Toot! Toot!*: Identity design efforts of 'Logolicious' judge Jeff Fisher featured in newly released volume

Logo designs by Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, are featured in the newly released book LogoLicious. The volume, compiled by designer/author Peleg Top, features over 1,000 logos from identity designers around the world. Fisher's work is highlighted in the book as the result of being a judge in the Logolicious selection process.

Author Peleg Top asked 13 identity design industry experts to assist in judging the more than 3,000 logos submitted through the Crescent Hill Books website.

In addition to Fisher, Jeff Barlow (Jelvetica), Darin Beaman (OIC), Joshua Chen (Chen Design Associates), Jonathan Cleveland (Cleveland Design) and Jean-Marc Durviaux (DISTINC) selected published logos. Kit Hinrichs (Studio Hinrichs), Debbie Millman (Sterling Brands), Steve Morris (MORRIS), Robynne Raye (Modern Dog Design Co.), Cheryl Savala (Menagerie Creative), Rochelle Seltzer (Seltzer) and Petrula Vrontikis (Vrontikis Design Office) were also judges of submissions.

Judges each reviewed hundreds of logos. Top also requested that each industry professional provide their definition of a "good logo" and representative examples of logos they, or their firm, had produced.

Jeff Fisher LogoMotives designs featured in the book include images for the triangle productions! theatrical production "2 Boys in a Bed on a Cold Winter's Night," hair salon Chameleon and Holocaust Remembrance Project - a nation-wide high school essay competition sponsored by the Holland and Knight Charitable Foundation, Inc. The logo for computer consultation firm DataDork and the Cat Adoption Team logo concept are also presented in the designer's two-page spread.

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. He is currently writing the book Logo Type: 200 Best Typographic Logos from Around the World Explained, about typography in identity design, with a scheduled 2011 release.

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.)

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

A look back at the 2010 HOW Logo Design Awards

This year HOW Magazine sponsored the first HOW Logo Design Awards competition. I was honored to be asked to judge the magazine's first event of this kind.

Over 800 student and professional identity designs were submitted to the competition. It would be my responsibility to choose ten logos to be honored. Thankfully, the Editors and staff of HOW Magazine initially reviewed and selected about 350 logos for me to judge personally. The winning designs have been announced and posted on the HOW website.

Here's a bit of a recap, with my brief comments:

• Hayneedle (Design by: Lippincott - USA) - "Simplicity at its best—in type treatment and graphic elements."

• Thomas & Gray (Design by: 22squared - USA) - "Hitting the mark in creating a logo meant to convey 'distinction, tradition and timeless elegance.'”

• Dirty Ice Cream (Design by: Dirty Ice Cream Design - Phillipines) - "A beautifully executed, retro type treatment that beckons the viewer deeper into the design."

• Thomas & Gray (Design by: Willoughby Design - USA) - "A major player in identity design shows how it's done—all while taking a chance on a non-traditional logo treatment to represent itself."

• New Sheridan Hotel (Design by: Urban Influence - USA) - "The history, culture and Western sophistication of Telluride, CO, are communicated in a crisp, modern presentation."

• Airplot (Design by: Airside - UK) - "This is a unique and intriguing, modular logo that allows for multiple uses and adaptations as needed."

• Lan Su Chinese Garden (Design by: Sockeye Creative - USA) - "This is an eye-catching, designerly twist on traditional Chinese imagery."

• Bronx Zoo Student Project (Design by: Carrie Madigan - USA) - "Inviting child-like imagery is in this logo, but there’s much more to be seen when taking a second look."

• Michael Bach Gastroenterologists (Design by: Josef Stapel Design - Germany) - "Never has the human digestive system been portrayed so elegantly—very clever letterform play."

• Renaud Merle (Blackbird) (Design by: Renaud Merle - France) - "A graphic smile delivered through two “r” letterforms creating a subliminal “m” with the extra treat of a fun blackbird image."

In addition, I wrote: "Over all, I was very pleased with the originality, execution and attention to detail exhibited in the hundreds of logos reviewed. Many designers submitted excellent showcase pieces that successfully conveyed their illustration talents, design skills and type treatment expertise.

"If I have any general criticisms, they are that a number identity designers need to break away from following current trends to create logos that may have greater longevity as an identifying symbol. And as entrants were given the opportunity, a short description or explanation of the logo submissions would have been very helpful as a judging tool for quite a few examples.

"Three of the final logos selected caught my eye on my very first review of all of the submissions. Narrowing the entries down to 100 logos was difficult; to 50 a real challenge; and to 20 was nearly impossible. I feel the 10 final logos selected represent the best of the best. After making my final selections, I was pleased to learn that five countries, large and small firms, and a student designer were represented.”

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Jeff Fisher judges 'American Graphic Design & Advertising 25' - and is featured in AGDA25 book

One year ago this week Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, was asked to be a judge for American Graphic Design and Advertising 25. Formerly known as the American Corporate Identity Awards, the competition was expanded in its 25th year to include a much greater selection of graphic design work. Fisher, with over 30 years of identity design experience, was chosen to judge the logo design portion of the competition.

David E. Carter and Suzanna MW Stephens compiled the resulting annual publication, American Graphic Design and Advertising 25. The book was recently released by Collins Design, an imprint of HarperCollins.

A biography of Fisher and several examples of his own favorite work are included in the volume. The representative logo designs include:

• Jeff Fisher LogoMotives - The designer's own identity was a ten-year process. The image is featured in Letterhead and Logo Design 5, American Corporate Identity/14, New Logo & Trademark Design (Japan), PRINT's Regional Design Annual, The New Big Book of Logos, PRINT’s Best Logos & Symbols 6, Logo Design for Small Business 2, The Big Book of Business Cards, Logos from North to South America (Spain), New Logo & Trademark Collection (Japan), and The Savvy Designer’s Guide to Success.

• Holocaust Remembrance Project - One of a series of logos created for the Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation, this logo gives a graphic identity to the annual Holocaust remembrance essay contest for high school students. The triangle elements are used in a positive manner to take ownership of the negative image of the concentration camp uniform identification patches from the past. The design received a 2008 American Graphic Design Award and is showcased in the book 100s Visual Logos & Letterheads (UK).

• Vista House - This logo was created for the Friends of Vista House, Oregon State Parks Trust, and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. The designer's sister, Sue Fisher, was Creative Director for the effort. Vista House was built in 1916-1918 as a memorial to Oregon pioneers and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The identity appears in the books Typography, Graphis Logo 6, Logos from North to South America (Spain) and 100s Visual Logos & Letterheads (UK).

• The Sentinel - A logo redesign for a monthly North Portland neighborhood newspaper involved combining letterforms from two typefaces, Boca Raton and Rockwell, to create a unique type treatment of the word "Sentinel." A third typeface, Helvetica Neue, was introduced for the line of location text.

• Cat Adoption Team - In an "aha" moment this rough concept came together. With the acronym C.A.T., there was a desire to create a graphic image that would clearly identify the organization without the need to spell out the name in all uses. The design won a Silver Award in the Summit Creative Awards. It is featured in the books Killed Ideas, Vol. 1, Letterhead & Logo Design 11, Designing for the Greater Good, LogoLounge Master Library Vol. 2, and the upcoming Logo Nest 01 (Australia)

Jeff Fisher LogoMotives has been the recipient of 27 American Corporate Identity Awards in the past.

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Toot! Toot!*: Designer/Author Jeff Fisher to judge first HOW Magazine Logo Design Awards

Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based design firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, will be the judge for the new HOW Logo Design Awards competition. Sponsored by HOW Magazine, the leading creativity, business and technology magazine for graphic designers, the competition has a new submissions deadline of December 15, 2009.

All entries must have been produced between July 1, 2008 and December 1, 2009. There are no specific categories for designs to be submitted and work entered may have been created for real world clients, as student class assignments or just for fun. The fee for each entry is $30. Submissions are to be made online through the HOW Logo Design Awards website.

The 10 winners will be featured on the HOW website, get $150 worth of HOW books and receive a 1 year subscription to HOW magazine. In addition, a graphic will be provided for posting on websites, blogs and/or online portfolios announcing a winners' status.

Fisher, a 30+ year design industry veteran, is the author of The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career and Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands. He is currently writing the book LogoType, about typography in identity design, with a scheduled release of late 2010.

The designer has received over 600 design awards and his work has been published in more than 130 books on identity design, self-promotion and the marketing of small businesses. In recent years, Fisher has judged numerous competitions, including American Advertising & Design 25, the Logopond Awards, The Create Awards, and the Summit Creative Awards.

In January, 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.

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

HOW Magazine launches Logo Design Awards; identity designer/author Jeff Fisher to judge

HOW Magazine; the leading creativity, business and technology magazine for graphic designers; has launched the new HOW Logo Design Awards competition, with a submissions deadline of December 1, 2009. Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based design firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, will be the judge for the competition.

All entries must have been produced between July 1, 2008 and December 1, 2009. There are no specific categories for designs to be submitted and work entered may have been created for real world clients, as student class assignments or just for fun. The fee for each entry is $30. Submissions are to be made online through the HOW Logo Design Awards website.

The 10 winners will be featured on the HOW website, get $150 worth of HOW books and receive a 1 year subscription to HOW magazine. In addition, a graphic will be provided for posting on websites, blogs and/or online portfolios announcing a winners' status.

Fisher, a 30+ year design industry veteran, is the author of The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career and Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands. He is currently writing the book LogoType, about typography in identity design, with a scheduled release of late 2010.

The designer has received over 600 design awards and his work has been published in more than 100 books on identity design, self-promotion and the marketing of small businesses. In recent years, Fisher has judged numerous competitions, including American Advertising & Design 25, the Logopond Awards, The Create Awards, and the Summit Creative Awards.

© 2009 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Summit Awards celebrate 15 creative years

For the past 15 years entering my identity design work in competitions has resulted in some great promotion opportunities. On a regular basis I encourage others in the profession to enter competitions, and submit work for possible inclusion in books, through posted listings on bLog-oMotives.

The Summit Creative Awards, now known as one of the Summit International Awards competitions, began about the same time that I recognized the value of industry awards in my marketing efforts. Since then, I have been honored with 17 Summit Creative Awards. I have also judged the competition three times - and, unfortunately, have been unable to participate as a judge several additional occasions due to scheduling conflicts with my annual Caribbean vacation.

It's always been a pleasure to be associated with Jocelyn Luciano, Executive Director for the Summit International Awards, her incredible staff, and the advertising and design industry judges from around the world.

The Summit International Awards are celebrating their anniversary with a series of videos, currently posted on YouTube. The one above, "Experience Matters," was a nice surprise to me. I don't really remember the cameras at any of the judging events. You may also want to check out the videos "Creative", "Competition" and "Beauty."

You will find more information about the Creative Awards, Marketing Effectiveness Awards and Emerging Media Awards on the Summit International Awards website - and posted regularly in the bLog-oMotives competition listings.

© 2009 Jeff Fisher Logomotives