Design students in Grade 9 have begun a new unit exploring Company Refreshing and Rebranding.
Students have been asked to research and examine local companies in the area and then carry out a plan to update the company’s image by making changes to logos, online presence, slogans, and even suggestions for altering product offerings.
We were lucky enough to have Moira Drexler, former FIS parent and owner of Australiss, take the time to answer student questions around her company’s goals and values. She also shared the challenges and opportunities local business owners in the area are faced with to help students understand the design problem. Students were surprised to learn about traditional wholesalers who can now easily also be retailers and how this changes the dynamics in local businesses. While many students had searched well-known sites like Amazon as price comparisons, they hadn’t considered how a local business owner could compete with these prices.
Students have been learning about the MYP global connection between personal and cultural expression and how this can extend to brand loyalty. It will be intriguing to see how students’ final designs incorporate this into their selected company’s brand identity.
Allen Lindblad
Director, ICT
