Innocent
Make everyday things feel simpler.
Voice
Clear, hopeful, sincere.
Portfolio evidence
Show a project that removes an unnecessary complication.
Watch out for
Oversimplifying a difficult problem.
IS373 FIELD NOTES / 04 / BRAND ARCHETYPES
What character does your work reveal?
A brand archetype is a storytelling lens. Use it to make your portfolio’s voice and choices more consistent, then support that story with real work.
A creative framework, not a personality test.
Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson popularized this branding framework in The Hero and the Outlaw (2001). Names vary across adaptations: Everyperson is also called Regular Guy/Gal, and Outlaw is often called Rebel. These are prompts, not universal categories or guaranteed marketing outcomes.
Read about Mark and Pearson’s framework ↗12 ways to tell your story.
Build your brand brief ↓Explorer
Find possibilities beyond the familiar.
Voice
Curious, independent, open.
Portfolio evidence
Document an experiment and what surprised you.
Watch out for
Novelty without a clear purpose.
Sage
Make complex ideas understandable.
Voice
Thoughtful, precise, explanatory.
Portfolio evidence
Publish research, sources, and the reasoning behind decisions.
Watch out for
Expert language that excludes readers.
Hero
Meet the challenge with skill and effort.
Voice
Determined, direct, encouraging.
Portfolio evidence
Show a difficult constraint and the work you did to overcome it.
Watch out for
Overclaiming individual credit.
Outlaw
Question the convention that is holding us back.
Voice
Challenging, candid, independent.
Portfolio evidence
Explain a rule you challenged and why the alternative worked.
Watch out for
Rebellion that makes the experience harder to use.
Magician
Turn a possibility into a new experience.
Voice
Imaginative, compelling, visionary.
Portfolio evidence
Pair a working transformation with an explanation of how it works.
Watch out for
Mystique replacing honest explanation.
Everyperson
Make useful things for people like us.
Voice
Approachable, practical, conversational.
Portfolio evidence
Show collaboration and the ordinary needs behind the brief.
Watch out for
Becoming so generic that your contribution disappears.
Lover
Make the experience feel considered.
Voice
Attentive, expressive, appreciative.
Portfolio evidence
Explain details that help people feel understood.
Watch out for
Surface beauty without substance.
Jester
Bring a little delight to the task.
Voice
Playful, witty, spontaneous.
Portfolio evidence
Show a playful interaction that still helps someone finish their task.
Watch out for
Humor that distracts or excludes.
Caregiver
Help people feel supported.
Voice
Supportive, patient, reassuring.
Portfolio evidence
Document accessibility decisions and helpful error recovery.
Watch out for
Speaking for users instead of listening to them.
Creator
Make something worth bringing into the world.
Voice
Inventive, thoughtful, expressive.
Portfolio evidence
Share sketches, iterations, and the finished craft.
Watch out for
Perfectionism that hides unfinished learning.
Ruler
Create a system people can rely on.
Voice
Composed, responsible, decisive.
Portfolio evidence
Show consistent components, documentation, and clear ownership.
Watch out for
An authoritative voice that feels inflexible.
YOUR TURN / BRAND BRIEF
Choose a voice. Back it up.
YOUR WORKING DIRECTION
Creator
For a future internship team, your voice is inventive, thoughtful, expressive.
Your promise: Make something worth bringing into the world.
Show it: Share sketches, iterations, and the finished craft.
Visual starting point: Distinct compositions, process imagery, crafted details.
Your entries stay in this page until you leave or reload. Download the brief to keep them.
An archetype does not dictate a theme. A Creator can use a Swiss grid, and a Sage can use an expressive cover. Choose the visual language that serves your audience and evidence.