview

In this course, students interested in designing a brand will get a chance to use programs like Adobe Creative to translate their big branding ideas into a physical product that will entice consumers to engage with their new brand.

Aspiring brand designers will learn how to compose a style guide for their new brand.

Once the brand has been conceived and designed, students will get to work printing, converting, and finishing their design to make into something tangible that their target consumers will get to interact with in the marketplace.

Throughout this course, students will learn how to recognize elements associated with a brand’s graphical and physical parts, think Nike’s swoosh, Supreme’s red rectangular logo, and McDonald’s golden arches.

Meet your instructor

Colleen Twomey

Branding & Graphic Design Cal Poly SLO

Colleen Larkin Twomey is a Cal Poly Professor and Department Chair of the Graphic Communications Department. She received her Masters in Business Administration from the University of Delaware, and received her B.S. in Printing Management from Rochester Institute of Technology. She has taught for 22 years at Cal Poly SLO and has served as the Graphic Communications Department Chair for over 3 years.

Learn more

Topics you'll explore

Course Structure

There are nine 3-hour class sessions over the two-week course. During week one, students have class from 9am-12pm, Monday - Friday. During week two, students have class from 9am-12pm Monday through Thursday. Wednesday afternoons are dedicated to additional academic time (excursions, speakers).

Hands on Learning

Students will spend a majority of their time working on hands-on projects in the lab. They will have access to the Cal Poly SLO student-managed, student-operated commercial printing and digital imaging enterprise within the Graphic Communication Department.