bLog-oMotives

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

2012-01-19T16:53:00.000-08:00

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 Student Awards
(Art Directors Club - USA)
Deadline: 27 January 2012
Entry fees charged

ADC Design, Motion, Photography & Illustration Awards
(Art Directors Club - USA)
Deadline Extended: 27 January 2012
Entry fees charged

Top 100 New Creatives #53
(CMYK - USA)
Deadline Extended: 30 January 2012
Entry fees charged

The Dieline Package Design Awards
(The Dieline - USA)
Early Bird Deadline: 31 January 2012
Final Deadline: 2 April 2012
Entry fees charged

International Design Awards
(IDA - USA)
Deadline Extended: 31 January 2012
Entry fees charged

ADC Interactive Awards
(Art Directors Club - USA)
Deadline Extended: 3 February 2012
Entry fees charged

ADC Advertising & Intergrated Awards
(Art Directors Club - USA)
Deadline: 10 February 2012
Entry fees charged

Summit Creative Awards
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline: 13 February 2012
Entry fees charged

Social/Political Posters
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 31 January 2012
Entry fees charged

PRINT Regional Design Annual
(PRINT - USA)
Deadline: 1 February 2012
Entry fees charged

Logo Design 3
(zeixs - Germany)
Deadline: 15 February 2012
No entry fees charged

Poster Design 2
(zeixs - Germany)
Deadline: 15 February 2012
No entry fees charged

Magazine & Book Design
(zeixs - Germany)
Deadline: 15 February 2012
No entry fees charged

Illustration 2
(zeixs - Germany)
Deadline: 15 February 2012
No entry fees charged

Jewelry Design
(zeixs - Germany)
Deadline: 15 February 2012
No entry fees charged

Inkarnation Tattoo & Lifestyle
(zeixs - Germany)
Deadline: 15 February 2012
No entry fees charged

Best of Caricature
(zeixs - Germany)
Deadline: 15 February 2012
No entry fees charged

XXX Graphic Design
(zeixs - Germany)
Deadline: 15 February 2012
No entry fees charged

Poster Annual 2013
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 27 February 2012
Entry fees charged

Core77 Design Awards
(Core77 - USA)
Deadline: 27 February 2012
Entry fees charged

HOW Promotion Design Awards
(HOW - USA)
Deadline: 1 March 2012
Late Deadline: 19 March 2012 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Brand New Awards
(UnderConsideration - USA)
Deadline: 2 March 2012
Entry fees charged

33rd Annual Telly Awards
(The Telly Awards - USA)
Final Deadline: 2 March 2012
Entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Logo Design 2
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 2 March 2012
No entry fees charged

Communicator Awards
(IAVA - USA)
Final Deadline: 9 March 2012
Entry fees charged

Neenah UnShow Competition
(Neenah Paper, HOW and PRINT - USA)
Deadline: 12 March 2012
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Photography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 16 March 2012
Entry fees charged

In-HOWse Design Awards
(HOW - USA)
Deadline: 2 April 2012
Entry fees charged

2012 Media and Interactive Awards
(The Creativity Awards - USA)
Deadline: 6 April 2012
Entry fees charged

Win A Classic
(Neenah CLASSIC® Papers - USA)
Deadline: 30 April 2012
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Design Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 11 May 2012
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Advertising Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 11 May 2012
Entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Typography
(Bright Books|David E. Carter - USA)
Deadline: 15 May 2012
No entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Layouts
(Bright Books|David E. Carter - USA)
Deadline: 15 May 2012
No entry fees charged

Black & White: One Color Design
(Bright Books|David E. Carter - USA)
Deadline: 15 May 2012

Bright Ideas in Use of Color
(Bright Books|David E. Carter - USA)
Deadline: 15 May 2012
No entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Logo Design 3
(Bright Books|David E. Carter - USA)
Deadline: 15 May 2012
No entry fees charged

Posters 3
(Bright Books|David E. Carter - USA)
Deadline: 15 May 2012
No entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in All-Type Logos
(Bright Books|David E. Carter - USA)
Deadline: 15 May 2012
No entry fees charged

Bright Ideas: Big and Bold
(Bright Books|David E. Carter - USA)
Deadline: 15 May 2012
No entry fees charged

HOW Interactive Design Awards
(HOW - USA)
Deadline: 2 July 2012
Entry fees charged

iheartlogos season three
(iheartlogos.com - USA)
Early Deadline: 31 August 2012
Late Deadline: 15 September 2012 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Typography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 9 September 2012
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 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

Toot! Toot!*: 'iheartlogos' second volume gives logo love to Jeff Fisher LogoMotives identity design

2012-01-18T09:59:00.000-08:00

The newly released book iheartlogos season two includes the work of 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 450 logos created by 170 designers from 31 countries around the world.

The Jeff Fisher LogoMotives design included (above) is a pro-bono effort for the Historic Kenton Firehouse Committee, representing the group maintaining and operating the landmark community space in the designer's own North Portland neighborhood. The identity was also short-listed in the Russian design competition Identity: Best of the Best 2010, and appears in the books Logo Nest 01 (Australia) and Logo Design Vol. 3 (Germany).

Identities 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 - which includes free shipping in the continental United States. Season three of the iheartlogos competition is currently underway.

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.)

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

2011-12-13T18:45:00.000-08:00

Toot! Toot!*: Jeff Fisher LogoMotives design for Portland law firm published in 'Relogo" book

2011-11-14T22:59:00.000-08:00

The identity design work of Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, is represented in the recently released book Relogo: Re-designing the Brand. The volume, from Chinese book company Sandu Publishing, features logo re-design examples from around the world.

Earlier this year, an editor from Sandu contacted the designer requesting the submission of any recent Jeff Fisher LogoMotives rebranding efforts for possible inclusion in the book. Fisher had just completed the implementation of his new identity for Portland law firm Samuels Yoelin Kantor LLP (above, lower right). The new logo is an update of the logo he originally created for business in early 1997 (above, upper right).

Over the years, the graphic representation of two heavy law books, forming an S letterform, has become a very recognizable icon for the business. The original identity was honored with a Bronze in the Summit Creative Awards. It has also appeared in the 1997 PRINT Regional Design Annual and the books International Logos & Trademarks IV, New Logo & Trademark Design (Japan), The Big Book of Logos, Global Corporate Identity and The Best of Letterhead and Logo Design.

Fisher, a 33-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.

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

2011-11-09T06:37:00.000-08:00

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:

CMYK Pro-Only Showcase
(CMYK - USA)
Deadline Extended: 5 December 2011
Entry fees charged

Branding 6
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline Extended: 5 December 2011
Entry fees charged

American Package Design Awards
(GDUSA - USA)
Deadline: 9 December 2011
Entry fees charged

SELECTED C: Graphic Design from Europe
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 9 December 2011
Entry fees charged

Your Best Work Design Awards
(HOW - USA)
Deadline Extended: 11 December 2011
Entry fees charged

Creative Review Annual 2012
(Creative Review - UK)
Deadline: 12 December 2011
Entry fees charged

TDC Type Communication
(Type Directors Club - USA)
Deadline: 16 December 2011
Entry fees charged

TDC Typeface Design
(Type Directors Club - USA)
Deadline: 16 December 2011
Entry fees charged

TDC Title Design
(Type Directors Club - USA)
Deadline: 16 December 2011
Entry fees charged

33rd Annual Telly Awards
(The Telly Awards - USA)
Early Deadline: 16 December 2011
Entry fees charged

Hiiibrand Logo Design Awards 2011
(New Graphic - China)
Deadline: 31 December 2011
Entry fees charged - payment though coins purchased on site

LogoNest 02
(LogoNest - Australia)
Deadline: 31 December 2011
Paid site membership required

Brands of the World Logo Awards
(Brands of the World - USA)
Deadline: 31 December 2011
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Illustration Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 6 January 2012
Entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Use of Color
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 6 January 2012
No entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Business Cards
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 6 January 2012
No entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Brochures
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 6 January 2012
No entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Layouts
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 6 January 2012
No entry fees charged

Top 100 New Creatives
(CMYK - USA)
Deadline: 9 January 2011
Entry fees charged

Communicator Awards
(IAVA - USA)
Final Deadline: 13 January 2012
Entry fees charged

Summit Creative Awards
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline: 13 February 2012
Entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Logo Design 2
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 2 March 2012
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Photography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 16 March 2012
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Design Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 11 May 2012
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Advertising Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 11 May 2012
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 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 140 graphic design books. Many of those inclusions are the result of design competitions, or requests for submissions, like those listed above.

© 2011 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

UCDA "Designer" features "Logo Rip-off" article

2011-11-03T10:03:00.000-07:00

The Fall 2011 issue of the University and College Designers Association (UCDA) publication Designer features the article "Logo Rip-off," about designer Jeff Fisher's recent experience with the site LogoGarden.com appropriating and selling his original logo designs. Editor Kirsten Ruby contacted Fisher, after reading his blog entry "LogoGarden.com harvests pros' logos - including Jeff Fisher designs - and sells images on site," asking to share the copyright infringement situation with magazine readers.

The University and College Designers Association (UCDA) inspires designers working in academia in North America and around the world by delivering relevant programming and benefits in a personal and thoughtful way. The organization provides for the professional and personal growth of its members, and advocates for designer and educators roles within their institution. UCDA works to elevate the importance of design overall.

Designer is the quarterly journal of the UCDA. It is a benefit of membership in the organization. A Designer subscription-only membership is $50 per year.

Toot! Toot!*: Jeff Fisher LogoMotives designs included in Font Aid V "Made For Japan" relief effort

2011-10-31T17:59:00.000-07:00

The Society of Typographic Aficionados (SOTA) has announced the release of “Made For Japan”, a font created exclusively for Font Aid V to raise funds for relief efforts following the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Nearly 300 contributors from 45 countries submitted over 500 glyphs in a single week. Behind the scenes, volunteers Neil Summerour, Silas Dilworth, Delve Withrington, and Grant Hutchinson were up to their elbows in Adobe Illustrator and Fontlab assembling the typeface

The contributions of Jeff Fisher LogoMotives include an image of a traditional origami crane representing peace, long life, good luck and prosperity (above left); a graphic Japanese sun dawning on a new day (above center): and a single gingko leaf, symbolizing health and happiness, growing out of pain and suffering. (above right).

The font is currently being sold for $20US through Veer and MyFonts. It will also be available through Ascender Fonts, Fonts.com, and Linotype in the very near future.

With the help of Sogo Japan, all proceeds from sales of this typeface will be delivered directly to organizations in Japan, such as Second Hand and AMDA International (Association of Medical Doctors of Asia). Sogo Japan strives to help circumvent regular international charity channels and the inefficiencies associated with them.

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, raised funds to expedite relief efforts in countries affected by the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunamis, and been used by Doctors Without Borders to help with earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. Jeff Fisher LogoMotives contributed an original ampersand design for the 2010 “Coming Together” effort. 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.

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.)

LogoMotives designs being ripped-off, used without permission and providing more than 'inspiration'

2011-10-20T07:57:00.000-07:00

After numerous logo designs by Jeff Fisher LogoMotives were 'appropriated,' and offered for sale, by the site LogoGarden.com, I began to make use of Google reverse image search to research possible misuse of other identities created for business, organization and event clients. The following have been my findings:

11.11 - It's ironic that UGI Printing & Packaging in China/UK butchers the Jeff Fisher LogoMotives identity and uses it in a online client lesson on trademarks. Removal request/DMCA sent to site on 11.14.11. Received email that image will be removed from all three URLs found. Images removed as of 11.18.11.

11.11 - India firm Dreamsdesign ["Creativity in Abundance"] seems to abundantly rip-off the logo work of other designers, such as my original Stumptown Clowns identity. DMCA/removal request sent on 11.12.11. Received email on 11.13.11 from site owner saying he was unaware the logo was my design and it has been removed. Proclaimed ignorance as an excuse never works for me. How does someone not know ripped-off logo designs are in their own online portfolio?

11.11 - Chinese site C-Impress.com using C.A.T. logo, as an icon, without authorization. DMCA/Email requesting removal sent to site contact on 11.12.11

09.11 - To me, it's unbelievable how blatant the copyright infringement is in this example representing a business in Scotland selling a variety of products for cats. I filed a DCMA with Facebook about the usage of the image as a FB Page profile pic and it was removed as an infringing image on 09.15.11. Received an email, in answer to my initial communication of 09.14.11, from Alicatz on 09.17.11 stating that an email had been sent to their web designer D & L Web Design [http://dandlwebdesign.co.uk] for a response. I was contacted by the web firm and was told they were "conned" by an independent designer in regards to the creation of the logo design. I was asked for patience in allowing the company to have a new identity created.

09.11 - A rip-off of my original C.A.T. logo design appears in a Groupon China promotion for a soft drink

09.11 - My original C.A.T. logo design takes a trip to Ecuador as the ripped-off identity for a moped supplier. II emailed the owner of the company and requested immediate removal of the images. As of 09.19.11 the logo was replaced with a new image.

09.11 - My well-traveled original C.A.T. logo design ripped-off and used to promote online sales of a women's clothing line.

09.11 - An example of my Cat Adoption Logo being offered for sale on a Chinese website. Email requesting removal sent to site contact on 09.13.11.

09.11 - The C.A.T. logo design continues its world tour, showing up in the portfolio of a web page company in Uruguay. Emailed removal request on 09.19.11. Image removed after filing DMCA on 10.11.11. I was told the posting "was a internal mistake."

09.11 - The theatre promotion site BroadwayWorld.com seems to think it's perfectly fine to use someone's original logo design without permission. I have emailed a request for removal of the image.

09.11 - It's never wise to nab a non-profit's logo, remove the law firm sponsor's ID, abuse the image and use it as one's own. I filed a DMCA Notice of Copyright Infringement with both Blogger and Facebook. The images were removed within 24 hours.

Idaho TV station KMVT 'appropriated' logo design I created for Portland Children's Relief Nursery Iron Chef event. I emailed the station asking for removal of the images from the site. I quickly got a response from the General Manager of the station, saying that my logo design for the Iron Chef event was presented to them by a Boise 'TV Idea bank.' He said the images would be removed by the company IT guy. The logo was removed from the site on 09.26.11

09.11 - My original 'Girls' Night Out' logo design was found being offered as a design for sale on the site of a Florida T-shirt printing company. I emailed requesting removal...

First response: "Did not know it belonged to anyone."

Second response: "All logos that have a copyright have the little "c" on them. This does not. How do I know it is yours and you didn't see it on my website and claim it for yourself?"

Soon afterwards it was removed from the site.

09.11 - Somehow my DataDork logo design traveled to Russia and is being sold on a T-shirt offered by a 'graphic designer.' Emailed removal request on 09.19.11.

09.11 - This site for outsourcing work to the Philippines doesn't seem to care that someone 'outsourced' my DataDork logo design for use as their avatar. I emailed the site, requesting removal, with no response. Finally, a DMCA was sent on 11.14.11 and the image was removed within an hour.

09.11 - I was somewhat stunned to see my "The Food Chain" logo being displayed on the blog of the Carrera de Publicidad Instituto Profesional de Chile [Advertising Career Professional Institute of Chile]. The '3 Big Fish' rip-off was used to identify a 2009 advertising workshop. I received a very nice email from the school's Director of Communications - who was mortified by the unauthorized use of my image. He stated that he was contacting the designer they hired for an explanation.

11.11 - The identity icon for Italian window/door manufacturer Pizzagalli Infissi appears to be MUCH more than inspired by my logo for DesignEire in Ireland.

09.11 - I emailed this web design firm in Ireland asking that my DesignEire icon be removed from their home page. I quickly received a response stating that the icon was just a "placeholder left on homepage mistakenly by their designer when the site went live." It was removed that day.

09.11 - My original Pizza Luna logo was removed very quickly from an archived restaurant logo design portfolio of design firm w/ Korean web presence. I sent them an email informing them I'd found the image in their online portfolio and it was removed within minutes.

10.11 - My Parenting Alliance logo icon somehow ended up in the online portfolio of a design student in Brasil. I posted a comment on the blog where the logo is displayed on 10.02.11. The image was removed by 10.03.11.

09.11 - It seems my street clothing Walk Your Talk logo design is attending a church school in Korea. An email requesting removal has been sent.

09.11 - Somehow my original 'Walk Your Talk" icon strolled onto the logo design portfolio page of a Hungarian design firm. I emailed the company and within a couple hours the image was removed.

09.11 - My 'Walk Your Talk' logo design seems to be strolling through Romania, representing a nonprofit foundation. Email notification has been sent. No response to email. DMCA filed with Facebook on 10.07.11 and the profile pic was removed.

09.11 - The theatre department of a Presbyterian school in Georgia, 'appropriated' my For The Birds logo, decapitated it and used it as the identity for a show. I emailed the director of the department and in a very short time received an apology and assurance that the images would soon be removed. He also mentioned he would be having a talk with the artists for the department.

10.11 - My design for the company Pajama Parties being used as a Facebook Page profile pic. DMCA submitted to Facebook on 10.02.11. The image was removed by Facebook on 10.03.11.

11.11 - This theatrical Facebook page ripped off my Driving Miss Daisy logo design from the site of licensing firm Theatre Logos Agency - with the copyright watermark in place. DMCA filed with Facebook on 11.15.11. The image was removed by Facebook on 11.16.11.

11.11 - A Yahoo Maktoob page nabbing my Driving Miss Daisy logo design from the site of licensing firm Theatre Logos Agency with the copyright watermark in place, to use as illustration for a review of the movie. DMCA filed with Yahoo Maktoob on 11.17.11.

09.11 - Somehow my 2001 logo design for a 'Driving Miss Daisy' production hit the road and ended up in promoting a theatre presentation in Stamford, CT. The logo is licensed by Theater Logos Agency - but this company did not have permission for use. An email requesting removal was sent. I received a response saying the image was simply a "placeholder" on the site and it was removed.

11.11 - MobiAsset.com - registered in Cairo, Egypt - used my Indies logo without authorization for their restaurant application marketing. The promo includes a faux testimonial from a restaurant that hasn't existed for years. DMCA notification sent on 11.06.11. The images were removed in about an hour and the existing "testimonial" was changed to be from "George Mitchell, Noodle Station Restaurant."

11.11 - Loco Kitchen restaurant - in Asahikawa, Japan - may have been established in 2011, but the business is using the palm tree from my 1993 Indies logo.

10.11 - Elements of Hawaii restaurant ID created in 2002 appear to be much more than 'inspired' by my 1993 Indies logo. My attorney has been informed of about this situation.

10.11 - The palm tree from my Indies Restaurant and Bar logo has become the ID for a coconut company in Mexico. A removal request email has been sent. Site down and undergoing redesign with new logo as of 11.14.11.

10.11 - Looks like a sloppy tracing tool was used to send my Indies Restaurant logo palm tree to a First Baptist Church camp in Huntsville, AL. I sent a removal request email to the pastor on 10.02.11 and the image was removed by that evening. The image reappeared on the site on 10.03.11 and a DMCA was filed with the site's webhost. The image was removed on 10.04.11.

10.11 - Facebook removed this Page pic for infringement after I found my Indies palm tree at a beach bar in Rimini, Italy.

10.11 - My Indies Restaurant logo palm tree takes a trip to Brasil and ends up as a wall decal for sale by Globo Signs. An email removal request has been sent with no response. The matter will be turned over to my attorney.

LogoDesignXperts.com, self-proclaimed as "The World's Most Trusted Design Service," 'designed' a church using the major element from a logo I created for the City of Portland's Neighborhood Service Center program. My initial email to them has gone unanswered. DMCA Notice of Copyright Infringement filed with web host Brinkster.com on 09.15.11. Image removed from site on 09.20.11.

09.11 - My logo design for City of Portland's Neighborhood Service Center abused and used as a Facebook Page profile pic. DMCA Notice of Copyright Infringement filed with FB on 09.19.11 and image was removed.

09.11 - Use as a corporate cause identity in Italy doesn't justify rip-off of logo designed for City of Portland Neighborhood Service Center. DMCA sent to corporation. I received an email on 09.20.11 from Gottsche, the Milan advertising agency representing Aspiag Despar, requesting some historical background on my design. The image was then removed from the Despar website.

10.11 - A hatchet job on my City of Portland's Neighborhood Service Center logo as it represents a nonprofit in Surabaya, Indonesia. A removal request email has been sent.

I find some irony in the unauthorized use of my What's For Dinner logo image on The Hacker's Paradise site - but not as a reference to golf. I attempted to post a message on the site, asking for removal of the image, but it was not posted. I emailed the site administrator, but have not had a response. A DMCA was filed with the site's host.

09.11 - The What's For Dinner? logo was found being used as the profile pic on 12 Facebook Pages. The copyright infringements were reported to Facebook and the images were taken down within a day.

09.11 - My What's For Dinner? logo design was used as illustrations on 10 blogs without permission. Most were removed by blog writers after receiving removal requests. Blogger had to remove three after DMCAs were filed.

10.11 - Flea Market Style magazine used my What's for Dinner? logo design as an illustration on their blog. A request for removal was emailed on 10.07.11. Image was removed 10.07.11.

10.11 - A SearchEngines.ru member conducts a "contest" for a theatre logo and gets a rip of my Family Values logo design as an entry.

My original design for friend and hairstylist Micki King was found on a Zazzle vendors page, adorning bags she has for sale. Initial email to Zazzle was ignored. Then I tweeted this example and had a response in 6 minutes. Zazzle had the product removed in about an hour.

09.11 - It's totally bizarre that an ad agency in China is using my original Jeff Maul logo design to promote their services on multiple websites.

09.11 - UK's ‘Explore the Wild’ bought graphic used in website banner and background 'in good faith' from LogoGarden.com - it's my Sunriver Preparatory School logo design. The site owner was incredibly nice in this situation. When the images were removed he sent me an email saying:

"It sounds like quite a problem with artwork being copied, and I will be much more vigilant in future when purchasing such things – some of the offers looked too good to be true, and I can see why now."

My original Balloons on Broadway logo was 'appropriated' by a balloon company in Spain. Only the text was changed within the identity. Google Image Search found the altered image as a profile photo on Facebook. I filed a DMCA Notice of Copyright Infringement filed with FB on 09.11.11 and the logo was removed the next day.

My 'What The Butler Saw' logo was originally created for the triangle productions! theatre company in Portland. Like many of my design for plays it was then licensed with the Theatre Logos Agency [http://www.theatrelogos.com/]. This German site obviously nabbed the logo from the TLA site - the © watermark and copyright info are still in place!

10.11 - A SearchEngines.ru member conducts a "contest" for a theatre logo and gets a rip of my "What The Butler Saw" logo design as an entry.

09.11 - My original TraveLady logo design was recently used, abused and offered for sale by LogoGarden.com. Now it seems she's taken an unauthorized trip overseas. A removal request has been emailed to this site.

I also have a few previous examples in my archives:

02.11 - There are numerous companies around the world, providing a number of different services, with variations on the name 'LogoMotives." Although different in design, the horizontal image was more than inspired by my own identity - which I've used since 1997. I emailed the business in question and the logo was quickly removed, only to be replaced by the second image. At that point I consulted a lawyer and emailed the business in question that I was doing so. That second image soon disappeared as well.

05.08 - After several other designers found their original work being submitted to a logo 'contest' site by other so-called 'designers,' I took a look. The elogocontest.com site was were I found this image; poorly executed, but certainly more than inspired by my own logo design for the Seacoast AIDS Walk. I reported it to the site and it was immediately removed.

Additional online searches at the time, found two examples of my Seacoast logo design being displayed in online designer portfolios in China. Emails to the ISPs of the sites resulted in one image being removed and one portfolio being taken down.

05.08 - A design industry peer sent me this image in May 2008, noticing a strong resemblance to my Jeff Maul logo. A rip-off? Probably a bit too strong. Inspired by my logo design? Perhaps.

01.08 - One of the odder logo 'appropriation' stories in my career:

Friend and client, Ron Pitt informed me that his dear friend Ashley, whom he had known since birth as he was a longtime friend of her mother, had assisted him over the years with events and was an "expert balloon inflater." This past year, Ashley and her husband, Travis, had the opportunity to travel through East Africa with her parents. Being community-minded, they spent much of their time in small villages getting to know people, creating relationships and making new friends along the way.

The photos Ashley shared showcased one of the families they befriended. Ashley was the first to notice that one of the boys was wearing shorts with my logo design for Ron's business, Balloons on Broadway.

Unfortunately no one is able to adequately explain how the Balloons on Broadway logo ended up embroidered on the leg of a boy's shorts on a continent far away. As Ron noted, "We've never embroidered shorts, nor done much marketing in East Africa (*wink*). In fact we only had one screen run of 12 t-shirts with that logo and they all ended up on the back of our staff. That's it."

"The only way I can rationalize it is that the logo appeared in a publication of some sort in the UK (perhaps one of those listed above) and since Kenya's part of the Commonwealth, the publication ended up there and was spotted by someone who thought it would be a good knock-off," he added. "The boy's mother said she bought the shorts at the local market and couldn't quite understand what all the fuss was about - the kid just needed some shorts."

The search for other examples continues...

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

2011-10-05T17:10:00.000-07:00

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:

Bright Ideas in Brochures
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 28 October 2011
No entry fees charged

Toyko TDC Annual Awards
(Tokyo Type Directors Club - Japan)
Deadline: 28 October 2011
No fees charged for overseas entries

Illustrators 54
(Society of Illustrators - USA)
Deadline: 28 October 2011
Entry fees charged

Web Font Awards
(Monotype Imaging - USA and Carsonified )
Deadline: 28 October 2011
Entry fees charged

CMYK Pro-Only Showcase
(CMYK - USA)
Deadline Extended: 30 October 2011
Entry fees charged

Color in Design Awards
(Print and HOW - USA)
Deadline: 1 November 2011
Late Deadline: 18 November 2011
Entry fees charged

I.D. Annual Design Review
(I.D. Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 1 November 2011
Entry fees charged

Creativity + Commerce
(Print - USA)
Deadline Extended: 1 November 2011
Entry fees charged

Branding 6
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 14 November 2011
Entry fees charged

Communicator Awards
(IAVA - USA)
Deadline: 18 November 2011
Entry fees charged

Your Best Work Design Awards
(HOW - USA)
Deadline: 1 December 2011
Entry fees charged

American Package Design Awards
(GDUSA - USA)
Deadline: 9 December 2011
Entry fees charged

Creative Review Annual 2012
(Creative Review - UK)
Deadline: 12 December 2011
Entry fees charged

TDC Type Communication
(Type Directors Club - USA)
Deadline: 16 December 2011
Entry fees charged

TDC Typeface Design
(Type Directors Club - USA)
Deadline: 16 December 2011
Entry fees charged

TDC Title Design
(Type Directors Club - USA)
Deadline: 16 December 2011
Entry fees charged

Hiiibrand Logo Design Awards 2011
(New Graphic - China)
Deadline: 31 December 2011
Entry fees charged - payment though coins purchased on site

LogoNest 02
(LogoNest - Australia)
Deadline: 31 December 2011
Paid site membership required

Brands of the World Logo Awards
(Brands of the World - USA)
Deadline: 31 December 2011
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Illustration Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 6 January 2012
Entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Use of Color
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 6 January 2012
No entry fees charged

LogoBook
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 15 January 2012
No entry fees charged

Summit Creative Awards
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline: 13 February 2012
Entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Logo Design 2
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 2 March 2012
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Photography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 16 March 2012
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Design Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 11 May 2012
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Advertising Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 11 May 2012
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 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 140 graphic design books. Many of those inclusions are the result of design competitions, or requests for submissions, like those listed above.

© 2011 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Google's reverse image search: Indies Restaurant

2011-10-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

In the summer of 2011 I became aware of the fact that the website LogoGarden.com had "appropriated" many graphic images from logos I had designed over the years. The images were being offered for sale on the site - without my authorization. One of the impacted identities was that created in 1993 for Indies, a New York City restaurant and bar (below).

My original palm tree image, within the Indies identity, was designed in a very specific manner. The client had an existing die for the production of a square paper folder with an arched cut on the front panel. This die would be used to produce a folder to contain the restaurant and bar menus (below). The palm tree had to be a specific size and shape to fit within the panel created by the arched die-cut. For the menu folder and business cards the tree would be blind-embossed. It would be printed on all other applications.

The Indies logo has experienced a great deal of exposure over the years. It has been used in many blog entries about logo design and displayed in numerous online galleries and portfolios. The identity also appears in the books Restaurant Graphics 2 (Rockport Publishers, USA 1996), Design Library: Retail & Restaurant (Rockport Publishers, USA 1998), New Logo & Trademark Design (P.I.E. Books, Japan 1998), Graphic Idea Resource: Paper - Building Great Designs With Paper (Rockport Publishers, USA, 1998), The Big Book of Logos (Hearst Books International, USA, 1999), New Business Card Graphics 2 (Japan), Logo Design for Small Business 2 (Signcraft, USA 2004), and all international editions of 1000 Restaurant Bar & Cafe Graphics (Rockport Publishers, USA 2007). It's not surprising that industry professionals, and some so-called "designers," are quite familiar with the design.

In the LogoGarden situation, a DMCA Notice of Copyright Infringement was filed with the site's webhost and the palm tree was soon removed from the archive on images offered for sale. With the removal of the Indies graphic, and almost 20 others, I began to wonder about possible other use and abuse of my logo designs.

Having recently read and heard a great deal about the Google reverse image search tool, I decided to put it into action. I uploaded the Indies logo design and 23 legitimate findings of the logo appeared in the results (above). The listings displayed the identity on my blog, in international online logo galleries and elsewhere. A similar search using the reverse image tool TinEye found only three results; my blog, my Logopond gallery, and a blogger's post about tree and plant imagery in logo designs.

With my curiosity piqued, I wondered what would happen if I uploaded a color JPEG file of only the palm tree graphic from the Indies logo, eliminating all text from the design. Up popped 26 web page findings, including the surprises of the palm being used "as is," or with some adaptation, for a church camp in Alabama, a restaurant and bar in Hawaii, a coconut company in Mexico and a beach bar in Italy (below). A similar TinEye search yielded only two images - a Logopond gallery image and a blog post.

In playing around with the Google Image Search feature, I've found that uploading different file types sometimes brings about a variety in the results. A black and white JPEG file of the palm brought about 26 found images, including the logo designs from Hawaii, Mexico and Italy. Making use of a color TIFF file resulted in the finding of 25 images; the Mexico and Hawaii images among those shown. Searching with a black and white TIFF image created a display of 27 images, including one not previously shown in any results - the palm tree being sold as a large wall decal by a firm in Brasil (below).

As a result of my findings of the Indies logo, one image was removed after an email to the site was unsuccessful and a DMCA claim was filed with the organization's webhost. Facebook removed one image, being used as a profile image, due to copyright infringement. Removal request emails have been sent to the others. I suspect at least one of the cases will need to be handled by my attorney.

The Google reverse image search feature does seem to a have a few idiosyncrasies when searching in different manners and with a variety of file types. Still, it is a very valuable tool for any creative professional in policing the use of one's original images.

Related Articles:

• Google's reverse image search: A designer's new best friend in finding and fighting unauthorized usage

• Find Logo Thieves with Google's Image Search, by Terri Stone, CreativePro.com [10.11]

© 2011 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Google's reverse image search: A designer's new best friend in finding and fighting unauthorized usage

2011-09-20T06:08:00.000-07:00

After the recent LogoGarden.com issue of "appropriating" logo design elements of professionals from around world and offering the images for sale, I was curious what other designs of mine I might find out there on the Internet. In the past I have made use of TinEye Reverse Image Search, with limited results. On Twitter, Google+, Facebook and elsewhere, I started reading bits of information about the Google reverse image search engine - and I thought I'd give it a try.

I was amazed at the results. Where TinEye might have found up to ten online displays of one of my logo designs; Google's search would find 100 to 350 examples of one of the identities being displayed on blogs, in design galleries and elsewhere. In a relatively short period of time, I found over 50 examples of rip-offs or unauthorized usage of a number of my designs. The logos appeared on sites throughout the U.S. and in China, Scotland, Ecuador, Uruguay, Russia, Chile, Ireland, Korea, Brasil, Hungary, Romania, Mexico, Italy, Indonesia, Spain and elsewhere. Several logos were being used as Facebook page or profile photos; one being used in such a manner by about a dozen Facebook members.

The Google Image Search feature offers several options for initiating a search. Dragging and dropping a graphic, uploading a number of file types, and copying and pasting an image URL are variations on searching. It is also possible to download extensions for Chrome or Firefox allowing the user to right-click on a web image to search Google.

I've noticed that searching with different digital file types results in a slight variation in findings. Eliminating any text from a logo design provides additional examples of plagiarism or unauthorized use of images. Some results of the image search are simply odd. Uploading one of my logo designs displays no examples of that particular graphic, although many exist online. Instead, hundreds of examples of a homeland security logo are presented as a similar image.

Still, the Google reverse image search tool offers any creative professional a great opportunity to police the legitimate and unauthorized use of graphic imagery.

Related Articles:

• Google's reverse image search: Indies Restaurant

• Find Logo Thieves with Google's Image Search, by Terri Stone, CreativePro.com [10.11]

© 2011 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

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

2011-09-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

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:

Creativity + Commerce
(Print - USA)
Deadline: 15 September 2011
Entry fees charged

iheartlogos: season two
(iheartlogos.com - USA)
Deadline Extended: 15 September 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

CMYK Pro-Only Showcase
(CMYK - USA)
Deadline Extended: 19 September 2011
Entry fees charged

Top 100 New Creatives #52
(CMYK - USA)
Deadline Extended: 19 September 2011
Entry fees charged

Summit Emerging Media Awards
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline: 21 September 2011
Entry fees charged

HOW International Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline Extended: 22 September 2011
Entry fees charged

REBRAND 100® Global Awards
(REBRAND - USA)
Deadline: 21 September 2011
Late Deadline: 5 October 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Typography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Final Deadline: 9 September 2011
Entry fees charged

Book of the Year, Volume 4
(Design & Design - France)
Deadline: 30 September 2011
No entry fees charged

Hand Drawn
(Print - USA)
Deadline Extended: 30 September 2011
Entry fees charged

Print in Motion
(Print - USA)
Deadline: 1 October 2011
Entry fees charged

I.D. Annual Design Review
(I.D. Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 1 October 2011
Late Deadline: 15 October 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Interactive Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 7 October 2011
Entry fees charged

HKDA Global Design Awards
(Hong Kong Designers Association - Hong Kong)
Deadline: 17 October 2011
Entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Brochures
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 28 October 2011
No entry fees charged

Illustrators 54
(Society of Illustrators - USA)
Deadline: 28 October 2011
Entry fees charged

Color in Design Awards
(Print and HOW - USA)
Deadline: 1 November 2011
Entry fees charged

LogoNest 02
(LogoNest - Australia)
Deadline: 31 December 2011
Paid site membership required

Brands of the World Logo Awards
(Brands of the World - USA)
Deadline: 31 December 2011
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Illustration Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 6 January 2012
Entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Use of Color
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 6 January 2012
No entry fees charged

Summit Creative Awards
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline: 13 February 2012
Entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Logo Design 2
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 2 March 2012
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Photography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 16 March 2012
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Design Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 11 May 2012
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Advertising Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 11 May 2012
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 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 140 graphic design books. Many of those inclusions are the result of design competitions, or requests for submissions, like those listed above.

© 2011 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

LogoGarden.com harvests logos from pros, including Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, and sells images on site

2011-08-16T23:31:00.000-07:00

[Update: Updates|additional articles posted at the end of this entry.]

It was one of my typical 'no client' Fridays. I fixed myself a second double latte and sat down in front of my MacBook Pro to check emails and visit a few social networking sites. A long-time member of the business site StartupNation, and a 2008 recipient of their Home-Based 100 honors, I wasn't surprised at all to see a weekly update email from the web resource.

The headline of a newly-posted article, "5 Rules for Great Logo Design," caught my eye and I clicked on the link. Written by John Williams, a member of the StartupNation Small Business Experts panel, the article provided some good basic information for designers and potential clients, and after adding a comment to the piece, I shared the link on the Jeff Fisher LogoMotives Facebook page. I had no idea of the future meaning of my article comment when I posted my additional rule:

Hire a professional: The best result of a logo design project will be produced by a professional designer with a real understanding of the identity design and branding process - and proven track record for creating great logos. Yes, I’m a professional identity designer and have a vested interest in that statement. However, over the past three decades about a 1/4 of my clientele has come to me with an existing logo, originally designed by [insert a neighbor, husband, wife, themselves, any relative, etc.] who had a computer, that they wish to have redesigned to project a more professional image.

A short while later I received an unrelated Twitter message from illustrative designer Leighton Hubbell, one of my longtime "imaginary" online friends. It read:

Hey, Jeff. You should take a look at Logogarden.com. It appears they have a couple of your logos available for purchase on their site.

His next message informed me that he'd already found a "dozen or so" of his own logo images being sold on the site.

In going to the LogoGarden site, I was immediately stunned to see the image from the TraveLady Media identity, which I had designed years go for a friend, exhibited in the top row of examples as the logo for a business named Pack-a-bag Travel Management (above). I began to find more and more of my designs as I went through icon archives on the site. Work by identity peers, acquaintances and friends - including Von Glitschka, Maggie Macnab, Christopher Simmons of MINE, Prejean Creative and many others, were everywhere. I even saw immediately recognizable logos such as the World Wildlife Fund, Moonstruck Chocolate, and Time Warner Cable being offered for sale to, what I would assume would be, unsuspecting customers of the site.

It didn't take me long to find a good two dozen of images from my own logo portfolio for sale. Some were simply copied exactly; others altered very slightly from my originals. I found many more cases in which logos for sale were much more than simply "inspired" by my own work. I literally felt sick to my stomach after finding the following, the most explicit examples of my stolen designs:

TraveLady Media: Just one example of my original logo design, the icon being sold on LogoGarden.com and the logo being featured on their homepage making use of my icon design, with a testimonial from a supposedly satisfied customer. The identity was designed for Pacific Northwest television and media personality Cheryl Hansen.

Robinwood Center: My original logo was designed in 1981 for the Robinwood Shopping Center in West Linn, OR; not any question that LogoGarden.com is selling a blatant ripoff of my design.

Caring Community of North Portland: Another example of my original logo design, the icon being sold on LogoGarden.com and the logo being featured on their website making use of my icon design, with a testimonial from a supposedly satisfied customer. I created the image for a North Portland community non-profit organization.

North Portland Business Association: The center of my original North Portland Business Association logo - for my own neighborhood business group! - was ripped-off and is offered for sale on LogoGarden. Silly LogoGarden.com refers to the Great Blue Heron in the logo as a 'pelican.' I do enjoy pointing out the added stupidity.

DataDork: Oh, yes they did! The LogoGarden hacks even kidnapped my DataDork guy! The image represents a self-proclaimed "computer geek" in Fontana, CA.

What's For Dinner?: Another example of LogoGarden taking my original design, altering the graphic image a bit, and then offering the ripped off image for sale on their site.

American Telecom: In this case, LogoGarden pulled the graphic out of my AmericanTelecom logo design and slightly altered it by rotating the stars - and are offering the result for sale on their site.

Ed Cunningham: My original logo design, the altered icon being sold on LogoGarden.com and the crappy logo being featured on their website using a distorted version of my icon design, with a testimonial from a supposedly satisfied customer. This is the personal logo of my partner, Ed Cunningham.

Tsunami Benefit Icon: My icon for Font Aid III: Fleurons of Hope, a designer/type designer effort to raise funds for those in countries affected by the 2005 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunamis, was also swiped by LogoGarden.

Valley Catholic High School: It's bad enough that a site like LogoGarden rips off my original Valley Catholic High School logo design - but then they go and do a sh*tty job of it, too!

Indies Restaurant & Bar: This seems to be a standard modus operandi for LogoGarden - plucking a significant design element from a logo created by a professional designer and offering it for sale on their website. In this case the palm tree from my Indies logo was nabbed.

Sunriver Preparatory School: The logo for a school, located outside of Bend, OR, was made up of a river element forming the letterform "S," a representation of the wolf mascot of the facility, and a graphic treatment of Bachelor Butte and the Three Sisters Mountains. LogoGarden.com simply eliminated much of the fine detail. (Yes, before you comment, my type treatment was based on Papyrus at the request of the client - I removed some of the "bumps" in the letterforms.)

Diversity Network: This education organization wanted generic, somewhat abstract human forms within their identity. LogoGarden.com altered them slightly before offering the image to their customers.

Benton County Historical Museum: The identifying feature of this museum building in Philomath, OR is the cupola. This is another case of a graphic element from one of my original logo designs being 'appropriated' by LogoGarden, slightly altered [poorly] and offered for sale.

Seacoast AIDS Walk: This LogoGarden rip-off especially ticked me off as the work of AIDS Response Seacoast and their AIDS Walk are near and dear to my heart. The organization is located in Portsmouth, NH. This isn't the first time this logo has been ripped off by someone!

Rob Buckmaster Fund: A very personal project for me; designing an identity honoring local actor Rob Buckmaster, an acquaintance from my work with the triangle productions! theatre company. Rob died of AIDS and a scholarship fund was established in his name. The fact that LogoGarden stole and butchered my original design is especially annoying.

Project Stepping Stones: A program on the St. Charles Medical Center Foundation In Bend OR, Project Stepping Stones Project provides prenatal education and family health support programs for uninsured, low-income women to promote baby and child health. When I created the logo, I purposely dropped graphic "stones" in the shape of an "S" letterform into the imagery. LogoGarden.com left them in place when copying the image for their own purposes.

• Queen Anne Royals: The Queen Anne Royals were the employee bowling team for Key Bank's Queen Anne Branch in Seattle, WA. My late friend Brad Hall was a member of the team. This is another example of LogoGarden.com taking a graphic from one of my designs, altering the image and offering it for sale. The center point and 'reflective' image element line up perfectly when overlaid. It's just one of many similar cases I found on the site involving my own work - and the designs of others.

After finding so many examples of hijacked logo design work on LogoGarden.com, I started poking around a bit more on the site. With Google searches, none of the testimonial business names on the home page resulted in the finding of real businesses. I also discovered that the Founder and President of LogoGarden.com was John Williams - the same John Williams who wrote the StartupNation article I read earlier in the morning. All a bit too "small world" for me in a period of just a few hours.

I immediately returned to the StartUpNation blogs and posted:

Very interesting that I should respond to this post on the same day that numerous designers are finding their own original designs for sale on Mr. Williams' site LogoGarden.com. I was alerted to the fact early this afternoon and have so far found about 20 examples of my own design work - from logos representing my clients - on the LogoGarden.com site. Numerous other designers are finding their work offered for sale on the site as well.

I also returned to Twitter, informing StartupNation - through a tweet - about what was happening in regards to Mr. Williams and LogoGarden.com. To their credit, I quickly received a response thanking me for bringing the matter to their attention and informing me that they would investigate immediately. In a very short period of time Mr. Williams' articles were removed from the StartupNation site and there was no longer any reference to him as an "expert" on the web presence.

The Moonstruck Chocolate Company headquarters is very near my home studio. In addition, I was very familiar with their logo as it was designed by the Portland firm Sandstrom Partners. I've know Steve Sandstrom since we both worked on the University of Oregon college newspaper, The Oregon Daily Emerald, over 30 years ago. By way of Twitter and Facebook, I made Moonstruck Chocolate and Sandstrom Partners aware of finding the chocolatier's logo for sale on LogoGarden.com. I later received a Facebook message from a representative of Moonstruck, letting me know they had contacted their lawyer about the matter. Attorneys for others are also at work on the situation.

Many designers, and small business people, have asked for suggestions of how they can help in this situation that impacts so many in the design profession. My response is; "Make some noise!"

Review the home page and visit the logo image archive (using the 'Try It Free" button) on LogoGarden.com and review what is posted. If you recognize logos, alert the designer or client whose logo image is for sale. Post comments or reviews on the LogoGarden Facebook Page or YouTube presence. Research articles by LogoGarden founder John Williams on business web sites and comment. Ask design organizations, industry publications and business website/magazines to sound off about the LogoGarden issue. Make other designers aware of what is going on through Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, blogging or whatever means possible. Read and share this piece, and the articles listed below. The power of a combined graphic design community can make a difference.

Thank you for the support received by all of the designers impacted in this situation.

Update - 08.17.11: I filed a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) complaint with LogoGarden.com's web Rackspace Hosting, using their online copyright infringement form. That evening, LogoGarden.com began to remove my images from their website.

Update - 08.18.11: I received the following email from Rackspace:

"I'm writing on behalf of Rackspace in regards to a Copyright Infringement notice for LogoGarden.com. Our client has notified us that the material in question has been removed and that they are in compliance. Please review the site in question to make a determination of compliance. If there are any outstanding issues with this matter please let me know so that I can take the necessary action to resolve this matter.
Please contact us within the next 14 days. If we do not hear from you by August 31, 2011 we will consider this matter resolved. Thank you."

Update - 08.19.11:

• Ed Cunningham: I discovered a second image on the LogoGarden.com website today that makes use of an adaptation of my partner's personal logo. It then disappeared from the site without my reporting it to Rackspace.

Update - 08.20.11: Posted on the LogoGarden Facebook Page today:

"DESIGNERS, PLEASE READ: LogoGarden.com has recently been found to have some symbols in its 10,000-symbol library that are not original. We work very hard to try to ensure originality. If you discover any offending symbols please email john@logogarden.com and attach 1) your original logo (jpg) with date of creation, 2) a screenshot of the symbol in our database and 3) any sample logos from the LogoGarden home page. We will immediately remove any offending symbols.

I didn't realize that any of my logo images, stolen and offered for sale by LogoGarden, were 'offending." However, I do find the fact they ripped-off so many design professionals and clients very offensive.

Update - 08.22.11:

The TraveLady logo icon has finally been removed from the homepage of the UK version of LogoGarden.com. However, the icon itself is still being sold as a logo design elements on the sites.

Update - 08.23.11: The Graphic Artists Guild would like those who have found their logo designs on the LogoGarden.com site to send screenshots of infringed work to advocacy@gag.org - as they are investigating and tracking this issue.

Update - 08.25.11:

After again reporting to Rackspace Hosting that my TraveLady Media logo icon was still being sold on all LogoGarden.com sites, it was FINALLY removed. It only took nearly two weeks to get the particular image off the sites.

Related Articles:

• The perils of do-it-yourself logo makers; The Logo Factor Design Blog - by Steve Douglas of The Logo Factory [08.15.11]

• Thoughts on the Logo Garden controversy; by Dani Nordin [08.15.11]

• Logo Garden Sells Logos it doesn’t Own; In Brief: August Miscellany - Brand New [08.15.11]

• DIY, Crowd Sourcing or Piracy – You be the Judge; Drawing Conclusions - Prejean Creative [08.15.11]

• Grand Theft Logo; Northwest Indiana Creative - by Judith Mayer of Keyword Design [08.16.11]

• WWF panda for just $69; by David Airey of Logo Design Love [08.16.11]

• LogoGarden Should Be Plowed Under; Drawing Conclusions - Prejean Creative [08.16.11]

• More Logo Thievery; by Scott Lewis of Iconify.it [08.16.11]

• How low can they go?; by Cathy Fishel, LogoLounge.com [08.17.11]

• What is the liability of using stolen property for your business?; You get the idea, by Roland Murillo of Murillo Design [08.17.11]

• Charlatan, Huckster, Moron, Thief!; Love Thy Logo, by Bill Gardner, RockPaperInk [08.18.11]

• How to get your logos removed from LogoGarden.com; Drawing Conclusions, by Brent Pelloquin of Prejean Creative [08.18.11]

• Logo Garden’s bitter harvest; The Logo Factor Design Blog - by Steve Douglas of The Logo Factory [08.18.11]

• AIGA ACTION ALERT: Check LogoGarden for identity work stolen from you; from Richard Grefé, AIGA Executive Director, AIGA [08.19.11]

• LogoGarden Responds Regarding Stolen Logos; by Scott Lewis of Iconify.it [08.19.11]

• The Rape of the Bear Logo; by Sean Adams, Burning Settlers Cabin [08.19.11]

• Dubious Mother F****r Stealing Other People's Logo Work and Reselling It; The Denver Egotist [08.19.11]

• Official response from LogoGarden.com; Drawing Conclusions, by Brent Pelloquin of Prejean Creative [08.19.11]

• Logo Design Trend: Blatant Fraud; ohTwentyone [08.19.11]

• AIGA Launches Action Alert for Design Theft by ‘Logo Garden’ Site; by Steve Delahoyde of UnBeige [08.22.11]

• Graphic Artists Guild: Advocacy Alerts: LogoGarden.com may be infringing your work.; Graphic Artists Guild [08.22.11]

• Leggo My Logo; by Jaci Russo of The Russo Group [08.23.11]

• LogoGarden: Copyright and Do-It-Yourself Logos; by Jonathan Bailey of Plagiarism Today (PT) [08.25.11]

• LogoGate 2011; by Von Glitschka, Drawsigner [08.26.11]

• Letter from a Thief: LogoGarden’s Response to Selling Your Logos; by Tad Dobbs, Creative Squall [08.29.11]

• Pathological Hijacking A-Z; Love Thy Logo, by Bill Gardner, RockPaperInk [10.06.11]

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

2011-08-08T07:28:00.000-07:00

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:

Creativity 41 Print & Packaging Competition
(Creativity International - USA)
Deadline Extended: 26 August 2011
Entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Business Cards
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline Extended: 26 August 2011
No entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Posters
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline Extended: 26 August 2011
No entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Logo Re-Design
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline Extended: 26 August 2011
No entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Layouts
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 26 August 2011
No entry fees charged

CMYK Pro-Only Showcase
(CMYK - USA)
Deadline Extended: 29 August 2011
Entry fees charged

Top 100 New Creatives #52
(CMYK - USA)
Deadline Extended: 29 August 2011
Entry fees charged

iheartlogos
(iheartlogos.com - USA)
Season Two Deadline: 31 August 2011
Entry fees charged

Design: Type
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline: 1 September 2011
No entry fees charged

Hand Drawn
(Print - USA)
Deadline: 1 September 2011
Entry fees charged

HOW International Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Late Deadline: 1 September 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Typography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 9 September 2011
Entry fees charged

Creativity + Commerce
(Print - USA)
Deadline: 15 September 2011
Entry fees charged

Summit Emerging Media Awards
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline: 21 September 2011
Entry fees charged

REBRAND 100® Global Awards
(REBRAND - USA)
Deadline: 21 September 2011
Late Deadline: 5 October 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Book of the Year, Volume 4
(Design & Design - France)
Deadline: 30 September 2011
No entry fees charged

Print in Motion
(Print - USA)
Deadline: 1 October 2011
Entry fees charged

I.D. Annual Design Review
(I.D. Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 1 October 2011
Late Deadline: 15 October 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Interactive Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 7 October 2011
Entry fees charged

HKDA Global Design Awards
(Hong Kong Designers Association - Hong Kong)
Deadline: 17 October 2011
Entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Brochures
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 28 October 2011
No entry fees charged

Color in Design Awards
(Print and HOW - USA)
Deadline: 1 November 2011
Entry fees charged

LogoNest 02
(LogoNest - Australia)
Deadline: 31 December 2011
Paid site membership required

Brands of the World Logo Awards
(Brands of the World - USA)
Deadline: 31 December 2011
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Illustration Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 6 January 2012
Entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Use of Color
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 6 January 2012
No entry fees charged

Summit Creative Awards
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline: 13 February 2012
Entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Logo Design 2
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 2 March 2012
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Photography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 16 March 2012
Entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Business Cards
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 4 May 2012
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 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 140 graphic design books. Many of those inclusions are the result of design competitions, or requests for submissions, like those listed above.

© 2011 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Logodotes: 2 Boys in a Bed...

2011-07-15T07:34:00.000-07:00

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

To be honest, a designer doesn't often find themselves in the position to create a logo with the subject matter of "2 Boys in a Bed on a Cold Winters' Night." I've always been lucky enough to have the opportunity to balance my corporate work with design efforts that are a bit more off-the-wall. "2 Boys in Bed..." was a play being presented by local avant garde theatre company triangle productions!

During almost two decades of designing work for the theatre client, producer Don Horn has always provided the scripts to the shows for which I was creating graphics. In this case the title of the play described the show fairly well. In a 1987 New York winter setting, at the height of the AIDS crisis, two gay men met in a bar, go back to the threadbare apartment of one and, after having sex, end up having a lengthy discussion.

With the design, I immediately wanted to create an eye-catching and simple graphic that would subtly convey the activities of the characters and the passage of time during the night. Within the windows of three graphic panels (above) the moon and star elements seemed to move, hinting at the time passing. My warped sense of humor had a great deal of fun positioning the feet in the bed to reflect a variety of possible sex acts taking place as the night progressed.

The graphic image, without accompanying type spelling out the name of the play, was printed on the front of a white T-shirt promoting, and sold at, the show. The logo, with type (below) was reproduced on the back of the shirt. Ticket and T-shirt shirt sales were very successful.

I have shelves of T-shirts. I'll often grab one and put it on without even paying attention to the printed graphics. Such was the case on the day I wore my "2 Boys in a Bed" tee to a local grocery store. I was still oblivious when I became aware of a woman walking directly my way.

As she got closer she said, "I love your T-shirt design - where can I get..."

It was then I saw a look of horror come over her face as she zeroed in on the positions of the feet in the beds of the graphic. With her face now bright red, she added, "Never mind," and walked away as fast as possible.

If the hope of a graphic designer is for their work to produce action, or a reaction, the "2 Boys in a Bed..." logo was certainly a success.

The identity has been featured in the books New Logo & Trademark Design (Japan), The New Big Book of Logos, Letterhead and Logo Design 7, Graphically Speaking, LogoLounge - Volume 1, and New Logo: One (Singapore). On my Logopond showcase the comments and critiques of the design even drifted to the question of whether two men could have sex in one of the positions shown. It also has the distinction of being included in the recent Graphic Design Blog post "40 Weird and Playful logos – A Double treat!"

Kindle editions of design-related books feature logos and other work of Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

2011-07-09T21:27:00.000-07:00

The design work and career experiences of Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, are now shared in over 150 books on logo design, branding, small business marketing and other topics. A number of those books have now been released as Kindle Editions. The following are currently available for purchased downloads:

Breaking Into Freelance Illustration: A Guide for Artists, Designers and Illustrators, by Holly DeWolf (Kindle Edition, HOW Books, USA, 2011)

I Heart Logos, Season One (Kindle Edition, iheartlogos.com, USA, 2011)

Designing for the Greater Good: The Best in Cause-Related Marketing and Nonprofit Design, by Peleg Top and Jonathan Cleveland (Kindle Edition, HarperCollins, USA, 2011)

Best of Business Card Design 6, by Blackcoffee Design (Kindle Edition, Rockport Publishers, USA, 2011)

Letterhead and Logo Design 11, by Design Army (Kindle Edition, Rockport Publishers, USA, 2011)

The Designer's Guide to Business and Careers: How to Succeed on the Job or on Your Own, by Peg Faimon (Kindle Edition, HOW Books, USA 2011)

Type Rules: The Designer's Guide to Professional Typography, Third Edition, by Ilene Strizver (Kindle edition, Wiley, USA, 2010)

The Graphic Designer’s Guide to Better Business Writing, by Barbara Janoff and Ruth Cash-Smith (Kindle Edition, Allworth Press, USA, 2010)

1000 Retail Graphics, by JGA (Kindle Edition, Rockport Publishers, USA, 2010)

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

2011-07-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

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:

The Designer's Web Handbook
(HOW Books - USA)
Deadline: ASAP
No entry fees charged

2011 Labels of the World
(Neenah Paper - USA)
Deadline: 30 July 2011
No entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Business Cards
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: August 1, 2001
No entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Posters
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: August 1, 2001
No entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Logo Re-Design
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: August 1, 2001
No entry fees charged

New Talent Annual 2012
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 9 August 2011
Entry fees charged

100 Best Annual Reports
(Graphis - USA)
Extended Deadline: 9 August 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

W3 Awards
(IAVA - USA)
Deadline Extended: 12 August 2011
Entry fees charged

HOW International Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 15 August 2011
Late Deadline: 1 September 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

1,000 More Type Treatments
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline: 15 August 2011
No entry fees charged

London International Awards
(LIA - UK)
Deadline Extended: 15 August 2011
Entry fees charged

Creativity 41 Print & Packaging Competition
(Creativity International - USA)
Deadline: 19 August 2011
Entry fees charged

CMYK Pro-Only Showcase
(CMYK - USA)
Deadline: 22 August 2011
Entry fees charged

HOW Interactive Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline Extended: 22 August 2011
Entry fees charged

Top 100 New Creatives #52
(CMYK - USA)
Deadline: 25 August 2011
Entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Layouts
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 26 August 2011
No entry fees charged

iheartlogos
(iheartlogos.com - USA)
Season Two Deadline: 31 August 2011
Entry fees charged

Hand Drawn
(Print - USA)
Deadline: 1 September 2011
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Typography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 9 September 2011
Entry fees charged

Creativity + Commerce
(Print - USA)
Deadline: 15 September 2011
Entry fees charged

Summit Emerging Media Awards
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline: 21 September 2011
Entry fees charged

Book of the Year, Volume 4
(Design & Design - France)
Deadline: 30 September 2011
No entry fees charged

Print in Motion
(Print - USA)
Deadline: 1 October 2011
Entry fees charged

I.D. Annual Design Review
(I.D. Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 1 October 2011
Late Deadline: 15 October 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Interactive Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 7 October 2011
Entry fees charged

HKDA Global Design Awards
(Hong Kong Designers Association - Hong Kong)
Deadline: 17 October 2011
Entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Brochures
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 28 October 2011
No entry fees charged

Color in Design Awards
(Print and HOW - USA)
Deadline: 1 November 2011
Entry fees charged

LogoNest 02
(LogoNest - Australia)
Deadline: 31 December 2011
Paid site membership required

Brands of the World Logo Awards
(Brands of the World - USA)
Deadline: 31 December 2011
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Illustration Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 6 January 2012
Entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Use of Color
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 6 January 2012
No entry fees charged

Summit Creative Awards
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline: 13 February 2012
Entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Logo Design 2
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 2 March 2012
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Photography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 16 March 2012
Entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Business Cards
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 4 May 2012
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 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 140 graphic design books. Many of those inclusions are the result of design competitions, or requests for submissions, like those listed above.

© 2011 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Drawn By Success inteviews designer Jeff Fisher

2011-07-01T09:08:00.000-07:00

What is being billed as the "lost interview" with Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the design firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, has been posted on the website Drawn By Success. In the interview, Secrets of Success with Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, the designer and author discusses charging higher fees, branding, using social media as a marketing tool and much more. The posted discussion was nearly considered "lost" due to audio production issues, but was recently successfully recovered.

According the site founder, illustrator and cartoonist Carlos Castellanos, Drawn By Success was created to serve as a valuable resource of proven marketing and positioning strategies to help freelance artists prosper at the creative work they love, while also serving as a source of encouragement and accountability to those artists bold enough to do the work necessary to attract better clients and charge higher fees and prosper as creative professionals.

Clowning around: 2011 Character Clown Corps pics

2011-06-14T11:15:00.000-07:00

The official 2011 Portland Rose Festival Character Clown Corps season of clowning around has come to an end. Toot Caboose, in his third year as a member of the Clown Corps, and his clown pals had a great time participating in National Train Day, the Fred Meyer Junior Rose Parade, the Spirit Mountain Casino Grand Floral Parade and other activities. Many of their antics are documented in this Flickr gallery of clowning images.

If you have any desire to be a member of the 2012 Portland Rose Festival Character Clown Corps be watching for application and audition information early next year on the organization's web page.

Toot! Toot!*: Jeff Fisher LogoMotives design included in LogoLounge 'Shapes and Symbols' book

2011-06-10T13:05:00.000-07:00

The logo design work of Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, is represented in the recently released book LogoLounge Master Library, Volume 3: 3,000 Shapes and Symbols Logos. The volume, written by Catharine Fishel and Bill Gardner, and produced by the web presence LogoLounge and Rockport Publishers, features logo design examples from around the world.

The logo for the Oregon winery Nicolas Rolin is displayed in the book. The icon within the design is based upon the Hospices de Beaune (or Hôtel-Dieu) toits bourguignons (Burgundian polychrome roofs) made of tiles glazed in terracotta, green, yellow and black and arranged in eye-catching geometric patterns. Located in Beaune, France; the hospital was built for the poor and needy in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin and his wife, Guigone de Salins. At the time Rolin was Chancellor to the Duke of Burgundy.

Fisher, a 33-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. Several 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 140 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.)

Clowning around: Toots Caboose and pals do love a parade; two within one week is fan-frickin'-tastic!

2011-06-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

Toots Caboose, the alter ego of designer and author Jeff Fisher - the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives is clowning around for his third season as a member of the Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corps for the Portland Rose Festival. The annual activities got off to an early start in May, with National Train Day at Union Station.

Toots on a Union Pacific caboose, next to SP 4449 - “World's Most Famous Steam Locomotive” - at Portland's Union Station during National Train Day. [Photo by clown pal Jumbo/Brian Ross].

A railroad engineer clown is always a big hit at National Train Day. Over five hours of clowning - and literally having hundreds of photos taken with children and train afficianados - is a bit exhausting, but it's an incredibly gratifying and enjoyable event.

This week, with the Portland Rose Festival in full swing, it's time for two historic parades and some serious fun:

Toots and the caboose of UP 956, Union Pacific's famous miniature train, at the 2010 Portland Rose Festival Junior Parade.

• Fred Meyer Junior Rose Parade: The oldest and largest children's parade in the United States will be held on Wednesday, June 8th.

Pippa and Toots Caboose in the 2009 Portland Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade [Photo by Ross William Hamilton/The Oregonian].

• Spirit Mountain Casino Grand Floral Parade: The Grand Floral Parade is Saturday, June 11th. In 2010, in addition to being seen by a national television audience, nearly 500,000 people lined the streets of downtown Portland to view the event. Toots is looking forward to seeing the Union Pacific Miniature Train in the 2011 parade.

For more photos of the 2010 Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corp activities, check out this gallery of images

Jeff Fisher LogoMotives identity designs included in Iconify.it 'Firsts & Favorites Logo Showcase No. 1'

2011-06-04T06:38:00.000-07:00

Logo designs by Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, have been included in the Iconify.it blog entry "Firsts & Favorites Logo Showcase No. 1." Designer Scott Lewis invited a number of industry peers to submit their first professional logo design and the personal favorite creation from their own identity portfolio.

Fisher's first professional logo effort was executed, as a student in 1978, for the Chinese Student Association at the University of Oregon (above left). The dragon-inspired image was created using the design tools of the time; India ink, ruling pens, Speedball pens, and art brushes on illustration board.

Produced 31 years later, directly at a computer, the designer's current favorite identity is that for the Stumptown Clowns troupe (above right). As his alter-ego Toots Caboose, Jeff Fisher is a member of the entertainment organization.

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

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

2011-06-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

Bright Ideas in Logo Design 1
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: Enter Now!
No entry fees charged

HOW Logo Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline Extended: 29 June 2011 (late fees waived)
Entry fees charged

HOW Poster Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline Extended: 29 June 2011 (late fees waived)
Entry fees charged

London International Awards
(LIA - UK)
Deadline Extended: 29 June 2011
Entry fees charged

The Designer's Web Handbook
(HOW Books - USA)
Deadline: 30 June 2011
No entry fees charged

American Graphic Design Awards
(Graphic Design USA - USA)
Deadline: 30 June 2011
Entry fees charged

American Printing Awards
(Graphic Design USA - USA)
Deadline: 30 June 2011
Entry fees charged

International Wine Label Design
(To benefit Volunteer Center of Napa Valley - USA)
Preliminary Deadline: 30 June 2011
Entry fees charged

Best Practices for Graphic Designers: Grids & Layouts
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline Extended: 1 July 2011
No entry fees charged

HOW Interactive Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 1 July 2011
Late Deadline: 15 July 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

LogoLounge Book 7
(LogoLounge - USA)
Deadline: 1 July 2011
Paid site membership required

New Talent Annual 2012
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 5 July 2011
Entry fees charged

Graphis Photography Annual 2012
(Graphis - USA)
Late Deadline: 5 July 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

UCDA Design Competition
(University & College Designer Association - USA)
Final Deadline: 8 July 2011
Entry fees charged

cause/effect
(AIGA San Francisco - USA)
Deadline Extended: 8 July 2011
Entry fees charged

W3 Awards
(IAVA - USA)
Final Deadline: 8 July 2011
Entry fees charged

100 Best Annual Reports
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 11 July 2011
Entry fees charged

AIGA (Re)designAwards
(AIGA - USA)
Deadline: 22 July 2011
Entry fees charged

Annual Design Awards 2011
(ANNDAS - UK)
Deadline: 22 July 2011
Entry fees charged

Davey Awards
(IAVA - USA)
Final Deadline: 29 July 2011
Entry fees charged

2011 Labels of the World
(Neenah Paper - USA)
Deadline: 30 July 2011
No entry fees charged

iheartlogos
(iheartlogos.com - USA)
Season Two Deadline: 11 August 2011
Entry fees charged

HOW International Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 15 August 2011
Late Deadline: 1 September 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Creativity 41 Print & Packaging Competition
(Creativity International - USA)
Deadline: 26 August 2011
Entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Layouts
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 26 August 2011
No entry fees charged

Hand Drawn
(Print - USA)
Deadline: 1 September 2011
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Typography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 9 September 2011
Entry fees charged

Creativity + Commerce
(Print - USA)
Deadline: 15 September 2011
Entry fees charged

Book of the Year, Volume 4
(Design & Design - France)
Deadline: 30 September 2011
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Interactive Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 7 October 2011
Entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Brochures
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 28 October 2011
No entry fees charged

LogoNest 02
(LogoNest - Australia)
Deadline: 31 December 2011
Paid site membership required

Bright Ideas in Use of Color
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 6 January 2012
No entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Logo Design 2
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 2 March 2012
No entry fees charged

Bright Ideas in Business Cards
(Bright Books - USA)
Deadline: 4 May 2012
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 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 140 graphic design books. Many of those inclusions are the result of design competitions, or requests for submissions, like those listed above.

Toot! Toot!*: Designer|clown Jeff Fisher included in book 'RIPE: Rich, Rewarding Work After 50'

2011-05-25T16:56:00.000-07:00

Designer Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives and Portland Rose Festival Character Clown Corps member Toots Caboose, is mentioned as a "ripe pioneer" in the recently released book RIPE: Rich, Rewarding Work After 50. The volume, by author, speaker and columnist Julia Moulden, is currently available at most online bookstores.

RIPE delivers the news that something wonderful – and unprecedented – is just beginning for those who have reached 50 years of age. Baby boomers like you are approaching the next phase of their careers with the confidence of mature professionals and the zest of beginners. They are becoming what Julia Moulden calls, “ripe”. Meet the ripe pioneers who told her, “This is the most deeply satisfying work I’ve ever done.”

RIPE introduces a twelve-week course that will help readers discover new passion, purpose, and possibility at midlife - and make a successful transition to the next, best phase of your career.

Jeff Fisher first became aware of Moulden, a columnist for The Huffington Post website, through social media posts regarding her blog entry, Ripe, Rich, Rewarding Work After 50. An email exchange led to Fisher being interviewed by Moulden about his design and writing career, playing outside of work, his experience of dealing with chronic vertigo, and - following improved health - becoming Portland Rose Festival clown Toots Caboose (above).

In the book, Moulden writes: 'Jeff Fisher, a graphic designer who became a character clown in his 50s, repeated to me what his grandfather said to him "Please tell me you'll never say, 'I should have.'" words to live by.'

Fisher, a 33-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. Several 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 140 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.)

A fun birthday package from my mother...

2011-05-20T12:56:00.000-07:00

May 21 will be my 55th birthday - provided it is not actually the rapture, doomsday, or judgment day predicted by some. Although, we supposedly no longer exchange gifts in our family, simply because none of us need any more stuff, my mother does somehow find it necessary to send presents. I must admit the package that arrived this week was a very pleasant surprise.

Initially, when I opened the box, I found wooden coasters bearing the logo I created for the Oregon Department of Forestry when the agency's identity needed a makeover. The coasters were produced to celebrate the department's recent 100th anniversary. Celebratory banners have been temporarily added to my logo design. The box also contained two coffee cups noting the occasion.

The case study of the Oregon Department of Forestry logo appears in my book, Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands. I probably see the design more than any other I've created in my 33-year career. It is on display along highways throughout Oregon, often beautifully carved in wood, on signage designating state forest lands.

In addition, the box contained two mugs commemorating the Sisters Rodeo. According to my mother, although I designed the logo over a decade ago, the Sisters Rodeo Association recently produced the item and is offering it for sale in their gift shop. My partner Ed and I have decided the cups will be finding a home in our camping vehicle - the Get-Get-Get-Away van.

The identity was included when the Sisters Rodeo was inducted into the Library of Congress “Local Legacies" archive. The rodeo logo received an Award of Merit in the Central Oregon Drake Awards and a Silver in the Summit Creative Awards. It also is featured in The Big Book of Logos 3, LogoLounge - Volume 1 and Design for Special Events.

How does the garden grow?: The challenge of replacing my winter-damaged ceramic planters

2011-05-13T12:37:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, in a search to find planters for the front porch of my home, my friend Mike Smith - co-owner of Joy Creek Nursery - took me to a garden pottery wholesaler. I was thrilled to find three large ceramic pots that perfectly matched the purple of the front door (below). Over the next few summers the planters were filled with purple fountain grass, purple and green sweet potato vines, pansies and more. During the winter months the vessels were often planted with a variety of kale.

Following the cold and icy winter of 2009, I noticed fine cracks beginning to appear in the surface of the pots. A few small pieces of the purple finish even began to fall off. Fortunately, the seasonal vegetation in the planters covered the increasing flaws.

This past winter the planters began to fail even more. Large portions of the finish began to fall away from the pots after another unusually cold winter (above). The search for replacements began.

With friends and neighbors complaining about winter damage to their own planters, I started looking for substitutes that might better handle the elements. I must have looked at every fiberglass, resin and concrete planter made on websites, at home improvement stores and at nurseries. Most were fake in appearance, too shiny, poorly designed or just plain ugly.

The arrival of my Crate & Barrel catalog resulted in a couple of possible solutions. One, a bronze option, came with the disclaimer "bring indoors during freezing temperatures." Right - I don't think so. The other was a bit more intriguing to me - a tall, square zinc planter with a shallow insert for plantings.

After a visit to the local Crate & Barrel, three of the planters appeared on the porch (above). Ed, my partner of over two decades, suggested feeding drip line sprinkler lines up through the drainage holes in the pots and inserts. I then smashed the old, purple ceramic pots with a hammer; using the pieces to weight down the bottom portions of my new porch decor. After doing so, I had to go plant shopping.

Most of what I planted in the pots came from another favorite local nursery - Marbott's. Spiky Cordyline australis is the centerpiece of each planter. They are surrounded by Blackie sweet potato vine, Blue Picotte Lobelia, the almost chartreuse Marguerite sweet potato vine and Antique Red Diascia. I look forward to the pots filling in as spring progresses - and seeing how the planters survive the changing seasons.

Note: You might want to check out my flower pot umbrella stand, hose guide and copper pipe garden trellis projects. I also have a regularly updated Flickr photo gallery of images from my garden

Toot! Toot!*: Jeff Fisher LogoMotives designs included in 'Basic Identity' volume from Index Book

2011-05-08T16:19:00.000-07:00

The design work of Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, is included in the recently released book Basic Identity. The volume, from Spanish publisher Index Book, is currently available online and at bookstores worldwide.

Fisher's identity for Emerge Medical Spa at Bridgeport is featured in the book, along with branding projects from 151 designers and firms, representing 30 nations. The Emerge logo, stationery package and signage are highlighted in Basic Identity (below).

The Emerge Medical Spa logo also appears in The Big Book of Logos 5, 100s Visual Logos & Letterheads (UK) and American Corporate Identity 2008.

Fisher, a 33-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. Several 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 140 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

2011-05-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

ADC Young Guns 9
(Art Directors Club - USA)
Late Deadline: 30 May 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Graphis Photography Annual 2012
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 31 May 2011
Entry fees charged

Graphis Advertising Annual 2012
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline Extended: 31 May 2011
Entry fees charged

HOW In-HOWse Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Final Deadline: 1 June 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

HOW Logo Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 1 June 2011
Late Deadline: 15 June 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

HOW Poster Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 1 June 2011
Late Deadline: 15 June 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

FPO Awards
(UnderConsideration - USA)
Deadline: 3 June 2011
Entry fees charged

American Graphic Design Awards
(Graphic Design USA - USA)
Deadline: 10 June 2011
Entry fees charged

American Printing Awards
(Graphic Design USA - USA)
Deadline: 10 June 2011
Entry fees charged

UCDA Design Competition
(University & College Designer Association - USA)
Early Deadline: 17 June 2011
Final Deadline: 8 July 2011
Entry fees charged

cause/effect
(AIGA San Francisco - USA)
Deadline: 24 June 2011
Entry fees charged

The Designer's Web Handbook
(HOW Books - USA)
Deadline: 30 June 2011
No entry fees charged

International Wine Label Design
(To benefit Volunteer Center of Napa Valley - USA)
Preliminary Deadline: 30 June 2011
Entry fees charged

HOW Interactive Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 1 July 2011
Late Deadline: 15 July 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

LogoLounge Book 7
(LogoLounge - USA)
Deadline: 1 July 2011
Paid site membership required

New Talent Annual 2012
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 5 July 2011
Entry fees charged

Great Layout Ideas
(Ampixx Books - USA)
Deadline: 29 July 2011
No entry fees charged

2011 Labels of the World
(Neenah Paper - USA)
Deadline: 30 July 2011
No entry fees charged

iheartlogos
(iheartlogos.com - USA)
Season Two Deadline: 11 August 2011
Entry fees charged

HOW International Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 15 August 2011
Late Deadline: 1 September 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Creativity 41 Print & Packaging Competition
(Creativity International - USA)
Deadline: 26 August 2011
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Typography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 9 September 2011
Entry fees charged

Book of the Year, Volume 4
(Design & Design - France)
Deadline: 30 September 2011
No entry fees charged

Great Brochure Ideas
(Ampixx Books - USA)
Deadline: 30 September 2011
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Interactive Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 7 October 2011
Entry fees charged

Great Use of Color in Graphic Design
(Ampixx Books - USA)
Deadline: 30 November 2011
No entry fees charged

LogoNest 02
(LogoNest - Australia)
Deadline: 31 December 2011
Paid site membership required

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.)

My own work appears in over 140 graphic design books. Many of those inclusions are the result of design competitions, or requests for submissions, like those listed above.

Clowning Around: Toots Caboose & pals prepare for 2011 Portland Rose Festival Character Clown Corps

2011-04-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

Toots Caboose, the alter ego of designer and author Jeff Fisher - the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives is dusting off his red nose for a third season as a member of the Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corps for the Portland Rose Festival. In 2009 Toots emerged from clown school and made quite an impression at official Rose Festival events.

Toots Caboose in front of SP 4449 - “World's Most Famous Steam Locomotive” - at Portland's Union Station during National Train Day.

Once again, Toots Caboose and members of the Character Clown Corps will liven things up during National Train Day festivities at Portland's historic Union Station on Saturday, May 7th. In 2010, at the request of Amtrak Cascades officials, Toots was an official tour guide on their custom-built Talgo train.

Al Baker, of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, with Toots at Portland's National Train Day event.

Led by Boss Clown Angel Ocasio, there be be sightings of Toots Caboose and the Character Clown Corp troupe at these, and other, upcoming official Portland Rose Festival events:

• National Train Day: Meet strolling and performing clowns at Union Station on Saturday, May 7th.

Toots Caboose playing engineer with the Union Pacific Miniature Train during the 2010 Fred Meyer Junior Rose Parade

• Fred Meyer Junior Rose Parade: The oldest and largest children's parade in the United States will be held on Wednesday, June 8th.

Toots Caboose, Auguste and Trip strike a pose prior the 2010 Portland Rose Parade [Photo by clown pal Pippa/Debra Samuel].

For more photos of the 2010 Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corp activities, check out this gallery of images

Toot! Toot!*: Jeff Fisher LogoMotives identities showcased in Taschen's 'Logo Design Vol. 3'

2011-04-11T11:50:00.001-07:00

The new internationally-released book Logo Design Vol. 3 includes six identities from Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. The volume, edited by Julius Wiedemann, was published by the German-based firm Taschen as part of their continuing series on logo design and branding.

The Jeff Fisher LogoMotives designs selected (above) include an identity concept for the Cat Adoption Team, the logo redesign for "The Sentinel" community newspaper and the branding image for the Holocaust Remembrance Project of Tampa, FL. In addition, logos for the short-lived Portland eatery Balaboosta and the Historic Kenton Firehouse Committee are featured in the design inspiration resource. Also represented in the book is the logo for the entertainment troupe Stumptown Clowns, of which designer Fisher is a member in his alter-ego persona of clown Toots Caboose.

Fisher, a 30+ 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 140 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.)

Jeff Fisher's neighborhood logo design efforts recognized at 'Celebrate North Portland' event

2011-04-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

It's always nice to be recognized for one's work-related efforts, especially pro-bono activities in your own community - although it's never something to be expected. For me, the funny thing is that each time I've informed that I was to be publicly recognized at a neighborhood event, I've known I would miss the celebration due to traveling outside of the country. Such was the case in March 2011, while I was in on the island of St. Croix.

In late 2010, I learned that my volunteer neighborhood design efforts were to be acknowledged at a public dinner to be held on March 19th at the University of Portland. I was to be one of many residents to be honored at the event "Celebrate North Portland: Recognizing over three decades of activism in North Portland," hosted by my long-time friend and client, Mike Verbout.

Verbout, the former principal of James John School, also asked if I would create the logo to identify the dinner.

Schnitzer Steel, community activists Barbara Parmelee and Rich Recker, former Portland Mayor Vera Katz, columnist Steve Duin of The Oregonian and The Merck Family received plaques for their contributions to North Portland. Along with many businesses, organizations and individuals, I was honored to have a narrative describing my community work published in the evening's recognition book:

"Jeff Fisher, author of Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands (HOW Books, 2007), is the Engineer of Creative Identity for the North Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. A 32-year graphic design veteran, he has been honored with over 600 regional, national and international design awards and is featured in over 140 books about logos, the design business, and small business marketing. His first book, The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success was released in 2004. Other book projects are currently in the works. 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. In 2009, Graphic Design USA magazine named Jeff Fisher one of its design industry “People to Watch.” Jeff Fisher LogoMotives is a past recipient of the Spirit of Portsmouth Award, Salvation Army’s North Portland Neighborhood Pride Award and the Portland Area Theatre Alliance B. Joe Medley Volunteer Award. Fisher is also Portland Rose Festival Character Clown Corps member Toots Caboose. Jeff and his partner, Ed Cunningham, have made Arbor Lodge their home for 15 years.

Past North Portland clients of Jeff Fisher LogoMotives have included James John School, Just Out, Peninsula Community Development Corporation, North Bank Cafe, Coyner's Auto Body, Lampros Steel, The Sentinel and DiPrima Dolci. The designer has donated his talents and abilities to create logos and other works for the North Portland Business Association, Project Safe Summer, Portsmouth Neighborhood Association, Peninsula Clean Team, Caring Community of North Portland, Kenton Neighborhood Service Center, Children's Relief Nursery, North Portland Neighborhood Services, St. Johns Window Project, Historic Kenton Firehouse Committee, The Salvation Army’s Moore Street Corps, and the North Portland Pride B.B.Q and Festival. He also designed the St. Johns street banners."

It's been a real pleasure to live and work in North Portland. I look forward to many more years of involvement in the vibrant community I call "home."

Simple garden hose guide and plant protector [Redux]

2011-04-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

[With spring gardening in full swing, for those not currently under water or still covered with snow, I've had several requests for information about my hose guide project. Here's a "rerun" of the original post. Happy gardening!]

One of my greatest passions, and best forms of therapy, outside of work is my garden. Although the entire garden is most often watered by a timer- operated irrigation and drip system, occasionally there is a need to do extra watering using the garden hose. I always hate to be dragging the hose across the driveway, sidewalk or patio and have it attempt to decapitate plants in the garden.

I've looked at various hose guides at garden stores and I'm just too cheap to pay what is asked. I'd heard of people making the guides using lengths of pipe with ornamental lamp finials on top. Again, most lamp finials I like are too expensive for me to use in such a manner. A few weeks ago at Lowe's I found some aged bronze swirl drawer pulls on sale for $1.28 a piece - and I'd discovered my hose guide ornaments. So, with a 37-cent copper cap, a $1.42 piece of rebar, and about $1.00 worth of copper pipe, I had my hose guide materials for just over $4.00.

The materials needed for one hose guard (shown above) are:

• 1 piece of 1/2 inch copper pipe cut to 10 inches in length

• 1 copper cap for 1/2 inch pipe

• 1 piece of 3/8 inch rebar cut to 24 inches in length

• 1 ornamental brass or bronze drawer pull

• 1 metal screw (comes with drawer pull)

The tools needed include:

• a tape measure

• a handheld pipe cutter (available at the hardware store)

• a hacksaw (to cut the rebar and screw)

• an electric drill

• the necessary solder and soldering equipment

• steel wool, sandpaper or a tool made for roughing up the pipe surfaces to be joined

• a container of flux and the necessary brush for "painting" it on the copper tubing

• a pair of gloves with a non-skid palm surface for assistance in holding the pipe while it is being cut

The project process was actually fairly simple. The most effort was required in cutting the rebar and copper pipe to the proper lengths. It was also necessary to cut the screw that came with the drawer pull to about half of its length.

I used an electric drill to create a hole in the copper cap to screw on the drawer pull. Once the drawer pull was tightly screwed onto the cap, Ed soldered the screw in place within the cap to prevent movement (you could super glue the screw in place if desired). He then soldered the copper cap to the 10-inch length of copper pipe (again, you could super glue it on for ease).

I then stuck the piece of rebar into the ground, at the corner of the flower bed, until 10 inches of the rebar was left above the surface. The copper pipe fit over the rebar and my "designer" hose guide was in place. In a little less than an hour I had three custom hose guides completed and installed in my garden.

Note: You might also want to check out my flower pot umbrella stand and copper pipe garden trellis projects.

'Identity Crisis!' included in limited edition MyDesignShop.com 'branding expert' package

2011-03-31T07:53:00.000-07:00

Update: The 'Become a Branding Expert Ultimate Collection' SOLD OUT on 04.01.11 through the MyDesignShop.com website.

The book Identity Crisis!: 100 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands by Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, is included in the latest Ultimate Collection Series package offered by MyDesignShop.com. The 'Become a Branding Expert!' collection is limited to 100 purchases at the special price of $119.

The 'Become a Branding Expert Ultimate Collection' also includes:

Why We Buy, Why We Brand. Debbie Millman's Branding Secrets On Demand DesignCast. Debbie Millman takes a keen look at the influence branding has on our everyday lives, from branding ourselves and the world around us to the role branding plays in the products we buy and the way we live.

Chermayeff & Geismar's Identity Design Process Revealed - On Demand Master Class. Sagi Haviv, recently called a "logo prodigy" by The New Yorker, walks you through his firm's time-tested approach to identity design, with 4 real-world case studies from start to finish.

A Logo Does Not Make A Brand - On Demand Master Class with Joe Duffy. In this Master Class, Joe Duffy discusses what brands need today: a complete 'language' that is unique to them, one that they can call their own. This language must encompass every point of contact with the audience - the way it looks, sounds, even smells.

Branding is Like Dating - On Demand Conference Session. Marcus Hewitt will take you from initial concept to potential repositioning. Plus, learn the seven steps to better brand relationships.

2009 How Annual CD. Get a whole year's worth of inspiration & ideas from the leading business and creativity magazine for graphic designers.

2009 Print Retrospective CD. Portable, searchable, and printable, this CD offers a gorgeous look book and insightful critique of the best design in the United States and around the world.

The $119 special offer is valued at $330.

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

2011-03-30T12:21:00.000-07:00

Great Healthcare Advertising
(Ampixx Books - USA)
Deadline: 29 April 2011
No entry fees charged

Creative Quarterly 24
(Creative Quarterly - USA)
Deadline: 29 April 2011
Entry fees charged

HOW In-HOWse Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 2 May 2011
Final Deadline: 1 June 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

American Web Design Awards
(Graphic Design USA - USA)
Deadline Extended: 4 May 2011
Entry fees charged

Graphis Advertising Annual 2012
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 9 May 2011
Entry fees charged

Graphis Design Annual 2012
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline Extended: 9 May 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Core77 Design Awards
(Core77 - USA)
Deadline Extended: 3 May 2011
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Design Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 13 May 2011
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Advertising Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 13 May 2011
Entry fees charged

ADC Young Guns 9
(Art Directors Club - USA)
Deadline: 16 May 2011
Late Deadline: 30 May 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Pentawards (Package Design)
(Pentawards - Belgium)
Deadline: 20 May 2011
Entry fees charged

1000 Paper Graphics
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline Extended: 23 May 2011
No entry fees charged

Graphis Photography Annual 2012
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 30 May 2011
Entry fees charged

HOW Logo Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 1 June 2011
Late Deadline: 15 June 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

HOW Poster Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 1 June 2011
Late Deadline: 15 June 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

FPO Awards
(UnderConsideration - USA)
Deadline: 3 June 2011
Entry fees charged

UCDA Design Competition
(University & College Designer Association - USA)
Early Deadline: 17 June 2011
Final Deadline: 8 July 2011
Entry fees charged

cause/effect
(AIGA San Francisco - USA)
Deadline: 24 June 2011
Entry fees charged

Great Layout Ideas
(Ampixx Books - USA)
Deadline: 30 June 2011
No entry fees charged

The Designer's Web Handbook
(HOW Books - USA)
Deadline: 30 June 2011
No entry fees charged

HOW Interactive Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 1 July 2011
Late Deadline: 15 July 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

LogoLounge Book 7
(LogoLounge - USA)
Deadline: 1 July 2011
Paid site membership required

2011 Labels of the World
(Neenah Paper - USA)
Deadline: 30 July 2011
No entry fees charged

iheartlogos
(iheartlogos.com - USA)
Season Two Deadline: 11 August 2011
Entry fees charged

HOW International Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 15 August 2011
Late Deadline: 1 September 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Creativity 41 Print & Packaging Competition
(Creativity International - USA)
Deadline: 26 August 2011
Entry fees charged

Great Brochure Ideas
(Ampixx Books - USA)
Deadline: 31 August 2011
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Typography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 9 September 2011
Entry fees charged

Book of the Year, Volume 4
(Design & Design - France)
Deadline: 30 September 2011
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Interactive Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 7 October 2011
Entry fees charged

Great Use of Color in Graphic Design
(Ampixx Books - USA)
Deadline: 31 October 2011
No entry fees charged

LogoNest 02
(LogoNest - Australia)
Deadline: 31 December 2011
Paid site membership required

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.)

My own work appears in over 140 graphic design books. Many of those inclusions are the result of design competitions, or requests for submissions, like those listed above.

The Jeff Fisher LogoMotives identity evolution

2011-03-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

I get a lot of questions about the creation of the Jeff Fisher LogoMotives identity, especially as many designers struggle with the creation of their own logos. I was certainly no different.

1987-1988

Almost eight years after moving to Portland from college, and beginning my career as a professional graphic designer, I determined I needed a business name that reflected my interest in logo design, combined with my lifelong fascination of toy trains and actual locomotives. The examples above show the development of a logo for, what I originally intended as the name, Logo Motive Design. The first drawing was executed in ballpoint pen on a notepad, recreated with a rapidiograph pen (this was before most designers had computers), and then reversed out to final art. The logo only appeared in one print ad. It was not met with positive feedback from friends and clients, who felt the emphasis on my personal skills and talent required my own name in my business identity. So, the idea was shelved and I continued as Jeff Fisher Design.

1991-1995

With more and more of my design work being involved in identity efforts I revisited my original concept for the business name Logo Motive. I attempted to create a logo combining the necessary text and a symbolic art element in an integrated emblem, while also conveying my own creativity and identity design ability. The rough design for the initial train imagery incorporating the name LogoMotive was even included in a 1991 self-promotion piece. I again received negative feedback from clients and associates in regards to such a name making my efforts seem impersonal and too corporate. Still, I began using the business name LogoMotive in 1995 to give an identification to what was unintentionally becoming my primary business focus. I again halted my own logo project out of frustration with it not conveying a strong enough image - and the effort becoming a low priority due to an ever-increasing workload.

1997

Early in 1997 I decided to finally finish the logo project I began ten years earlier for my worst client - myself. About 80% of my design projects were now logos. Potential clients, clients and friends were now asking why a logo designer did not have a logo of his own. My sister, Sue Fisher; owner of the advertising, marketing and public relations firm TriAd (in Bend, Oregon); encouraged me to focus on my logo design efforts and finalize my business identity. I embellished on the rough design of a couple years earlier. By simply adding my name to the design I was able to "brand" myself, giving the logo the personal sense it had been lacking. The result was a logo with which I was finally pleased and it has served me very well. To celebrate completion of the design, I bought myself the new toy train set I had always wanted.

These days about 35% of my new clients tell me they have made the decision to hire me based on my personal logo. The design has been honored with numerous design awards since first appearing long ago. The Jeff Fisher LogoMotives identity also appears in Letterhead and Logo Design 5 (1998), American Corporate Identity 14 (1998), New Logo & Trademark Design (Japan, 1998), the 1998 PRINT Regional Design Annual, The New Big Book of Logos (2000), PRINT’s Best Logos & Symbols 6 (2000), Logo Design for Small Business 2 (2004), Logos from North to South America (Spain, 2005), Logo & Trademark Collection (Japan, 2004), The Big Book of Business Cards (2005), American Graphic Design & Advertising 25 (2010), Type Rules: The Designer's Guide to Professional Typography, Third Edition (2010), 2011 Artist's and Graphic Designer's Market and a little book called The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success (2004).

Back to this reality...

2011-03-24T10:26:00.000-07:00

I've just returned from an annual two+ week vacation to the island of St. Croix. Each year, my partner Ed and I jet off to the Caribbean, with friends Lisa Francolini and Bev Wells (owners of RiverWest Acupuncture), in an attempt to perfect the art of doing nothing. We have the pleasure of staying at the beautiful beachfront home of Bev's sister and brother-in-law, Jim and Bonnie Pavel.

For a little cyber vacation, you might want to take a look at the Flickr gallery of our sand, sun, food and fun photos.

Of course, we've have returned to one of the coldest and rainiest March months in Portland history...and I've developed a miserable cold.

Logodotes: Stumptown Clowns

2011-03-15T09:36:00.000-07:00

I often tend to be my own worst client. When designing for myself, I usually go into a very picky and hyper-critical mode. It did take me 10 years to create the Jeff Fisher LogoMotives identity.

With the image for Stumptown Clowns the process was surprisingly much different. Following attendance at Clown School, and a great experience as part of the Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corps for the Portland Rose Festival, my clown pal Pippa suggested that those interested in clowning around a bit more participate in the 2009 Portland Pride Parade. As the event was not an official Rose Festival event we would need to march under a new clown troupe moniker. Pippa came up with the name "Stumptown Clowns."

In my odd logo designer mind, as soon as I was made aware of the name, I literally saw the words visually as a potential clown face. The "U" letterform in the word "Stumptown" could become a winking eye, with the "O" in the term creating another eye that was wide open. It only made sense that the "O" in "Clown" would become a big red clown nose.

There was no sketching or doodling of the concept. The design was so clearly defined in my mind that I went directly to the computer. The font Blue Plate Special, by Nick Curtis of Nick's Fonts, was the first and only choice for the logo. It seemed to convey the celebratory, circus-like quality I desired. The weight of the font, and the curves of some letterforms, complimented the graphic elements which were created first.

In a one-shot process the Stumptown Clowns logo was complete (top image). However, there was something that bugged me about the end result. It was an optical illusion, but the identity seemed to be tilting. I doubled-checked the horizontal allignment of the design. The lightness of the "winking eye" and the heaviness of the "open eye" element were causing the logo to look as if it had rotated clock-wise a bit.

Rotating the design a quarter of a degree, counter clock-wise, seemed to correct the visual issue for me (directly above).

Stumptown Clown pals Lou, Pippa, Trip and Toots Caboose preparing for the 2009 Pride Parade though downtown Portland

With our official Stumptown Clowns logo on an identifying sign for the parade (Thanks to Kathy at Signs Northwest!) the new clown troupe was ready for its parade debut.

This project did remind me of a previous identity design client with an incredible attention to detail - OK, the guy was anal retentive (Hmmm...am I more anal?). The logo project was finalized. Disks were prepared with all the necessary digital files for the client. The invoice had been sent off for payment. The the client called to request that I rotate the design - which did not have balance issues with its circular design - five degrees clockwise. It was one of the oddest, and most specific, requests I'd received in regards to a job. No explanation - just "please rotate the design five degrees."

I revisited the logo and rotated the image two and a half degrees. The client was perfectly happy.

The Stumptown Clowns logo was recognized with a 2010 American Graphic Design and Advertising Award, and Silver honors in the 2010 Summit Creative Awards. It appears in the books Logolicious, iheartlogos Vol. 1, and Logo Nest 01. (Australia).

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

2011-03-02T06:30:00.000-08:00

Summit Creative Awards
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline Extended: 2 March 2011
Entry fees charged

One Show Interactive Awards
(The One Club - USA)
Deadline Extended: 4 March 2011
Entry fees charged

The Communicator Awards
(IAVA - USA)
Deadline Extended: 4 March 2011
Entry fees charged

Greeting Card Design
(Zeixs - Germany)
Deadline Extended: 4 March 2011
No entry fees charged

T-Shirt Design 2
(Zeixs - Germany)
Deadline Extended: 4 March 2011
No entry fees charged

Book and Magazine Design
(Zeixs - Germany)
Deadline Extended: 4 March 2011
No entry fees charged

Typography 2
(Zeixs - Germany)
Deadline Extended: 4 March 2011
No entry fees charged

The Dieline Awards
(The Dieline - USA)
Final Deadline: 4 March 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

HOW Promotion Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 5 March 2011
Late Deadline: 22 March 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

365 | Design Effectiveness Competition
(AIGA - USA)
Deadline: 10 March 2011
Late Deadline: 31 March 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Making the Case Competition
(AIGA - USA)
Deadline: 10 March 2011
Late Deadline: 31 March 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Great Graphic Design Ideas
(Ampixx Books - USA)
Deadline Extended: 14 March 2011
No entry fees charged

International Design Awards
(IDA - USA)
Deadline Extended: 15 March 2011
Entry fees charged

The Best of Business Card Design 10
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline Extended: 15 March 2011
No entry fees charged

Creativity 41 Media & Interactive Competition
(Creativity International - USA)
Deadline: 18 March 2011
Late Deadline: 1 April 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

American Inhouse Design Awards
(GDUSA - USA)
Deadline: 25 March 2011
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Photography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 25 March 2011
Late Deadline: 8 April 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Graphis 100 Best in Design 2012
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 28 March 2011
Entry fees charged

Letter, Word, Sentence, Paragraph
(HOW Books - USA)
Deadline: 30 March 2011
No entry fees charged

Humor Sells: 300 Examples of Truly Witty Designs
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline Extended: 30 March 2011
No entry fees charged • Publication fee if accepted for book

Brand New Awards
(UnderConsideration - USA)
Deadline: 31 March 2011
Entry fees charged

Go, Stop, Slow, Eat: How Typography Influences Behavior
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline Extended: 31 March 2011
No entry fees charged

HOW In-HOWse Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 1 April 2011
Late Deadline: 1 May 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Great Healthcare Advertising
(Ampixx Books - USA)
Deadline: 29 April 2011
No entry fees charged

Creative Quarterly 24
(Creative Quarterly - USA)
Deadline: 29 April 2011
Entry fees charged

American Web Design Awards
(Graphic Design USA - USA)
Deadline: 30 April 2011
Entry fees charged

Photography Journal Americas 001
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline Extended: 2 May 2011
Entry fees charged

Design Journal Europe & Africa 002
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 2 May 2011
Entry fees charged

Photography Journal Americas 001
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline Extended: 2 May 2011
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Design Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 13 May 2011
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Advertising Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 13 May 2011
Entry fees charged

UCDA Design Competition
(University & College Designer Association - USA)
Early Deadline: 17 June 2011
Final Deadline: 8 July 2011
Entry fees charged

Great Layout Ideas
(Ampixx Books - USA)
Deadline: 30 June 2011
No entry fees charged

The Designer's Web Handbook
(HOW Books - USA)
Deadline: 30 June 2011
No entry fees charged

HOW Interactive Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 1 July 2011
Entry fees charged

iheartlogos
(iheartlogos.com - USA)
Season Two Deadline: 11 August 2011
Entry fees charged

HOW International Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 15 August 2011
Entry fees charged

Creativity 41 Print & Packaging Competition
(Creativity International - USA)
Deadline: 26 August 2011
Entry fees charged

Great Brochure Ideas
(Ampixx Books - USA)
Deadline: 31 August 2011
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Typography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 9 September 2011
Entry fees charged

Book of the Year, Volume 4
(Design & Design - France)
Deadline: 30 September 2011
No entry fees charged

Great Use of Color in Graphic Design
(Ampixx Books - USA)
Deadline: 31 October 2011
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.)

My own work appears in over 140 graphic design books. Many of those inclusions are the result of design competitions, or requests for submissions, like those listed above.

Writer|designer Ellen Shapiro 'digs' my early blooms

2011-02-22T17:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I received a Facebook direct message from writer/designer Ellen Shapiro, in regards to some early 2011 garden photos I have posted on my personal Facebook page and on Flickr. From her home in snowy New York, photographic documentation that anything was blooming anywhere must have offered hope that this winter might yet end. Shapiro asked if some of my garden images could be shared on her garden and design blog, ">Dig It!"

Today a little bit of spring was presented to "Dig It!" readers, in the form of the entry "It's Spring (Somewhere)." I appreciate Shapiro's interest in my gardening efforts - and for giving friends Joy Creek Nursery a mention. She also writes of her intention to check in occasionally on my garden throughout the coming year.

For several years now, I have shared my gardening adventures on bLog-oMotives and in Flickr galleries for the years 2010, 2009 and 2008.

Graphic designer, writer, and gardener Ellen Shapiro is based in Irvington, New York. A frequent contributor to design magazines including Print, Communication Arts, and Etapes, she writes about trends, issues and personalities in design, illustration, photography, and visual culture around the world. She was also a contributor to the book, Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands, by Jeff Fisher.

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

2011-02-02T08:42:00.000-08:00

D&AD Awards 2011
(D&AD - UK)
Deadline Extended: 4 February 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Top 100 New Creatives 50
(CMYK Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 14 February 2011
Entry fees charged

Basic Sign
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 15 February 2011
No entry fees charged

Wolda Logo Annual
(Eulda Books - Italy)
Deadline Extended: 17 February 2011
Entry fees charged

Design Elements: Choosing and Using Type
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline: 25 February 2011
No entry fees charged

ADC Advertising Awards
(ADC - USA)
Late Deadline: 25 February 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

ADC Hybrid Awards
(ADC - USA)
Late Deadline: 25 February 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

SEGD Design Awards
(Society for Environmental Graphic Design - USA)
Deadline Extended: 25 February 2011
Entry fees charged

Humor Sells: 300 Examples of Truly Witty Designs
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline: 28 February 2011
No entry fees charged • Publication fee if accepted for book

Damn Good: Top Designers Discuss Their All-Time Favorite Projects
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline Extended: 28 February 2011
No entry fees charged • Publication fee if accepted for book

Greeting Card Design
(Zeixs - Germany)
Deadline Extended: 28 February 2011
No entry fees charged

T-Shirt Design 2
(Zeixs - Germany)
Deadline Extended: 28 February 2011
No entry fees charged

Book and Magazine Design
(Zeixs - Germany)
Deadline Extended: 28 February 2011
No entry fees charged

Typography 2
(Zeixs - Germany)
Deadline Extended: 28 February 2011
No entry fees charged

The Dieline Awards
(The Dieline - USA)
Final Deadline: 1 March 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Print Regional Design Annual
(Print - USA)
Late Deadline: 1 March 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

The Best of Business Card Design 10
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline: 1 March 2011
No entry fees charged

Summit Creative Awards
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline Extended: 2 March 2011
Entry fees charged

One Show Interactive Awards
(The One Club - USA)
Deadline Extended: 4 March 2011
Entry fees charged

HOW Promotion Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 5 March 2011
Late Deadline: 22 March 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

365 | Design Effectiveness Competition
(AIGA - USA)
Deadline: 10 March 2011
Late Deadline: 31 March 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Making the Case Competition
(AIGA - USA)
Deadline: 10 March 2011
Late Deadline: 31 March 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Great Graphic Design Ideas
(Ampixx Books - USA)
Deadline Extended: 14 March 2011
No entry fees charged

International Design Awards
(IDA - USA)
Deadline Extended: 15 March 2011
Entry fees charged

Creativity 41 Media & Interactive Competition
(Creativity International - USA)
Deadline: 18 March 2011
Late Deadline: 1 April 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

American Inhouse Design Awards
(GDUSA - USA)
Deadline: 25 March 2011
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Photography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 25 March 2011
Late Deadline: 8 April 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Graphis 100 Best in Design 2012
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 28 March 2011
Entry fees charged

Letter, Word, Sentence, Paragraph
(HOW Books - USA)
Deadline: 30 March 2011
No entry fees charged

Brand New Awards
(UnderConsideration - USA)
Deadline: 31 March 2011
Entry fees charged

Go, Stop, Slow, Eat: How Typography Influences Behavior
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline Extended: 31 March 2011
No entry fees charged

Print Regional Design Annual
(Print - USA)
Late Deadline Extended: 1 April 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

HOW In-HOWse Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 1 April 2011
Late Deadline: 1 May 2011 (late fees apply)
Entry fees charged

Great Healthcare Advertising
(Ampixx Books - USA)
Deadline: 29 April 2011
No entry fees charged

Creative Quarterly 24
(Creative Quarterly - USA)
Deadline: 29 April 2011
Entry fees charged

American Web Design Awards
(Graphic Design USA - USA)
Deadline: 30 April 2011
Entry fees charged

Photography Journal Americas 001
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline Extended: 2 May 2011
Entry fees charged

Design Journal Europe & Africa 002
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 2 May 2011
Entry fees charged

Photography Journal Americas 001
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline Extended: 2 May 2011
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Design Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 13 May 2011
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Advertising Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 13 May 2011
Entry fees charged

UCDA Design Competition
(University & College Designer Association - USA)
Early Deadline: 17 June 2011
Final Deadline: 8 July 2011
Entry fees charged

Great Layout Ideas
(Ampixx Books - USA)
Deadline: 30 June 2011
No entry fees charged

HOW Interactive Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 1 July 2011
Entry fees charged

iheartlogos
(iheartlogos.com - USA)
Season Two Deadline: 11 August 2011
Entry fees charged

HOW International Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 15 August 2011
Entry fees charged

Creativity 41 Print & Packaging Competition
(Creativity International - USA)
Deadline: 26 August 2011
Entry fees charged

Great Brochure Ideas
(Ampixx Books - USA)
Deadline: 31 August 2011
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Typography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 9 September 2011
Entry fees charged

Book of the Year, Volume 4
(Design & Design - France)
Deadline: 30 September 2011
No entry fees charged

Great Use of Color in Graphic Design
(Ampixx Books - USA)
Deadline: 31 October 2011
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.)

My own work appears in over 140 graphic design books. Many of those inclusions are the result of design competitions, or requests for submissions, like those listed above.

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

2011-01-27T13:43:00.000-08:00

The recently released book iheartlogos season one includes design efforts from 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 462 logos created by 109 designers from 26 countries around the world.

The Jeff Fisher LogoMotives designs selected (above) include the logo for Fontana, CA computer consulting firm DataDork and an identity concept for the Cat Adoption Team. Also showcased in the book is the logo for the Portland entertainment troupe Stumptown Clowns, of which designer Fisher is a member in his alter-ego persona of clown Toots Caboose.

Identities 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 - which includes free shipping in the continental United States. Season two of the iheartlogos competition is currently underway.

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.)

Not the week I'd planned or expected...

2011-01-21T11:37:00.000-08:00

I had planned to get so much accomplished this past week. One client in particular, my partner Ed Cunningham, had also expected a lot from me in his roles as Executive Director of the Portland law firm Samuels Yoelin Kantor and President of Oregon Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators. I'm in the process of rebranding the law firm (I designed their current identity back in 1996-97) as they prepare to move downtown to the 38th floor of the U.S. Bancorp Tower and, having already created a new identity for the professional organization, ongoing branding projects were on my calendar.

Ed's photo of friends Lisa and Bev toying with the guy on pre-surgery drugs

However, life sometimes takes us in another direction.

Family, friends and many design industry pals are aware I just returned from a four-day hospital stay. Many have asked for additional information about how a seemingly healthy guy ended up having an emergency surgery. I figure that if Martha Stewart can blog about her lip surgery after getting head-butted by dog - complete with a slide-show of photo documentation - I can write about my experience (and spare readers any operating room images).

Last Thursday morning I felt three sharp, stabbing pains in my abdomen. They didn't stop me in my tracks, but they certainly got my attention and I was fine the rest of the day. Friday I just felt a bit "off" and thought I might have a slight fever. On Saturday, I had a stomach ache and wondered if I was coming down with the flu. Ed and I had planned on going to see "The King's Speech" that afternoon. I really didn't want to miss the film, so I took a short nap and felt much better afterwards. I didn't feel ill at all that afternoon or evening.

At about 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning I woke with sudden onset Tourette's. My stomach hurt like hell and I was swearing like a sailor. Holding my midsection, I made my way to the living room couch and tried to get myself comfortable. Again, I thought this was beginning a bad case of the flu. Drifting in and out of sleep, I'd occasionally be jolted awake by a sharp pain. I sent Ed off on and errand to get me some 7-Up at a nearby store.

By 10:00 a.m. I was rushing to the bathroom to repeatedly worship the porcelain God. I finally just positioned myself on the bathroom floor, resting my head on the rug and wrapping my arms around my gut. It was much easier than making trips in and out of the room.

With mid-day came the most excruciating pain I'd ever felt. I was on the verge of crying or hallucinating - or both. I told Ed that we had to do something and he said he'd take me to the nearby Kaiser Urgent Care facility. A room packed with hundreds of people needing medical care immediately came to mind.

Only about five people were in the waiting room when we got to the Interstate Urgent Care facility. It was probably a fairly short wait before seeing a doctor, but it seemed like an eternity to me. The pain was now steady and intense. They took my vitals, drew blood and tried to make me comfortable. The blood test results showed that I was fighting a serious infection and I was told I was to be transported by ambulance to the Sunnyside Medical Center for a CAT scan to see if I did in fact have appendicitis.

The ambulance ride was only about 15 miles across town. Every bump in the road seemed to cause pain to shoot through my body. After the attendants got me out of the vehicle, and we were nearing the hospital doors, I made a very proper entrance to the emergency room by leaning over the side of the gurney and presenting a projectile vomiting performance.

The next few hours are a bit of a blur - due to a lot of morphine. I remember I was soon getting a CAT scan, having a catheter inserted, and that our friends Lisa Francolini and Bev Wells arrived at the hospital. It was only fair they had joined Ed and I, as we spent one Thanksgiving at another hospital with them when Bev had a gall bladder removed. It wasn't until much later that I saw Ed's Droid photo (above) of the two of them next to me in a hospital bed.

Everyone always claims they will have all their legal documentation in place in case such an emergency occurs. Ed and I are no different. This being our first Kaiser experience, we did not have current advance directives in place. This morning I asked Ed when we ended up signing them on Sunday. He explained that it was done in the transition room between the emergency room and surgery, adding that he "now has complete control over everything I do."

My advice to everyone: Make sure you have your wills, advance directives and all other necessary legal documentation in place - now!

I've been told I went into surgery for a laparoscopic appendectomy about 9:00 p.m. after a very long day. I do remember being very cold, being covered with a heated blanket and the mask coming towards my face. The next thing I remember is being in my room. I'm not truly aware of the fact, but understand that Ed, Lisa and Bev were having lots of fun messing with the drugged up Jeff.

The next morning I was visited by my surgeon, who told me that my appendix was a real "bear" to deal with during the surgery. She shared that gangrene was evident in the organ and it had been dripping into my body. The surgical resident came in later to check on me and mentioned that a piece of the appendix had actually broken off during removal and had to be retrieved during the "lappy appy." Both said they were very surprised I had not been seriously ill until the day of the surgical procedure.

As mentioned previously, this was my first experience with Kaiser Hospital and I have nothing but praise for everyone with whom I came in contact - surgeons, residents, nurses, nursing students and staff. My nurses Joseph, Jan and Carrie were exceptional. Since coming home Wednesday afternoon, dealings with the advice line, and my surgeon's nurse, via phone have also been very positive experiences. Everyone helped make a very unpleasant and serious situation very bearable.

One odd thing did happen during this process. The morning after my surgery , one of the nurses asked me to confirm any drug allergies. I told her I was not to be given the antibiotic Cipro. She mentioned that my chart also showed an allergy to Levonorgestrel-ethinyl Estrad. I said I'd never heard of it. Another nurse came into the conversation and said "that's a birth control pill." As far as I know, I've never taken a birth control pill of any kind - with or without an allergic reaction. Sure enough, the allergy is listed on the red hospital wristband (above) I removed when I got home.

It's great to be home. Ed has gone above and beyond the call of duty playing nursemaid - while keeping a bit of distance as I am such a horrible sick person. I am a very impatient patient. Five days out from the surgery, and home for two days, my doctors want me to really limit activities for another five to eight days. I smiled at my surgeon when she originally told me of her imposed restrictions. She asked, "How's that going to work for you?" I told her I'd do my best.

I'm still running a slight fever, have four more days of antibiotics and take the "crazy dream"-inducing Vicodin as needed. However, last night I slept through the night and then took a three-hour nap this morning. I still don't have much of an appetite - but this has been a great "jump start" to my new year weight loss plans. Ed has everything set up for me on main level of our home - no running up and down stairs any time soon. The best thing of all - I'm just glad to be home.

Sincere thanks to family, friends and design peers literally from around the world for expressing your concerns and "get well" wishes via Twitter, Facebook, emails, direct messages, phone calls and cards. It means a great deal to me.

A look back at 2010:The work of Jeff Fisher LogoMotives in books

2011-01-04T13:39:00.001-08:00

In 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives got a great deal of international exposure from examples of identity work, and other content, being published in design industry books. The efforts of designer and writer Jeff Fisher now appear in over 140 books. Here's a look back at the volumes published this past year and the design projects featured:

Basic Identity (Index Book, Spain, 2010)

2011 Artist's and Graphic Designer's Market (Writers Digest Books, USA, 2010)

Type Rules: The Designer's Guide to Professional Typography, Third Edition, by Ilene Strizver (Wiley, USA, 2010)

Font: Classic Typography for Contemporary Design, by Tamye Riggs (Paperback, Rotovision, UK, 2010)

Design DNA: Logos: 500+ International Logos Deconstructed, by Matthew Healey (Rockport Publishers, USA, 2010)

LogoLounge, Volume 4, by Bill Gardner and Catharine Fishel (Paper Mini, Rockport, USA, 2010)

LogoLounge: Master Library, Volume 2: 3000 Animal and Mythology Logos, by Bill Gardner and Catharine Fishel (Rockport Publishers, USA, 2010)

The Best of Letterhead and Logo Design (Rockport Publishers, USA, 2010)

Perfect Match Art Primary 5, by Prisca Ko Hak Moi (Pearson Education South Asia and Ministry of Education Singapore, Singapore, 2010)

Logoliscious, by Peleg Top (HarperCollins, USA, 2010)

Designing for the Greater Good: The Best in Cause-Related Marketing and Nonprofit Design, by Peleg Top and Jonathan Cleveland (HarperCollins, USA, 2010)

Design Matters: Portfolios 01: An Essential Primer for Today's Competitive Market, by Maura Keller (Rockport Publishers, USA, 2010)

For A Good Cause: Solidarity Design, by Cactus Disseny (Index Book, Spain, 2010)

Basic Logos (Index Book, Spain, 2010)

American Advertising & Design 25, by Suzanna MW Stephens (Collins Design, USA 2010)

LogoLounge Master Library, Volume 1: 3,000 Initials & Crest Logos, by Bill Gardner and Catharine Fishel (Rockport Publishers, USA, 2010)