Throughout 2009 I was interviewed by many sources. Two audio interviews were broadcast in the form of podcasts:
• Escape from Illustration Island and syndicated at the site IllustrationMundo (Read more here)
• The Reflex Blue Show (Read more here)
© 2009 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives
This is Part 2 of my look back at the 2009 HOW Design Conference. You may also want to take a look at Part 1.
I hate to be one of those "back in the olden days" people. However, when comparing past events to the 2009 HOW Conference in Austin, I did find myself missing some things from past conferences. Newbies would certainly not even notice. Some of the "glitz, pomp and rah-rah" of previous conferences was missing. I'm sure some if it due to budgetary concerns. There weren't the daily morning cheerleading sessions (often with live music) to send attendees, many having been out all night, off to their morning sessions. The brunch for all attendees on the last morning was gone. At some past conferences, that event had been a great last minute networking opportunity for all. The announcement of the 2010 location of Denver was a bit of letdown. Not that the conference will be in the great city of Denver, but that the news was not delivered with production number enthusiasm.
The "meat," or real value, of the conference was certainly there. I heard very few complaints about the sessions attended by designers. A few complained that some product-oriented presenters seemed to simply be doing a commercial for their wares. A couple attendees expressed disappointment that a supposed learning session turned into little more than an unexpected portfolio review. Most of the feedback I heard was incredibly positive. It's no surprise that there were many raves about the presentations of Marc English, Von Glitschka, Scott Belsky and many others. If I have any criticism of sessions at all, it is that the opening and closing keynotes didn't seem keynote-ish to me. Both provided great information, but the presentations were missing that "rah rah, let's go kick some serious ass as designers" quality. They seemed very much like regular individual sessions in a bigger room with a larger crowd.
I was unable to attend the raved-about Scott Belsky session as I was attending one of the best sessions I've ever attended at a HOW Conference. Michael Osborne's "Design That Matters" had an incredible impact on everyone in the room. I've always been a huge fan of Osborne's work and his One Heart Press. In just over an hour we learned the incredibly personal and emotional story of what makes Michael Osborne "tick." His Joey's Corner project, created to honor his late son, is an amazing model of how design - and designers - can make a difference in this world. I would hope that readers of this bLog-oMotives entry would take a look at Micheal's work, project and Joey's Corner. (You may also follow the work of Joey's Corner on Facebook.) I regret that I didn't have the opportunity to actually meet Michael Osborne while in Austin.
My first HOW Conference, years ago in New Orleans, was a panel discussion moderated by then HOW Art Director Tricia Bateman. Panelists included design educator Peg Faimon (author of the new HOW Books offering The Designer's Guide to Business and Careers), Willie Baronet, Pash (née Matt Pashkow) and myself. The panel format was a great way to encourage interaction with conference attendees and address their specific needs or questions. Following the 2008 Boston HOW Conference, "Speakers Gone Wild" pals Jeni Herberger and Steve "RDQLUS" Gordon, and I discussed our fondness for the panel discussion and we pitched a "Blazing Designers" presentation for Austin, featuring ourselves in a takeoff of the film Blazing Saddles. Our proposal was "shot down" by the powers-that-be; one making the comment that our pitch was a "scary, good idea.
The TOO early in the morning Design Economic Summit panel - Steve Gordon, Daniel Schutzsmith, Andy Epstein, myself, Megan Slabinski of The Creative Group and moderator Jeni Herberger. Photo by Karen Larson
Months later, as the economy was tanking, we were approached by HOW Conference organizers to be participants in a "Design Economic Summit" (I still detest that session name) panel to be held at 8:00 one Austin morning. The other panelists were Daniel Schutzsmith, Andy Epstein and Megan Slabinski of The Creative Group (photo above). I was really surprised that we got as many as many attendees as we did for an extra session so early in the day. Panelists were still answering questions half an hour after the alloted time. I do think the panel format has a valuable place in future HOW Conferences - perhaps something scheduled as more than an hour long.
I was very pleased with the response to my own session. A filled room with people having to sit on the floor is always a good thing for a speaker. My only complaint is that 75 minutes is a very short period of time to cover a topic well and allow sufficient time for questions. I felt bad when some attendees wanted to visit afterwards and I had to run off to the HOW Conference Bookstore to sign copies of my book Identity Crisis! and the PDF on CD version of The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success at a hastily rescheduled event. (There's more information about my session in the bLog-oMotives entry A clown walks into a conference....)
I'll admit, I drank the "HOW Kool-Aid" a long time ago. I've been featured in HOW Magazine numerous times, written for the magazine, been a speaker at many HOW sponsored events and have upcoming Webinars and a Designers' Bootcamp. HOW Books is also the publisher of my two previous books, and the one I am currently writing. Still, attempting to set any bias aside, I would give the 2009 HOW Conference in Austin very high marks. The location was invigorating and a great deal of fun - even in triple-digit heat. The speakers were inspiring. The networking energy between attendees, speakers, sponsors and the HOW staff was incredible. I had opportunities to meet with people one-on-one like never before. I really appreciated attendee Brad Dressler, from Texas A&M, taking it upon himself to coordinate an in-house designer luncheon and an Austin gay bar pub crawl that was too late for this design-o-saur. Having Donovan Beery broadcast The Reflex Blue Show from the convention center was a huge plus. The "HOW Gals" busted their butts in making the event one of the best HOW Conferences ever. All involved deserve a big "THANK YOU!"
I could go on and on - but I won't. I would suggest that designers start planning now to attend the HOW Design Conference in Denver, June 6-9, 2010.
Note: Check out a bit more about my 2009 HOW Conference speaking experience in the bLog-oMotives entry A clown walks into a conference....
© 2009 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives
The past month brought about quite a few mentions and sightings of Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, online and in the print world. Here's what I've come across recently:
• 2009 HOW Design Conference Wrap Up • Long-time cyber and real world pal Neil Tortorella obviously couldn't resist including an image of Toots in an entry of his Inside the Marketing Mind blog (A great marketing and self-promotion resource for any creative type). [6.29.09]
• HOW Design Conference 2009 - Austin, Texas • On the blog associated with her brand spanking new site JeniHerberger.com, my annual HOW Conference "wife" reflects on her recent Austin experience. [6.29.09]
• The Reflex Blue Show HOW Conference Special: DAY THREE • The clown Toots Caboose briefly crosses the tracks of The Reflex Blue Show, and its host Donovan Beery, broadcasting live from the HOW Design Conference in Austin, TX. [6.26.09]
• Office Anthropologist • I received my copy of the August 2009 issue of HOW Magazine, which includes an article written by Julie Sims of The Creative Group. Sims interviews Lionel Carreon, a recruiter for San Francisco-based digital marketing firm AKQA and myself, in regards to new hires fitting in when taking on new job situations. [6.23.09]
• 10 Faces you may know on MonoExpression - Part 1 • UK logo designer Graham Smith featured 10 portraits from his MonoExpression online gallery on his ImJustCreative blog. [6.19.09]
• Killed Ideas, Vol. 1 • I was very happy to receive my hardbound copy of the Blurb book Killed Ideas, Vol 1, which includes my rejected Cat Adoption Team logo design. [6.18.09]
• The Top Best Logo Design Books • Designer Jacob Cass gives a mention to my book, Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands, in his list of published logo design resources. [6.15.09]
• Logo Inspiration With Clever Typography • Logo lover Andrew Houle, of MyInkBlog.com, included the Jeff Fisher LogoMotives identity in his collection of interesting type treatments in logo creations. [6.12.09]
• Always in Season • A Twitter request from an OutTraveler.com editor led to me submitting one of my vacation photos and having it featured as a "Snapshot" on the site. [6.12.09]
As is sometimes the case, I did come across an older mention by way of a Twitter posting:
• The Upside of Working for Free • On the FreelanceSwitch site, Martha Retallick referenced my article “Profiting from Pro Bono Creative Efforts.” [3.27.09]
Check out listings of previous clickety-clacks along the tracks.
© 2009 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives
The month of May brought about many online mentions of Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. Here's what I've found to date:
• Crazy Train, Toots Style: Local Design Savant Turned Clown Has the Last Laugh • Writer Ryan J. Prado, of the LGBT community newsmagazine Just Out, interviews me about my clowning around as "Toots Caboose" and how it is an extension of my design business brand. [5.29.09]
• Thoughts on Design: Back where it all started • Nathan Sarlow, of CobaltCow Brand Development invited several designers to provide examples of thier first paid logo design effort. My design, for the Eugene University Music Association, was executed 30 years ago while I was in college. [5.29.09]
• Freelance is a lot like dating • Illustrative designer Leighton Hubbell contends that working as a freelance creative has many similarities to the dating game. Via Twitter he asked for examples to add to his list. My contribution: "First date – Meet with potential new client, share all the info, they're excited about the project, all is good - you never hear from them again." [5.29.09]
• NO!SPEC • CreativePro: Spec Work and Crowdsourcing • Catherine Wentworth, one of the founders of the NO!SPEC movement comments on the CreativePro.com article "Spec Work and Crowdsourcing: Gambles that Don’t Pay Off," which includes some comments of mine. [5.23.09]
• Creating Images From Text • On the Famous Logos blog, Roberta Seldon showcases the Jeff Fisher LogoMotives logo in her piece on identity images created from letterforms. [5.21.09]
• Masters of Graphic Design and Illustration: 25+ Interviews • A great collection of wide-ranging designer and illustrator interview links compiled by Noupe.. [5.21.09]
• Business Card Design: Better Than A Plain Ol’ Business Card • Kat Neville, in writing for the Smashing Magazine site, features the Jeff Fisher LogoMotives toy train kit marketing piece. [5.20.09]
• Care And Feeding Of In-House Designers • After seeing a link posted on Twitter, HOW Magazine Senior Editor Megan Lane Patrick mentioned my article "The proper care and feeding of the in-house graphic designer" on the HOW Blog. [5.20.09]
• The Reflex Blue Show: Jeff Fisher Does the LOGO-MOTION • As only they can, Nate Voss and Donovan Beery - of 36 Point - introduce my appearance on The Reflex Blue Show. [5.14.09]
• 'Make it Big' by Blogging an interview with Jeff Fisher and Sheri L Koetting • My long-time pals at The Creative Group e-Zine interview me about making use of blogs as marketing, promotion and educational tool for my design and writing work. [5.12.09]
• 45 logos that utilize negative space effectively • Designer Antonea Nabors included my design for the City of Portland's Neighborhood Service Center in her VelvetAnt Design Blog entry displaying negative space usage in identity design. [5.07.09]
• 85+ of the Best Twitterers Designers Should Follow • On the blog Mashable: The Social Media Guide, contributor Cameron Chapman includes Jeff Fisher LogoMotives on the list of designers to follow on Twitter [5.04.09]
© 2009 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives
Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher Logomotives, is the featured guest on the latest episode of the The Reflex Blue Show. Hosted by Nate Voss and Donovan Beery of 36Point, the design industry interview is available for download at the show site or from the iTunes Music Store.
Fisher, author of Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands, discussed his upcoming public appearances at the 2009 How Design Conference in Austin, TX this June 24-27, his thoughts on recent major brand redesigns, and making use of Twitter as a marketing tool. In addition to referring to his book Identity Crisis!, the design writer also talked about his first book, The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success (now available as a PDF on CD from HOWBookstore.com) and his upcoming volume, Logo•Type - a book about typography in identity design. The new book will be available when released by HOW Books in early 2010.
Designer Jeff Fisher has received over 600 regional, national and international graphic design awards for his logo and corporate identity efforts and his work is featured in more than over 100 books on the design of logos, the business of graphic design, and small business marketing. Earlier this year, Fisher was named one of design industry publication Graphic Design USA’s “People to Watch in 2009.” In 2008, Jeff Fisher LogoMotives was recognized as one of the top 100 U.S. home-based businesses by the web presence StartupNation.
The designer was also asked about recently attending clown school. With his newly-created clown persona of Toots Caboose, he is currently a member of the Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corps, for the 2009 Portland Rose Festival.
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.)
© 2009 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives
