Toot! Toot!*: 'iheartlogos' third volume gives logo love to Jeff Fisher LogoMotives identity designs

The newly released book iheartlogos season three features two logo designs by Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives.. The inspiration-filled volume, published through the iheartlogos website, features 391 logos created by 121 designers from 20 countries around the world.

The Jeff Fisher LogoMotives designs showcased (above) are the logo for the North Portland Business Association (representing businesses in the designer's own neighborhood) and the safe sex self-promotion design for A Rubber's Ducky.

The identity re-design for the North Portland Business Association took the industrial history of the area, prominent landmarks and the familiar local blue heron into consideration as design elements. The symbol also appears in the books Logos From North to South America (Spain) and the Big Book of Logos 5.

A duck's head doubling as the shape of a condom, with a reservoir-tip, was a subtle "life preserver" message in the A Rubber's Ducky safe sex image. The logo appears in the books New Logo & Trademark Design (Japan), The New Big Book of Logos, LogoLounge - Volume 1, New Logo & Trademark Collection (Japan) and Logos from North to South America (Spain).

Logo images included in the book were judged and voted on by other designers submitting logos, and individuals registered to vote, at the website iheartlogos.com. The limited edition book is currently available exclusively on the site, for $25. Season four of the iheartlogos competition is currently accepting logo entries.

Fisher, a 35 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. Other book projects are currently in the works.

The designer has received over 600 design awards and his work has been published in more than 160 books on identity design, self-promotion and the marketing of small businesses. He often travels – nationally and internationally – to present courses, seminars and workshops on design, branding, marketing and social networking. In addition, Fisher is a nationally-recognized speaker, making numerous presentations each year to design organizations, design schools, universities and business groups.

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.)

© 2012 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:

1000 Food Styling Ideas
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Extended Deadline
No entry fees charged

American Graphic Design & Advertising Awards
(AGDA - USA)
Deadline: 7 December 2012
Late Deadline: 17 December 2012 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

The Louie Awards
(Greeting Card Association - USA)
Deadline Extended: 12 December 2012
Entry fees charged

TDC Typeface Design Competition
(Type Directors Club - USA)
Deadline: 14 December 2012
Entry fees charged

TDC Communication Design Competition
(Type Directors Club - USA)
Deadline: 14 December 2012
Entry fees charged

The Telly Awards
(The Telly Awards - USA)
Early Deadline: 14 December 2012
Entry fees charged

Geo Graphic
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 15 December 2012
No entry fees charged

Basic Cover
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 15 December 2012
No entry fees charged

American Package Design Awards
(Graphic Design USA - USA)
Deadline Extended: 20 December 2012
Entry fees charged

Hiiibrand Awards 2012
(Hiiibrand - China)
Deadline: 31 December 2012
Entry fees charged

ADC Awards: Design
(Art Directors Club - USA)
Early Bird Deadline: 31 December 2012
Deadline: 11 January 2013
Entry fees charged

ADC Awards: Motion
(Art Directors Club - USA)
Early Bird Deadline: 31 December 2012
Deadline: 11 January 2013
Entry fees charged

ADC Awards: Photography
(Art Directors Club - USA)
Early Bird Deadline: 31 December 2012
Deadline: 11 January 2013
Entry fees charged

ADC Awards: Illustration
(Art Directors Club - USA)
Early Bird Deadline: 31 December 2012
Deadline: 11 January 2013
Entry fees charged

ADC Awards: Interactive
(Art Directors Club - USA)
Early Bird Deadline: 31 December 2012
Deadline: 18 January 2013
Entry fees charged

ADC Awards: Advertising
(Art Directors Club - USA)
Early Bird Deadline: 31 December 2012
Deadline: 11 January 2013
Entry fees charged

Logo Nest 03 | The Special B&W Edition
(Logo Nest)
Deadline: 31 December 2012
Membership flat fee charged

Communication Arts Illustration Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 4 January 2013
Entry fees charged

ADC Awards: Student
(Art Directors Club - USA)
Deadline: 11 January 2013
Entry fees charged

The O'toole Awards for Creative Excellence
(American Association of Advertising Agencies - USA)
Early Bird Deadline: 11 January 2013
Deadline: 25 January 2013
Entry fees charged

Communciator Awards
(IAVA - USA)
Final Deadline: 18 January 2012
Entry fees charged

The O'toole Awards for Media Excellence
(American Association of Advertising Agencies - USA)
Deadline: 25 January 2013
Entry fees charged

Best in Typography Annual
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 30 January 2013
Entry fees charged

Social/Political Postersl
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 30 January 2013
Entry fees charged

Print's Regional Design Annual 2013
(Print Magazine - USA)
Early Bird Deadline: 1 February 2013
Entry fees charged

Summit Creative Awards
(Summit Awards - USA)
Deadline: 11 February 2013
Entry fees charged

HOW Promotion & Marketing Design Awards
(HOW - USA)
Early Deadline: 22 February 2013
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Photography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 15 March 2013
Entry fees charged

In-HOWse Design Awards
(HOW - USA)
Deadline: 1 May 2013
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Design Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 10 May 2013
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Advertising Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 10 May 2013
Entry fees charged

Summit Marketing Effectiveness Awards
(Summit Awards - USA)
Deadline: 13 June 2013
Entry fees charged

I Heart Logos, Season 4
(iheartlogos.com - USA)
Deadline: 31 August 2013
Entry Fee Increase: 1 September 2013
Final Deadline: 15 September 2013
Entry fees charged

Summit Emerging Media Awards
(Summit Awards - USA)
Deadline: 20 September 2013
Entry fees charged

LogoLounge
(LogoLounge - USA)
Deadline: Ongoing
Annual membership fee 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 and calls for book submissions: A collection of design competition - and book submission request - tips, tricks and observations.

A design competition calendar is also available at Icograda. Lürzer's ARCHIVE 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 160 graphic design books. Many of those inclusions are the result of design competitions, or requests for submissions, like those listed above.

© 2012 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives