It's been just about a year since I started writing my new book, Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands. Yes, it was originally to be "100 redesigns that..." - but mid-project it was decided to reformat things a bit, limiting the book to 50 case studies that would be given even greater attention in the volume.
Writing a book is a frustrating, exhausting, exciting, and incredibly rewarding experience. "Herding" designers from around the world, in such a collaborative process, makes that process even more challenging and interesting.
For me, this project has meant many long nights, many weekends spent writing, too many emails to count, and working vacations - or even more work on business trips - to numerous locations over the past 12 months.
Today the proof of the book layout arrived via UPS. It was a great feeling to open the package and see the labor of the past year in a real book format. My editor Amy Schell has done a great job in fine-tuning the text, helping to select the redesigns that are included, and keeping me on track when necessary. Book designer Grace Ring has turned that text, and over 500 graphic images, into a book that should be an excellent resource for any designer taking on a rebranding effort or the client considering a design makeover for their business, organization or product. The book will feature solutions to the identity crisis issues of Mom-and-Pop businesses to major corporations - exhibiting the creative efforts of one-person design shops to some of the most recognized larger firms in the industry.
Over the next week I will be checking, and double-checking, the book content. Through that process many of those who have contributed projects for the book will learn that their work is in the final volume. I do appreciate both your contributions to the book and your patience through the process of writing, editing and designing the book. My pesky emails, questions about text content and requests for addition images have all been in the hope of creating a great book - and putting the work of the featured designers in the best light.
Following this next week, the book will be off to press, with a target release date of sometime in October. Once my review of the book is returned to HOW Design Books, for final edits and changes, I will make an official announcement of the designers, firms and projects that will be featured in the published book.
Thanks again to all who have contributed time, energy, words of wisdom, and case studies for Identity Crisis!. It's almost time for me to go into design book author "rehab" to recover from the process!
(Note: Thanks to UnBeige for the mention.)
© 2007 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives
