bLog-oMotives: February 2010

Jeff Fisher serves as first guest judge for identity design inspiration site Logo From Dreams

Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for Portland-based Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, was recently invited to be the first guest judge for the identity design inspiration website Logo From Dreams. After reviewing the logo designs featured during the month of February, Fisher selected the identity announced on the site today as Logo of the Month for February.

Logo From Dreams was introduced in November 2007 as a showcase for the most creative and inspired logo design from around the world. From the submitted identities a Logo of the Day is posted on the site. Guest judges - well-known international identity designers - now select the Logo of the Month. A Logo of the Year is named annually. On regular basis, Logo From Dreams also shares identity design information and examples on its blog.

Toots Caboose and Rose Festival Character Clown Corps pals clown around on KATU's AM Northwest

Last spring I had the pleasure of being accepted to Clown School for the Portland Rose Festival Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corps. In the intense three-day workshop I created the identity of my clown alter-ego Toots Caboose, designed signature make-up, coordinated a train engineer costume, created a physical persona for the character and learned how to play well with other clowns.

My participation in the 2009 Character Clown Corps was an incredible experience, with public appearances at National Train Day at historic Union Station, the Fred Meyer Junior Rose Parade and the KeyBank Grand Floral Parade as major highlights. Walking the Grand Floral Parade route, with an estimated 500,000 viewers lining the downtown Portland streets, was a bit overwhelming.

Earlier this week, I got an email from Boss Clown Angel Ocasio asking that Toots Caboose participate in a Character Clown Corps effort to recruit members of the clown class of 2010 with an appearance on KATU's AM Northwest show. At the Portland Rose Festival office, Angel, clown pal Dolly and I were met by AM Northwest producer/reporter Janice Bangs - and "Cameraman Bob."

Cameraman Bob, Dolly, Toots Caboose, Bango and Boss Clown Angel after taping the Portland Rose Festival Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corps recruiting segment for AM Northwest

Out of costume, Dolly (Michele) and I joined Angel in judging the possible new recruit's clown school audition (video above - top). After Bangs nailed her try-out, Angel coordinated the makeup and costume that transformed the reporter into Bango - while clowns Dolly and Toots Caboose evolved in the background. Our AM Northwest segment taping came to an end with Angel, Dolly and Toots Caboose assisting Bango with her first clown trick. It was a fun afternoon of clowning around.

The Portland Rose Festival Character Clown Corps is currently seeking applicants, age 14 years and older, for its 2010 clown workshop class. If interested, applications must be received by Monday, March 1, 2010. Additional information, and a downloadable application form, are available on the Character Clown Corps website.

HOW/Print DesignCast - 'Using Social Media as a (Free!) Marketing Tool' - available for purchase

The recent HOW/Print DesignCast "'Using Social Media as a (Free!) Marketing Tool" is now available as a download for purchase from MyDesignShop. Presented by Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, the DesignCast was described in a bit more detail in a previous bLog-oMotives entry.

Fisher's books Identity Crisis!: 100 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands and The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success (now a PDF on CD), previous DesignCasts, and selected past HOW Design Conference presentation audios are also available at MyDesignShop.

Special Offer: Purchase one HOW/Print DesignCast (archived or upcoming) valued at $69 or more and get one FREE! Use code HOWWB08A at checkout through midnight 02.28.10

Jeff Fisher and Ed Cunningham reflect on invalidated 2004 Oregon marriage in id Magazine issue

In early 2004, Multnomah County commissioners authorized the issuing of marriage licenses for same-sex couples in the Portland metropolitan area. On March 7th of that year, my partner of 14 years, Ed Cunningham, and I were married in front of about 60 friends and family on the stage of Theater! Theatre!. Publisher/editor (and personal friend) Christian Messer recently had us take a look back at that time in an interview for the "Gay Marriage...Where Oregon is Headed" issue of his publication id Magazine.

The article allowed us to reflect on the excitement, joy and disappointments of our wedding day during a historic time in Oregon. The issuing of same-sex marriage licenses in Multnomah County began a political battle over the issue that resulted later that year in an amendment to the Oregon Constitution defining marriage. Then, on April 14, 2005, the Oregon State Supreme Court ruled that all such licenses were void from their inception, and the court further ruled that the Oregon Constitution now expressly limits marriage to opposite-sex couples. The political and legal struggle for marriage equality in Oregon continues.

Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski signed a domestic partnership bill into law on May 9, 2007. Called the Oregon Family Fairness Act, the law would provide several major rights to same-sex couples that were previously only given to married couples, including the ability to file jointly on insurance forms, hospital visitation rights, and rights relating to the deceased partner. While January 1, 2008 was the date the statute would have taken effect, a court challenge delayed its implementation until being resolved on February 1, 2008, and the law went into effect that day, with registrations beginning on February 4, 2008.*

Soon afterwards Ed and I finally became legal domestic partners, recognized by the State of Oregon. However, our domestic partnership had already been registered with Portland and Multnomah County since 2000. As I mentioned to Christian Messer, while being interviewed for the id Magazine piece, by the time the same-sex marriage issue is finally resolved in Oregon we will be able to wallpaper a room with license and registration certificates related to our relationship.

Ed and I will celebrate 20 years together in May of this year.

id Magazine is a monthly publication for the LGBTIQ community of Portland and Oregon. It is distributed online and in print.

*Reference: Wikipedia

Portland Rose Festival searches for members of its 2010 Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corps class

Last spring the Jeff Fisher LogoMotives train got a little off track and I became Toots Caboose, a member of the Portland Rose Festival Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corps. I'd never had a burning desire to be a clown - but took on applying for the three-day clown school workshop, taught by professional clown Angel Ocasio, as a major challenge to step outside of my own personal comfort zone and be a part of a historic Portland tradition.

Class of 2009 Portland Rose Festival Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corps - Before (Photo by Brian Ross)

As I nervously met my classmates in clowning the first evening (above), I had no idea of what to expect from the clown workshop. By the end of the third day we'd established clown personas for ourselves, designed make-up, created costumes and had some fairly intense clown training (below). In just a few days, we were transformed from individuals from all walks of life to a troupe of clowns having shared an incredible life experience.

Class of 2009 Portland Rose Festival Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corps - After (Photo by Brian Ross)

Our clown characters continued to evolve throughout 2009 with public appearances at National Train Day at Union Station, the Fred Meyer Junior Rose Parade, the Key Bank Grand Floral Parade, and more. Toots Caboose was even tracked to situations not directly related to the Rose Festival. It was an amazing summer of activities.

Now, the search is on for the 2010 Character Clown Corps class. Applications for auditions are due on March 1, 2010. All information, and a downloadable application, may be found on the Portland Rose Festival Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corps web page.

Tenure as a member of the Character Clown Corps doesn't end with the calendar year of one's schooling. Clown workshop graduates are Portland Rose Festival ambassadors for life. In fact, members of the first two classes just made an appearance this past week, with Drewbo (Drew Carney) on the KGW Newschannel 8 at Sunrise, to promote the search for the 2010 clown class (below).

Check out a video clip of the KGW appearance, see some additional photos of the early morning event and get the perspective of Public Relations Manager Rich Jarvis on the Portland Rose Festival blog.

If you have an interest in some serious clowning around - and a whole lot of fun - you should consider submitting an application to become a member of the Portland Rose Festival Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corps.

Jeff Fisher's 'Talk Story with Jeni' goes live and host Jeni Herberger reflects on interview with 'husband'

This past week, Jeff Fisher - the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based design firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives - was the guest of longtime friend, "Speakers Gone Wild" pal and "conference wife," Jeni Herberger for the live broadcast of "Talk Story with Jeni." The archived interview is now available at the link for listening or download.

In addition, Herberger reflects on the recorded discussion in her blog entry "Doing What You Love To Do."

Previous "Talk Story" discussions - with riCardo crespo, Worldwide Group Creative Director of Mattel, Inc; RDQLUS Creative's Steve Gordon Jr.; and Michael Lejeune, Creative Director of LA Metro - are also available at JeniHerberger.com.

Art textbook for Singapore 5th grade students features C.A.T. logo design by Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

I often get requests from editors, writers and publishers for the use of my design work as illustrative examples in books and magazines. Once of the most unique arrived a couple months ago via email from an editor at textbook publisher Pearson Education South Asia. In collaboration with the Ministry of Education in Singapore, they were producing an art curriculum text for elementary school students and asked to include my logo design concept for the Cat Adoption Team in the book.

As a result, the logo appears in the textbook Perfect Match Art Primary 5, by Prisca Ko Hak Moi. This past week I received a copy of the book and I'm very impressed at what 5th grade students in Singapore are taught about art and design. The C.A.T. logo appears in a section titled "Wordplay," with lessons on logos, what different fonts convey, computer manipulation of text, and the replacing of letterforms with objects.

The Cat Adoption Team design won a Silver Award in the Summit Creative Awards. It is featured in the books Killed Ideas, Vol. 1, Letterhead & Logo Design 11, American Graphic Design & Advertising 25, and For a Good Cause (Spain). The yet to be published volumes LogoLounge Master Library Vol. 2, Logolicious and Logo Nest 01 (Australia) will also include the design.

Font Aid IV release 'Coming Together' benefits Haitian victims through Doctors Without Borders

The Society of Typographic Aficionados (SOTA) is proud to announce the release of “Coming Together”, a font created exclusively for Font Aid IV to benefit the victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti. The font consists entirely of ampersands, to represent the idea of people coming together to help one another. Nearly 400 type designers, graphic designers, and other artists from 37 countries around the world contributed artwork to the font.

The ampersand contribution of Jeff Fisher LogoMotives (above right) was inspired by traditional Haitian art hand-cut from discarded steel drums. The vines and leaves coming from the roots in the art, signify regrowth; while the bird taking flight represents hope for the future.

The font is being be sold for $20US and is available through font distributors Ascender Fonts, Veer, FontShop, and MyFonts. All proceeds from the sale of the font will go to Doctors Without Borders, to help with their relief efforts in Haiti.

The “Coming Together” font contains over 400 glyphs and is supplied as a single, cross-platform OpenType font. All glyphs are accessible using OpenType-savvy applications, Unicode-savvy utilities, the Character Map utility on Windows, and FontBook on Mac OS X.

Proceeds from previous Font Aid efforts have gone to UNICEF to help war and disaster refugees, benefit the victims of the September 11 tragedies in the US, and raised funds to expedite relief efforts in countries affected by the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunamis. In the 2005 Font Aid III initiative, a combined program of SOTA and Building Letters, designer Jeff Fisher submitted an icon that became part of the the collaborative Fleurons of Hope typeface.

'Talk Story with Jeni' to feature coffee talk, and clownin' around, between host and Jeff Fisher

Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based design firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives will be the guest of longtime friend, "Speakers Gone Wild" pal and "conference wife," Jeni Herberger for the live broadcast of "Talk Story with Jeni," this Thursday, February 11, 2010 at 1:00 PM PST/4:00 PM EST. The listener will be eavesdropping on two friends, as they have a cup of coffee and visit about whatever (and perhaps whomever) comes to their clever minds.

As Herberger explains:

Talk Story ('olelo Kama'ilio) is the casual yet deliberate sharing of ideas and opinions, stories and history. It is two or more people taking time out of the day to slow down and talk. This is what good friends do on a lazy Kona day, just get together and talk story. 'Talk Story with Jeni' is a series of bi-monthly conversations with old friends and new. It’s a chance to share the backstory of folks in the design industry, people who inspire us because they took life to the next level and made something rockin’ cool of it!

As a nationally-recognized speaker and corporate trainer, Jeni Herberger leverages over 20 years of experience within the design industry to provide clients with practical strategies on "doing business better". Drawing from her own experiences as a creative professional, business owner and her years consulting, she works with company leaders to identify key issues and conducts on-site training sessions offering action plans that are grounded in strategy and focused on getting results.

Toot! Toot!*: Identity by Jeff Fisher LogoMotives published in 'Designing for the Greater Good'

The new released book Designing for the Greater Good: The Best in Cause-Related Marketing and Nonprofit Design, by Peleg Top and Jonathan Cleveland, features an identity design by Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. The designer's logo concept for the Cat Adoption Team (C.A.T.) appears in the Rockport Publishers volume.

Designing for the Greater Good features interviews with leading designers who do cause-related work for all kinds of organizations. A wealth of eye-catching full-color examples include notable and memorable designs from social service campaigns and organizations around the world. Also featured is a valuable Q&A with influential designers from both government-funded and private non-profits which explores the design ideas employed, the designers' inspirations, materials, and the financial results that effective cause-related design work can achieve.

Fisher's Cat Adoption Team design won a Silver Award in the Summit Creative Awards. It is featured in the books Killed Ideas, Vol. 1, Letterhead & Logo Design 11 and American Graphic Design & Advertising 25. The yet to be published LogoLounge Master Library Vol. 2, Logolicious and Logo Nest 01 (Australia) will include the design. The logo also appears in the textbook Perfect Match Art Primary 5, by Prisca Ko Hak Moi - a collaborative project of publisher Pearson Education South Asia and Ministry of Education Singapore.

Fisher, a 32-year design industry veteran, is the author of Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands and The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career. He is currently writing the book Logo Type, about typography in identity design, with a scheduled release of late 2010.

The designer has received over 600 design awards and his work has been published in more than 130 books on identity design, self-promotion and the marketing of small businesses.

More information about Jeff Fisher, and his design and writing efforts, may be found on the Jeff Fisher LogoMotives blogfolio.

(* If I don’t "toot!" my own horn, no one else will.)

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:

ADC Interactive
(Art Directors Club - USA)
Deadline Extended: 5 February 2010
Entry fees charged

ADC Student Awards
(Art Directors Club - USA)
Deadline Extended: 5 Februry 2010
Entry fees charged

D&AD Awards 2010
(D&AD - UK)
Deadline Extended: 5 February 2010 (with late fee)
Entry fees charged

Top 100 New Creatives 47
(CMYK Magazine - USA)
Deadline Extended: 8 February 2010
Entry fees charged

Wolda '09
(Eulda Books - Italy)
Deadline Extended: 10 February 2010 (logos designed in 2009)
Entry fees charged

ADC Advertising
(Art Directors Club - USA)
Deadline Extended: 12 February 2010
Entry fees charged

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

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

European Design Awards
(ED Awards - Europe)
Deadline: 15 February 2010
Entry fees charged

Summit Creative Award
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline Extended: 22 February 2010
Entry fees charged

ADC Hybrid
(Art Directors Club - USA)
Deadline: 26 February 2010
Entry fees charged

ADC Design Sphere
(Art Directors Club - USA)
Deadline: 26 February 2010
Entry fees charged

Identity: Best of the Best 2010
(Identity - Russia)
Deadline Extended: 28 February 2010
No entry fees charged

FAB (Food and Beverage) Awards
(FAB Awards - UK)
Deadline: 28 February 2010
Entry fees charged

Signs, Symbols & Pictograms
(zeixs - Germany)
Deadline Extended: 28 February 2010
No entry fees charged

New Textile Design
(zeixs - Germany)
Deadline Extended: 28 February 2010
No entry fees charged

Tattoo Design
(zeixs - Germany)
Deadline Extended: 28 February 2010
No entry fees charged

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

American Illustration 29
(American Illustration - USA)
Deadline Extended: 2 March 2010
Entry fees charged

AIGA 365 Annual Competition
(AIGA - USA)
Deadline: 5 March 2010
Entry fees charged

Green Graphics
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline Extended: 5 March 2010
No entry fees charged

The Fexy Awards
(American Pixel Academy - USA)
Deadline: 5 March 2010
Entry fees charged

AIGA 50 Books/50 Covers
(AIGA - USA)
Deadline: 5 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

Project Never
(Project Never - US)
Deadline: 8 March 2010
No entry fees charged

SPD Student Design Competition
(Society of Publication Designers - USA)
Deadline: 8 March 2010
Entry fees charged (3 free entries for SPD Student members)

Creativity 40 Media Competition
(Creativity International Awards - USA)
Deadline: 12 March 2010
Entry fees charged

Basic Identity
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 15 March 2010
No entry fees charged

Graphis Advertising Annual 2011
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline Extended: 15 March 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Typoshirt One
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 19 March 2010
No 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

My Own Business Card, Volume Two
(Design and Design - France)
Deadline Extended: 31 April 2010
No entry fees charged

Just Sit! Chairs and Stools Design
(Design and Design - France)
Deadline Extended: 31 April 2010
No entry fees charged

Best Organic Packaging, Volume One
(Design and Design - France)
Deadline Extended: 31 April 2010
No entry fees charged

Graphis Annual Reports 2011
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 10 May 2010
Entry fees charged

Graphis New Talent Annual 2011
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 10 May 2010
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

iheartlogos
(iheartlogos.com - USA)
Season One Deadline: 31 August 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.

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