Clickety-clacks along the LogoMotives tracks

During the past few months quite a few mentions and sightings of Jeff Fisher LogoMotives have popped in the blog-o-sphere and elsewhere:

A new review of my first book, The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success My book The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success was originally released in the fall of 2004. Recently, Guatemalan design pal Kitty Florido came across a copy and wrote a review for her Design\ blog. Although out-of-print, copies of Savvy Designer may be found in some bookstores, on Amazon and in its newer format of PDF on CD. [12.21.09]

10 simple, yet effective logos Over the past year, Jeremy Knauff - Creative Director of website design, graphic design and marketing firm Wildfire Marketing Group - has interviewed me and used me as a resource in articles such as this one on simplicity in logo design. [12.17.09]

25 Naughty Logo Designs – Don’t miss the fun! It's always fun being a little bit naughty when creating some of my logo designs. My graphic for the play "2 Boys in a Bed on a Cold Winter's Night," featured in this Graphic design Blog entry, has always been fun and controversial. [12.10.09]

40 Logo Designs with negative beauty - An interesting trick My design for What's For Dinner is included in this interesting collection from the Logo Design Blog [12.02.09]

Creative Medical Logos - 22 Logos to inspire The Corporate Logo Design blog was kind enough to include my identity design for Hospice of Humboldt in this collection of medical images. As an organization based in Northern California's beautiful Humboldt County there was a desire for the design to have a more organic and friendly quality than your average healthcare-related logo. [11.12.09]

What Designers Really Want For Christmas 2009 On the Little Box of Ideas blog 37 designers shared their holidays wishlists with designer/blogger Sneh Roy. [11.12.09]

How to Network On-line for Your Next Big Project Long-time cyber pal Calvin Lee wrote about how his work ended up being included in my book Identity Crisis! in this Method to the Mayhem blog entry. In the piece he stresses the importance of online networking through a variety of resources. [11.09.09]

10 Inspirational Interviews for Designers On the PowerUsers blog from India, Nikhil Misal posted a list of 10 interviews all designers should read. The 2008 interview that Australian designer Jacob Cass did with me for his Just Creative Design site is among those featured. [11.09.09]

Gardens and Their Designers My garden is a passion and my best therapy from the stresses of everyday life. it was fun being included in the Design Observer slideshow of designers from around the country in their gardens. [10.19.09]

Thomas James Illustration website and blog It was great to read the new blog of Portland illustrator Thomas James when he conveyed that I had inspired him to create a new "blogfolio" for his business efforts. James is also the individual behind Escape from Illustration Island - and we actually had the opportunity to meet in person when he did a podcast interview with me. [10.09.09]

Braintalk with Jeff Fisher I really appreciated design Thomas Ulbricht reaching out to me from Germany, via Twitter, to request an interview for the design industry site Sharebrain [10.07.09]

Interview Series: Jeff Fisher on success and freelancing The new site Freelance Show initiated their interview series with your truly as the subject. The Freelance Show will bring practical, real-world advice from 12-year veteran Creative Director and graphic design instructor, Neil Brown. [10.05.09]

Best Logo Designs Created by You - Part 1 On his blog ImJustCreative, UK designer Graham Smith posted several examples of what logo creators from around the world considered their best logos. My DataDork image has always been a personal favorite and continues to bring attention to my work. [10.02.09]

Check out some past clickety-clacks.

© 2009 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

A look back at '09: Interviews with Jeff Fisher

This year brought about some incredible opportunities to be interviewed by design sites and various blogs:

Braintalk with Jeff Fisher, Sharebrain (Read more here.)

Interview Series: Jeff Fisher on Success And Freelancing, Freelance Show (Read more here.)

Interview with Jeff Fisher LogoMotives' Jeff Fisher, PsPrint Design and Printing Blog (Read more here.)

Jeff Fisher LogoMotives: Toot! Toot! (Two Parts), Neenah Paper: Against the Grain (Read more here.)

Designers' Couch: Interview with Jeff Fisher (Read more here.)

'Make it Big' by Blogging an Interview with Jeff Fisher and Sheri L Koetting, The Creative Group e-Zine (Read more here.)

People to Watch in 2009, Graphic Design USA - GDUSA (Read more here.)

© 2009 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Portland law firm identity by Jeff Fisher LogoMotives included in LogoLounge 'Initials & Crests' volume

An identity design by Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, is included in the recently released book LogoLounge Master Library, Volume 1: 3,000 Initials & Crest Logos. The volume, produced by the web presence LogoLounge and Rockport Publishers, features over 3000 logo design examples from around the world.

Created by Fisher in 1997, for the Portland law firm Samuels Yoelin Kantor Seymour & Spinrad, the logo is a graphic representation of two heavy law books forming an "S" letterform. The image was honored with a Bronze in the Summit Creative Awards. It has also appeared in the PRINT Regional Design Annual and the books International Logos & Trademarks IV, Letterhead and Logo Design 5, New Logo & Trademark Design (Japan), The Big Book of Logos, Global Corporate Identity, The Best of Letterhead and Logo Design, and Logo and Trademark Collection (Japan).

In an interesting side note, Fisher's spouse Ed Cunningham was hired in 2009 as the first Executive Director of the law firm in its history of over 80 years in business.

© Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

A look back at '09: Podcasts with Jeff Fisher

Throughout 2009 I was interviewed by many sources. Two audio interviews were broadcast in the form of podcasts:

Escape from Illustration Island and syndicated at the site IllustrationMundo (Read more here)

The Reflex Blue Show (Read more here)

© 2009 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Logodotes: Dishin' With Divine

[Over the 30+ years I've worked professionally as a designer, interesting side stories have come up about my identity designs. This is the fourth in an ongoing series of "Logodotes" - anecdotes about my logo designs.]

While in high school and college, in the 1970s, I created ink line drawings of historic Oregon architecture to be sold in galleries, and marketed as prints and notecards. I was often commissioned to execute illustrations of specific structures. At the University of Oregon, I was asked to produce such original art of many of the fraternity and sorority residences on campus. Within the fine detail of the drawings I would hide the Greek alphabet forms representative on my own fraternity, Sigma Chi.

Over the years, I have occasionally had the opportunity to hide similar graphic elements within some identity projects. One such effort was a logo created for a theatrical production of the show "Dishin' With Divine."

A designer does not often get the chance to create a logo featuring a infamous female impersonator such as Divine. The 1994 request to design the identity for the one-man show, written by my friend Don Horn, provided a great opportunity to possibly be playful with the image. I found the chance within the eye of the illustrative element of Divine's portrait. As my personal little "wink," the graphic element representing the reflection of the eye was created in the shape of a women's high heel shoe (above).

The fun with "Divine" didn't end with the logo design. T-shirts featuring the image were produced for the show. In designing the paper doll book Dressin' With Design, I got to art direct my college friend Tracy Hayes as she provided the illustrations for the item to be sold at performances. A set of paper doll refrigerator magnets, complimenting the book, was also produced as a marketing tool. Occasionally the collectible book and magnets may now be found on online auction sites.

© 2009 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Calls for entries: Upcoming graphic design competition and book submission deadlines

All of the following competition or book submission deadlines present great opportunities to showcase your design efforts, market your work on an international scale through the published books, and "toot!" your own horn to clients, peers and the media:

Identity Essentials
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline Extended: Better late than never - it appears entries are still being accepted
No entry fees charged

Graphis Poster Annual 2011
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline Extended: 7 December 2009
Entry fees charged

Selected A: Graphic Design From Europe
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 11 December 2009
Entry fees charged

Select I: Graphic Design Annual
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 11 December 2009
Entry fees charged

Logoliscious (formerly The Mini Book of Great Logos)
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline: 15 December 2009
No entry fees charged

The Faces of Design Awards 2010
(Faces of Design - Germany)
Portfolio Submission Deadline: 15 December 2009
Entry fees charged

American Graphic Design & Advertising Awards 26
(AGDA - USA)
Late Deadline: 22 December 2009 (Late fees charged)
Entry fees charged

2009 American Package Design Awards
(Graphic Design USA - USA)
Deadline Extended (due to weather issues): 30 December 2009
Entry fees charged

My Own Business Card, Volume Two
(Design and Design - France)
Deadline: 31 December 2009
No entry fees charged

PRINT in Motion
(PRINT Magazine - USA)
Final Deadline: 31 December 2009 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

I.D. Annual Design Review
(I.D. Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 31 December 2009
Entry fees charged

The Best of Sin Design (Naughty Products. Great Advertising.)
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline Extended: 31 December 2009
No entry fees charged

Just Sit! Chairs and Stools Design
(Design and Design - France)
Deadline: 31 December 2009
No entry fees charged

HOW Logo Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Final Deadline: 31 December 2009 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

HOW Poster Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Final Deadline: 31 December 2009 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

ABC Dimensional
(Laurence King - UK)
Deadline: 6 January 2010
No entry fees charged

PUB 45: Rare Specimens
(Society of Publication Designers - USA)
Deadline: 8 January 2010
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Illustration Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 11 January 2010
Entry fees charged

Graphis Design Annual 2011
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 11 January 2010
Entry fees charged

The Dieline Awards - Best in Package Design
(The Dieline - USA)
Late deadline: 12 January 2010
Entry fees charged - No discounts

The Big Book of Packaging
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline: 15 January 2010
No entry fees charged

Creative Review Annual 2010
(Creative Review - UK)
Extended Deadline: 15 January 2010
Entry fees charged

Top 100 New Creatives
(CMYK Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 17 January 2010
Entry fees charged

American Photography 26
(American Photography - USA)
Deadline: 22 January 2010
Entry fees charged

Summit Creative Award
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline: 25 January 2010
Entry fees charged

D&AD Awards 2010
(D&AD - UK)
Deadline: 27 January 2010
Entry fees charged

Wolda '09
(Eulda Books - Italy)
Deadline: 31 January 2010 (logos designed in 2009)
Entry fees charged

LogoLounge 6
(LogoLounge - USA)
Deadline: 15 February 2010
LogoLounge membership required

Green Graphics
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 15 February 2010
No entry fees charged

Common Interest
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 15 February 2010
No entry fees charged

American Illustration 29
(American Illustration - USA)
Deadline: 19 February 2010
Entry fees charged

PRINT Regional Design Annual
(PRINT Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 1 March 2010
Entry fees charged

HOW Promotion Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 5 March 2010
Late Deadline: 22 March 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Photography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 29 March 2010
Entry fees charged

Mail Me Art 2
(Mail Me Art - UK)
Deadline: 31 March 2010
No entry fees charged

Mediabistro Logo Awards
(Mediabistro - USA)
Deadline: 31 March 2010
Entry fees charged

HOW In-HOWse Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 15 April 2010
Late Deadline: 10 May 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Golden Bee 9: Moscow International Biennale of Graphic Design
(Golden Bee - Russia)
Deadline: 15 April 2010
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Design Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 14 May 2010
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Advertising Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 14 May 2010
Entry fees charged

Book of the Year, Volume 3
(Design & Design - France)
Deadline: 30 September 2010
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Interactive Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 8 October 2010
Entry fees charged

Logo Nest
(Logo Nest - International)
Deadline: 31 December 2010
No entry fees charged

PAPERWORKS Letterhead Contest
(Neenah Paper - USA)
Deadline: Ongoing - judged quarterly
No entry fees charged

PAPERWORKS Text And Cover Contest
(Neenah Paper - USA)
Deadline: Ongoing - judged quarterly
No entry fees charged

(To make sure you are reading the latest bLog-oMotives design competition update click here.)

You may want to read my article about participating in design industry competitions: A Winning Strategy. It has appeared on the Creative Latitude and NO!SPEC web sites.

A design competition calendar is also available at Icograda. Lürzer's ARCHIVE also has an impressive online list of competitions sponsored by international magazines and organizations. Dexinger posts competitions of great value to industry professionals - however designers need to be aware that some of the listings are for "spec" work as a requirement for submission. Requests for new, or speculative, work as a condition of entering a "contest" are much different than legitimate design competition "calls for entries," in which previously created works are judged for possible awards, exhibition, or publication in an annual or other book.

My own work appears in over 130 graphic design books. Many of those inclusions are the result of design competitions, or requests for submissions, like those listed above.

For the perspective from the other side of design competitions, I wrote a bLog-oMotives entry about judging the 2007 Summit Creative Awards.

Good luck!

© 2009 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives