A theoretical exploration and practical application of the principles of branding design for a non-profit organisation in South Africa

Abstract

Being situated in the discourse of branding design theory, this study explores principles of branding design to aid the practical application of such principles in the redesign of an existing non-profit brand in South Africa. The value of this study lies in the amalgamation of existing theory on commercial and non-profit branding and its subsequent application as validation criteria (brand audit criteria), which is used to test both the initial and redesigned brand for the non-profit organisation in question, namely Irene Homes. The application of this theory to a practical, non-profit case study contributes to the discourse of branding in the non-profit sphere, as research in this field is limited and not focused on a single, comprehensive case study. Furthermore, the synthesis of theory relating to collaborative design research and iterative design processes, arriving at a model that has been tailored for the non-profit case study, allows the opportunity for this process to be used in future non-profit branding endeavours. Thus, the study makes a contribution to the field of practice-based research, by documenting and critiquing a design process specific to branding design in a non-profit context. By including reflective practices in the design process, the study enables a holistic view of practical branding design processes and the limitations and opportunities arising when this is applied to a non-profit organisation. By focusing on an existing, South African non-profit organisation as a case study, the study contributes to South African design research in the field of branding design for non-profit organisations.