'The Big Book of Logos 5' arrives at my door

Mr. FedEx Man delivered my complimentary copy of The Big Book of Logos 5 yesterday afternoon. The arrival created an excuse to push myself away from the desk, fix a latte, and flip though the nearly 400-page volume from authors David E. Carter and Suzanna MW Stephens. It was great to see the work of so many design industry friends included in the book.

Designs from Jeff Fisher LogoMotives featured in the book include those for the Benicia Historical Museum (Benicia, CA), Four Rivers Community School (Ontario, OR), the annual golf tournament and auction events for Residence XII (Kirkland, WA), Twisted Elegance Interactive (Seattle, WA), The Parenting Alliance, and the Young Native Writer's Essay Contest sponsored by the Holland+Knight Charitable Foundation (Tampa, FL). An icon produced as part of the international Fluerons of Hope - Font Aid III effort, benefiting those impacted by the tsunami of 2004, was also selected.

Portland clients highlighted in the volume include interiors firm NoBox Design, the VanderVeer Center anti-aging clinic, the City of Portland's Neighborhood Service Center program, Bella Terra Landscape Designs, the AIDS residential care facility Our House of Portland, and architect Thomas Fallon.

Logos for the community activist organization Association for Responsible Inner Eastside Neighborhood Development (AFriend), the Reed College Fall Thesis programs for 2004 and 2005, The Spring Showcase presented by the Philoptochos of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, and the now closed Balaboosta Delicatessen were also recognized.

Identities honored for North Portland individuals, organizations or events included those for community organizer Mike Verbout, St. Johns Window Project, Portsmouth Neighborhood Association, North Portland Business Association and University Park United Methodist Church's annual North Portland Pride BBQ and Festival.

Selected designs include images created for George Fox University's Tilikum Center for Retreats & Outdoor Ministries (Newberg, OR) and the Emerge Medical Spa at Bridgeport (Tigard, OR).

Gay/Lesbian community logo images to be in the book include designs for Just Out newsmagazine (Portland, OR) and the Diversity Training program of DiversityBuilder.com (Brentwood, TN). In addition, my "I DO!" image, in support of same-sex marriage, and the logo for my own marriage to partner Ed Cunningham are celebrated.

An identity I created for my presentation at the 2004 HOW Design Conference was also published.

Since 1998, hundreds of examples of the design work of Jeff Fisher LogoMotives have appeared in over 20 books from David E. Carter.

I was also pleased to see designs for eight entities represented in thorough case studies in my book Identity Crisis! 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands represented in The Big Book of Logos 5. In addition to my own VanderVeer Center logo, the iLevel rebranding from Hornall Anderson Design Works, Subplot Design's new identity for the Vancouver Aquarium, and Mayhem Studios own identity are represented in the new book. Also featured are the P.E.O. International Sisterhood and The Des Moines Playhouse logos (both from Sayles Graphic Design), the identity for Schellin Grounds Maintenance created by angryporcupince*design, and the Central Florida West identity from Advertising By Design. (You may read more about my own book on the Identity Crisis! blog.)

Designer's wishing to take advantage of future marketing and self-promotion opportunities, brought about through inclusion in such design books, should take a look at my regularly updated design competition deadlines list.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Incoming "logo design love"

There's a lot of "love" coming my way from designer David Airey's identity design blog Logo Design Love. A list of 70 of the best logo design resources has been posted and three of the entries are related to Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. The list is a great resource for anyone interested in logo design.

In the "articles" section of the list is my Logo Notions column on the Creative Latitude site. It's been some time since I've added new articles - but some additions are in the works.

In the category "Logo design books" is a listing for my book Identity Crisis! 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands . Much more can be learned about the book on the Identity Crisis! blog.

bLog-oMotives gets listed as a resource under the heading of "Blogs about logo design." As I often veer a bit off the logo design track, I've been adding many of the more logo-specific postings to my blogfolio Jeff Fisher LogoMotives.

Thanks for the mentions, David.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Sickbed with a view

I've been dealing with an odd variety of health issues since the first of the year. As my primary care doctor recently asked, "Can't you just come into my office with something normal?" The assortment of pharmaceuticals I've been on have created even greater challenges.

This past week I was hit with the addition of a cold/flu bug - most likely brought home to my by my partner, who shall now be known as Typhoid Ed. Having a home-based business, I'm never usually around enough people to pick up the illness of the week. Ed seems to work in a Petri dish - everyone brings in whatever they or their kids have at the time, it is allowed to grow within the confines of the office, and then all is taken home to share with others.

The timing was not great. I was so looking forward to a relaxing long weekend with friends on the Oregon Coast - just not this relaxing. For years we've renting the amazing home of a former client in the beautiful beach town of Manzanita. Walks on the beach into town; reading, visiting and drinking on the patio with a view of the Pacific; and great dinners around the kitchen farmhouse table have always been anticipated.

This trip I have yet to wear anything but my "jammies." I've spent most of my time in bed asleep. However, when not sleeping for hours (13 hours Friday night!), I do have a nice perspective of the gorgeous weather since we've been here, incredible sun and moon sets, and the ocean. It's nice to have the windows open to hear the pounding surf.

I guess it's better than being at home and staring at the four walls of my own bedroom.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

A "Made in Oklahoma" thank you

Last month I had a great experience traveling to Oklahoma City to speak to students in the design department at Southern Nazarene University, design students at Oklahoma Christian University and members of AIGA Oklahoma. I spoke about the profession of graphic design, marketing oneself as a designer and my book Identity Crisis! 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands. One thing I've repeatedly told others about the visit is how incredibly welcoming and friendly people were everywhere I went.

This past week I had a wonderful surprise when a big package arrived with an Oklahoma City postmark. It was a box filled with "Made in Oklahoma" products, and thank you notes and cards, from Southern Nazarene design instructor Whitney Porch and her incredible students.

I'm thoroughly enjoying my Shooting Star Farms Harvest Tortilla Chips and Chipotle Salsa. I look forward to using the Pepper Creek Farms Mesquite Barbecue Sauce and South of the Border Dip Mix. The Prairie Gypsies' Prairie Fire Jam looks really interesting - I always enjoy hot and spicy food products. For right now, I've hidden the Bedre's Chocolates cowboy hat and map of Oklahoma from myself and others. The cards and notes were a fantastic addition to the gift package.

What a great surprise and fun way to say "thank you." I really appreciate the thoughtfulness of the gift.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Re-Design: Our House of Portland

My association with the AIDS residential treatment facility, Our House of Portland, began back in 1994. In doing an initial graphics inventory for the group, it was determined there were no existing digital files for the Our House logo being used at the time. I was asked to clean up the logo and create the appropriate digital imagery (below left). That request was the beginning of a long-term relationship with Our House.

In the late 90's a redesign of the organization's identity was proposed. I invested a great deal of time in creating and presenting possible new logos based on feedback from staff, volunteers and others. As is often the case in logo redesign projects - especially with nonprofit organizations - one of the greatest challenges was to get beyond the emotional attachment to the old logo design and the question of why it was necessary at all to change things from "the way they have always been." The frustration of organization personnel and myself (especially as it was being done pro bono) resulted in the new logo project never being completed.

In late May 2006, I received an email from the new Marketing Director of Our House of Portland. It was a request for any information I might have on the history of the Our House logo. There was interest in the possibility of revisiting and updating the original logo for the organization. Our House was nearing completion of a new building, on the site of the previous facility, and he felt it might be an appropriate time to put a new identity in place.

The font "City of" (based on the type used by the Union Pacific Railroad and created by RailFonts) had already been selected for use on the new building's signage and the lobby donor board. I was asked to consider using the font for the new identity to give the image the contemporary look of the new structure, interiors and other elements of the project. A new Our House tagline, "Inspiring People with HIV/AIDS to Live Well," was another element I was to possibly include in the new logo. I was provided the color palette of the the interior design firm and painting contractor as an additional reference.

A visit to the nearly complete construction site provided me with a look at the new roofline and an immediate visual image of the icon in my head. I returned to my home studio and completed the logo concepts. It was decided that using the logo in a vertical formats, and also making use of a horizontal version might best serve the needs of the organization (above center and right). With a few days to go before the grand opening of the new home of Our House, embroidered shirts for the staff and volunteers, fridge magnets, banners and some additional signage were ordered.

The design appears in The Big Book of Logos 5 and was also honored with a 2007 American Graphic Design Award.

(Note: My new book, Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands, contains case studies from 35 designers and firms located around the world. Learn more about the book on the Identity Crisis! blog.)

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

One person's "toot!" is another's whimsy?

For over a decade I've literally been "tooting my own horn." Press releases for Jeff Fisher LogoMotives accomplishments and announcement have consistently had the header "Toot! Toot!*" with a notation to the tagline "*If I don't "toot!' my own horn, no one else will."

The unique public relations identification has tied in well to my business name and identity - bringing my press missives to the attention of numerous editors and writer's of several magazine articles and books. The "Toot Toot!" has often been exhibited as a successful marketing and promotion method. I even wrote about it in my first book, The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career. I've been asked to speak about my PR tools to a variety of business and design groups over the past ten years.

The press release format has been used when mailing hard copies to publications and emailing the information to editors, writers, design industry peers, clients, former and potential clients, friends, family and more 11 or 12 years. I've also used the same "Toot! Toot!" on press releases distributed online through a wide variety of resources including Prweb.com, PRleap.com, FastPitchNetworking.com, CreateMagazine.com, HOWDesign.com and many others - including PR.com. There has never been any issue with my unique press release heading and tagline - until a recent PR.com submission with the heading "Toot! Toot!*: TCG eZine Publishes Jeff Fisher Interview."

PR.com had previously posted my "Toots!" without any problems. I was surprised last week when I got notification that my latest release would not be posted and distributed due to the following explantion:

Press releases should not be whimsical in nature. Therefore, our editorial department will be unable to continue approving releases that contain the phrase "Toot! Toot!*" in the title, and the explanation "(* If I don’t "toot!" my own horn, no one else will)" in the body of the release. Please remove this text from your title and the body of your release.

Whimsical? There was nothing "whimsical" about my "Toot! Toot!" With the my releases having been accepted previously, with no request for alterations, I was especially annoyed. I jetted off an email to PR.com that read it part:

I'm sorry that you will no longer accept press releases with my "Toot! Toot!" in the subject as that is a major part of my marketing efforts and has been for over a decade. I will no longer be using the services of PR.com.

I really didn't expect any kind of response. I was surprised when I received another email from PR.com. This one, with a disclaimer that informing me that "unauthorized use, disclosure or copying of this communication, or any part thereof, is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful," informed me (and I'm just paraphrasing here) that I must remove my "Toot! Toot!" - but could retain the "(* If I don't "toot!" my own horn, no one else will.)" line - which would no longer make any sense. Hmmm...

I sent off another response to PR.com:

Thank you for taking another look at the issue. However, there is nothing whimsical about my "Toot! Toot!" at all. It's a serious part of my marketing and PR strategy, and something I speak about at design an business conferences on a regular basis. I'll simply be making use of other avenues for my press release distribution. Had it been disallowed initially, when I submitted earlier releases, I would have not used the services of PR.com at all.

This time I got no response - and didn't really expect one.

I will continue make use of my "Toot! Toot!" press releases in a wide variety of distribution methods. From the very beginning, my "Toots!" were created to set my business - and news about Jeff Fisher LogoMotives - apart from others using standard press releases as a promotion tool. I'm not going to take what I see as a giant step backwards for my business to be a conformist. Much of the success of my design business over the years has been due to not conforming to the norm when it comes to self-promotion.

As the old Jeffism says:

"It's not that I don't play well with others; it's just that I want to choose where, when and with whom I play."

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Hitched - again!

On Valentine's Day four years ago we watched in amazement as same-sex couples in San Francisco got married at City Hall. My partner Ed and I had never really discussed getting married, as in the U.S. it simply was not much of a possibility. Suddenly we found ourselves agreeing that if it did become possible in Oregon, we would have our relationship legally recognized by having a ceremony.

Two weeks later, after hearing the news about Multnomah County's decision to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, we spent four days planning our ceremony to be held on the stage of my client and friend Don Horn's Theater! Theatre! Before a incredible gathering of family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and clients we were married on March 7,2004. The event was even documented by the local weekly paper Willamette Week (at right).

Of course, just the thought of same-sex couples getting married put a twisted wad in the panties of irrational, misinformed, right-wing, conservative, religious individuals. With such events actually happening, there were incredibly nasty protests, public hissy fits, court challenges and more. Eventually, as in municipalities around the country, the courts invalidated our marriage. However, we still have a pretty, official marriage certificate to hang on our wall and amazing memories of an wonderful time in our relationship.

Over the past four years there were more public and political battles in regards to gay rights issues in the State of Oregon. In fact, throughout our 18-year relationship the religious and political confrontations have been almost ongoing. Back in the early 90's, after I appeared on local television as the spokesperson for a newly formed gay and lesbian business organization, I even received a telephoned death threat during the tense time of Oregon's Ballot Measure 9 political campaign. It was suggested that I not walk the streets of Portland by myself, neighbors were instructed to not let any strangers through the security front door of our downtown loft building, and I found myself running my design business with an unlisted phone number. All of this not because of anything I had done, but simply because of who I was.

This past fall two major bills were passed by the Oregon legislature. One state law that took effect in early January banned discrimination against gays in work, housing and public places. (Back in 1985 I lost an art director job simply because the owner of the business where I worked was "uncomfortable" having a gay employee - I had no legal recourse at all.) The other new law created domestic partnerships for gays and lesbians, allowing couples to file joint state tax returns, inherit each other's property, make medical decisions for each other and enjoy most of the other state benefits and responsibilities that married residents receive. Only nine other states have similar laws granting legal recognition to gay and lesbian couples.

The law was to take effect on January 2, 2008. Then, four days before gay couples would have been eligible for most of the same legal benefits of marriage, U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman blocked Oregon's domestic partnership law from taking effect, saying opponents should have a chance to make their case for a statewide election on civil unions. A hearing on the matter was set for February 1.

On that day, after hours of statements by proponents and opponents, Judge Mosman threw out the lawsuit against Oregon's domestic partnership law, allowing the legislation to go into effect immediately. The news was unexpected - and Ed and I learned of it through an email from the son of a lawyer Ed had previously worked with at the firm where he is the business manager.

On the morning of February 5th we went to the Multnomah County offices and legally registered our nearly 18-year relationship. We were just one of the hundreds of couples, including numerous friends, who have registered partnerships throughout the State of Oregon in the past two weeks.

So, on this Valentine's Day we again celebrate our relationship - with much greater importance and pride than in the past. Yes, there will be additional challenges to the validity of us having a legally recognized union. The tired old "gay agenda" arguments have already been appearing in the media again - from the same tired old sources. (I never got my copy of the agenda - so I'm really not sure where I'm to be or what I'm to be doing on a daily basis). I wish such individuals and groups would just butt out of my life. I don't understand their weird obsession and fascination with what I may be doing in the privacy of my own home - and how that may be actually impacting their lives (which I have absolutely no interest in at all.) You would think these people would have much more productive things to do with their time and energy - especially after decades of this battle.

Ed and I want to thank our ever-supportive friends, neighbors and family members. Ed's law firm co-workers have always been so respectful in honoring our relationship. I've also had incredible support and encouragement from clients, vendors and members of the design community around the world. The staff and volunteers at the Multnomah County offices made the registration process very easy and enjoyable. We also have great appreciation for Basic Rights Oregon - for all of the organization's efforts in recent years.

© Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Calls for entries:Upcoming design competition deadlines

All of the following competitions 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:

Tempus Fugit - World's Best Calendar Design
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: No deadline published
No entry fees charged

The Big Book of Self-Promotion
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline: No deadline published
No entry fees charged

2008 Design and Design Book of the Year
(DesignAndDesign.com - France)
Deadline: Ongoing at this point
No entry fees charged

European Design Awards
(ED-Awards - Greece)
Deadline: 15 February 2008
Entry fees charged

Summit Creative Awards
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline Extended: 20 February 2008
Entry fees charged

The One Show Interactive
(The One Club - USA)
Deadline Extended: 29 February 2008
Entry fees charged

Logo Design Love Awards
(Logo Design Love - Scotland)
Deadline: 1 March 2008
No entry fees charged

1000 Garment Designs
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline Extended: 3 March 2008
No entry fees charged

Market Smart Design
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline Extended: 14 March 2008
No entry fees charged

Design=Information: 10 Principles for Creating Graphics That People Understand
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline Extended: 14 March 2008
No entry fees charged

1000 Handmade Greeting Cards
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline: 15 March 2008
No entry fees charged

American Inhouse Design Awards
(Graphic Design USA - USA)
Deadline Extended: 20 March 2008
Entry fees charged

HOW Annual Promotion Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 21 March 2008
Entry fees charged

International Gallery of Artistic Business Cards
(International Creators' Organization - Japan)
Deadline: 30 March 2008
No entry fees charged

PRINT’s Regional Design Annual 2008
(PRINT Magazine - USA)
Deadline Extended: 1 April 2008
Entry fees charged

STEP Best of Web Design 2008
(STEP inside design - USA)
Deadline: 1 April 2008
Entry fees charged

UCDA Campus Violence Poster Project
(University & College Designers Association - USA)
Deadline: 4 April 2008
No entry fees charged

INHOWSE Design Awards 2008
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 14 April 2008
Entry fees charged

Plenty of Design
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 5 May 2008
No entry fees charged

Worldwide Logo Design Annual 2008
(Wolda - Italy)
Deadline: 20 May 2008
Entry fees charged

(To make sure you are reading the latest bLog-oMotives design competition update click here.)

You may want to read my article about participating in design industry competitions: A Winning Strategy. It has appeared on the Creative Latitude and NO!SPEC web sites.

Design competition calendars are also available at Icograda and Workbook. DesignTaxi and Dexinger post 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 nearly 100 graphic design books. Many of those inclusions are the result of design competitions, or requests for submissions, like those listed above.

For the perspective from the other side of design competitions, I wrote a bLog-oMotives entry about judging the 2007 Summit Creative Awards.

Good luck!

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Watch for a new, improved online 'Fast Company'

Fast Company is one of my favorite business-related magazines. I've always appreciated the fact that the publication has always given so much coverage to various aspects of design, both in print and online.

This past week I was invited to participate in the beta version of the new, improved Fast Company site - which includes the ability to post an expanded personal profile, participate in a variety of online member interactions, and even create an on-site blog. Last night I received an email, from a Fast Company Senior Editor, that my blog entry "When a design "contest" is not a contest" was featured on the new home page (above), as well as the new Design page.

Those in the design community should be on the lookout for the full launch of the new business magazine site. It could be a great marketing, public relations and networking tool for anyone in the profession - in addition to being a valuable source of information.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

What can celebrated graphic designer Jeff Fisher teach us about small business marketing?

By Marcia Ming

One of the key mistakes small businesses make when creating an online presence is trying to do it all themselves, says Jeff Fisher, a graphic designer with 30 years experience, and author of two books on graphic design. Fisher also is a member of the advisory boards for How Magazine, UCDA Designer Magazine and the How Design Conference.

"I always tell business owners do not try this at home," he says. "Hire a professional who knows what they are doing. It does not need to cost a fortune, but there will be tremendous benefit in bringing in someone who really understands how to create what a business needs to get off on the right foot."

His suggestions for finding a professional include:

• Check out designer portfolios online.

• Contact local design schools, universities or community colleges for recommendations of outstanding students who may be able to help for monetary compensation and possible school credit.

• Some college business programs have outreach programs to assist small businesses in marketing and promotion efforts.

• Research the resources available through the Small Business Administration. If your business has a service or product of value to a design professional, consider bartering or a partial trade of equal value.

Remember, that the initial online impression made with a potential customer can make all the difference; the cost of the online presence is an investment in the future of your business, says Fisher.

The Portland, Oregon graphic designer, writer and speaker hails from a family with deep roots in PR and marketing; his father, mother and sister have all had careers in some aspect of the business. In fact it was his sister, who owns an ad agency, who helped Fisher zone in on the aspect of graphic design he enjoyed most at a time when he was experiencing burnout.

"For about the first 17 years of my career I took on any and all design projects that came my way," he explains. "I thought that was what graphic designers were expected to do. In a conversation with my sister I mentioned I was starting to get burned out by my work. Her comment was, Why aren't you focusing on what you enjoy most? I kind of looked at her with a blank stare and she said, Logo designs."

That was when he adopted the business name Jeff Fisher LogoMotives and began marketing himself primarily as a designer of corporate identities.

Although his customers typically find him these days, Fisher has a lot of ideas about what works and does not work with small business marketing. For example, he avoids paid traditional print advertising and Yellow Page advertising.

"I learned that print advertising was simply not effective in marketing my services," Fisher says. While Yellow Page advertising, "tends to bring designers too many tire kickers looking for services based on price only."

Strategies that have worked for Fisher include:

• Press releases, distributed online and through traditional snail mail. The relationships developed with editors and writers over the years are incredibly valuable to a business.

• Writing also has become a major marketing element for my business, Fisher admits, mentioning he has been asked to write numerous articles for design and business publications and websites.

• Two books, The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career released in 2004, and Identity Crisis: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands, in 2007 have earned him the status of industry expert.

• Business blog, bLog-oMotives, started in 2005.

• Speaking engagements - Fisher speaks to high school groups, design schools, colleges and universities, design organizations and at conferences like the industry HOW Design Conference.

• Pro bono work - While such efforts might not be considered marketing by many, it does get my name out into the business community, puts me in contact with many local movers and shakers, and provides an opportunity to promote the end results.

• One direct mail-piece long ago generated a targeted, self-created list of 500 individuals so powerful that Fisher has not needed to do a mailing since.

Like many small business owners, Fisher prefers low-cost - or no-cost - marketing tools. He has even managed to turn some of them, like the writing of articles and books and speaking engagements into income-producing activities.

"With my writing, and speaking engagements, my business is also evolving into one of becoming a professional industry expert while taking on limited design projects," Fisher said. "At a design conference a few years ago I explained to an audience that I wanted to work less, charge more."

Marcia Ming, publisher of Savvy Marketing Secrets, is a former print journalist and small business marketing consultant. To learn more about marketing your business online and off, visit her website: www.savvymarketingsecrets.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/Marcia Ming

(Note: Marcia Ming also wrote the article "Home Business by Design," for Savvy Marketing Secrets, based on her interview with Jeff Fisher.)

George Lois - an advertising legend

I recently came across the web presence of advertising industry legend George Lois. As a student, back in the mid-1970's in the Journalism School at the University of Oregon, we were studying the design and art direction work of George Lois - especially his work in publication design creating memorable Esquire Magazine covers. His advertising campaigns were presented to students as among the best of the best.

The George Lois website is a "work in progress," but it provides a lot of great eye-candy for those interested in graphic design or the business of advertising. Three decades after I was studying the work - and reading the writings - of this industry powerhouse, he's still at it today. I look forward to the expansion of the packaging and logo design sections of the site.

Books by Lois were recommended reading for students in the advertising program 30+ years ago. In recent years his $ellebrity: My Angling and Tangling With Famous People and his lastest book, Iconic America: A Roller-Coaster Ride through the Eye-Popping Panorama of American Pop Culture (written with fashion icon Tommy Hilfiger), have been added to my ever-growing design and advertising library.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Oklahoma Christian reports on recent visit

You just never know where your blog comments may end up. My post about recent Oklahoma City speaking engagements got some attention from the Oklahoma Christian University "Campus Community" site and some traffic has been coming bLog-oMotives way. The mention also includes a link to a slide show of some examples of the great student work being produced at OCU.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

The dreaded "F word" - yea or nay?

For many years I've encouraged design students and independent professionals to avoid using the "F word" ("Freelance" - it almost makes my skin crawl to use it...) when describing what they do for a living. One of my long-time Jeffisms is:

Freelance’ is a nasty little word. It seems to imply an individual doesn’t have a ‘real’ job, can’t get a job, isn’t truly professional in their field, and is willing to work for ‘free.’

Many designers, including a few at my recent AIGA Oklahoma talk, have shared that the public and business perception of their design efforts has improved as they stopped making use of the word in marketing and promoting creative services.

Yesterday, in adding my thoughts on the matter to a Put Things Off blog entry, I sparked a bit of a debate with my opinion. In response, Put Things Off author Nick Cernis has posted Shock! Horror! Are You Using The F Word Around Your Clients? - a look at possible negatives and positives of using the "F word."

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Toot! Toot!*TCG eZine publishes Jeff Fisher interview

The latest edition of the TCG eZine features the article A New Brand for the New Year - an interview with Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based design firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. The author of Identity Crisis! 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands discusses aspects of the new book, as well as strategies for adding impact to a professional designer's own brand image.

The TCG feature notes: "In his second book, Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands, Fisher takes a fresh look at before-and-after case studies of businesses that refined their images. In doing so, he explores the process of redesigning existing identities to help organizations better communicate with customers and find success. We recently caught up with Fisher to discuss how creative professionals can apply the concepts he discusses to advance their careers, and how social media and "blogfolios" can be used to fortify brand image and drive business."

The eZine is the online magazine of The Creative Group, a highly specialized staffing company focusing on the placement of freelance professionals in the creative, advertising, marketing, web and public relations fields.

Jeff Fisher has received nearly 575 regional, national and international graphic design awards for his logo and corporate identity efforts. His work is featured in nearly 100 books on the design of logos, the business of graphic design, and small business marketing.

Fisher is a member of the HOW Magazine Editorial Advisory Board, the HOW Design Conference Advisory Council and the UCDA Designer Magazine Editorial Advisory Board. His new book, Identity Crisis!, was recently released by HOW Books. His first volume, The Savvy Designer’s Guide to Success, appeared on bookstore shelves in late 2004.

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

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

AIGA OK is much more than just O.K.

I just wanted to share what a great time I had last week, accepting the invitation of AIGA Oklahoma to speak before before their membership and students of two Oklahoma City area college design departments. My host for the trip was Brian Mays, president of the AIGA chapter.

I first "met" Brian on a design newsgroup about seven years ago. For the past couple of years he's hinted at getting me to Oklahoma City to speak to the revived AIGA OK group. Well, last week it happened.

On Wednesday I flew out to OKC (of course, my luggage went to Dallas, Texas!) and Brian picked me up at the airport. He checked me in at the The Grandison Inn (a great B&B), took me out to lunch and then to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. A long-time collector of Western memorabilia, I really enjoyed the museum - especially the Charles Russell art exhibit. That evening I met several of the AIGA Board members for dinner and drinks at RedPin - a new restaurant and bowling lounge. We drove by the National Memorial - which was really impressive with the glowing chairs representing those killed in the Federal Building bomb blast (below left). Later board member Suzanne Green took me back out to the airport to pick up my stray luggage - which came in on a totally different airline from Texas.

Thursday was a busy day. In the morning I spoke to the majority of the graphic design students from Southern Nazarene University It's a fairly new program with incredibly enthusiastic instructors and students. I especially enjoyed meeting Marcia Feisal, Chair of the Art and Design Department, and Adjunct Professor Whitney Porch. After making an identity design presentation at the university, I went out to lunch with Brian and a group of the students.

My mid-afternoon engagement was at Oklahoma Christian University for reviews of four very impressive graduating senior portfolios and another presentation to a large group of design students. Department Chair Michael O'Keefe heads a very thorough and strong design program at the school.

After a quick freshening up at the B&B, it was then off to the great public space and auditorium facility at the offices of The Oklahoman - the newspaper and media corporation where Brian Mays works - for a reception and my presentation with the largest audience of the day. I signed posters and a lot of copies of my book Identity Crisis! - and The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success - and met many wonderful people.

In the middle of the night I heard freezing rain hitting the windows of the B&B and was a little concerned about my early morning flight back to P-land. However, by the time Brian picked me up at about 5:30 the roads were clear and he got me to airport with no problems. It was a relaxing, uneventful and sunny trip back home.

The entire trip was a very enjoyable - and somewhat exhausting - venture. It was really a pleasure getting to meet Brian and the rest of the AIGA gang. He was an amazing host and I really appreciate all he did. Any design industry speaker making the trip to Oklahoma City could easily get very spoiled by the Oklahoma AIGA group!

Image © Oklahoma City National Memorial

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Logo Design Love goes live

Some unusual cyber traffic coming my way caused me to take a look at the unfamiliar source Logo Design Love this morning. Today is the launch of the blog of articles, examples and resources for those who love logos. The project is the work of David Airey, a self-employed graphic designer in Edinburgh, Scotland.

I was happy to see my Creative Latitude column Logo Notions (which is greatly in need of an in-the-works update) and bLog-oMotives are as listed Logo Design Love resources. Some "love" was also sent to my book, Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands, in the form a recommendation from the new industry blog. I'm honored to be considered a charter "Friend of Logo Design Love."

It looks like Logo Design Love is going to be a great place to visit, on a regular basis, for anyone with a passion for identity design. Check it out.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

SNU invites students to Jeff Fisher presentation

On its website, Southern Nazarene University has invited students to attend the upcoming presentation by designer Jeff Fisher, author of Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands:

Join the SNU Art & Design Department and the American Institute of Graphic Arts to hear Jeff Fisher, noted HOW Magazine (The Graphic Design Community’s Trusted source for Creative Inspiration, Business Advice and Tools of the Trade) conference speaker and author on Thursday, January 24, at 9:00 a.m. in the SNU Art & Design Computer Lab, Fine Arts room 146 on the campus of Southern Nazarene University, 6729 NW 39th in Bethany, OK.

Fisher will also be visiting students in the graphic design department of Oklahoma Christian University and speaking to AIGA Oklahoma members while visiting Oklahoma City..

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Jeff Fisher to speak at AIGA Oklahoma

On Thursday, January 24th I will be speaking to members of AIGA Oklahoma in the group's first event of 2008. The presentation will be held at 7:00 p.m. at OPUBCO Communications Group/The Oklahoman, 9000 N. Broadway in Oklahoma City. Admission is $15 for professionals and $5 for students.

In addition to speaking about the book Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands, I will be discussing designer self-promotion methods and various aspects of my 30-year career. Books will not be for sale at the event, but I will be happy to sign copies of both Identity Crisis! and, my first book, The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success for those attending.

While in Oklahoma City I will also be visiting the graphic design departments at Southern Nazarene University and Oklahoma Christian University to speak with students, have question/answer sessions and possibly review some portfolios.

I want to thank AIGA Oklahoma President Brian Mays for his efforts in coordinating these appearances - and for the mention on his blog. I'm really looking forward to visiting Oklahoma City.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Jeff Fisher shares 'Savvy Marketing Secrets'

Recently communications specialist Marcia Ming, the publisher of the site Savvy Marketing Secrets (and owner of Ming Communications), conducted an interview with me for the marketing web presence. Ming wanted my take on some of the promotion challenges that are faced by small business owners on a regular basis. The result is the posted piece Home Business by Design.

Design professionals often ask me about unique networking opportunities that might lead to greater exposure for their business efforts. A perfect example is being asked to participate in the interview - after Ming and I "met" while cyberly networking on the business portal StartupNation.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Toot! Toot!*:Create Magazine quotes designer andauthor Jeff Fisher on education options

Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based Jeff Fisher LogoMotives is quoted in the January/ February 2008 issue of the industry journal Create Magazine. The veteran graphic designer is one of several industry professionals cited in regards to design education options for the article Art School vs. The Real World, from Dave Willmer of The Creative Group. The piece is part of the publication's annual Learn special section; a "guide to education for the creative mind." The feature includes information about a wide variety of design and art schools throughout the U.S.

In concluding his comments, Fisher addresses graduating design students with; "when you walk out of your school for the last time, degree in hand, your design education may truly begin."

Create Magazine provides creative professionals with an insider's perspective on the people, news, trends and events that influence the local advertising, design, printing, photography, film & video, animation and new media industries. Published in five regional editions, the publications has approximately 45,000 readers nationwide.

The Create Magazine web presence provides creative individuals with additional pertinent news, the opportunity to post an online portfolio, industry blogs, a job board, networking opportunities through a community forum and more.

Jeff Fisher has received nearly 575 regional, national and international graphic design awards for his logo and corporate identity efforts. His work is featured in nearly 100 books on the design of logos, the business of graphic design, and small business marketing.

Fisher is a member of the HOW Magazine Editorial Advisory Board, the HOW Design Conference Advisory Council and the UCDA Designer Magazine Editorial Advisory Board. His new book, Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands, was recently released by HOW Books. His first volume, The Savvy Designer’s Guide to Success, appeared on bookstore shelves in late 2004.

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

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Stone Soup and a Diva sighting

This past week I received an email from Jan Eliot, the cartoonist behind the nationally syndicated comic strip Stone Soup. Jan, whom I've written about in a previous bLog-oMotives entry, was excited to share the news that she was being featured on an episode of the television program Oregon Art Beat.

Oregon Art Beat - one of my favorite shows - is an Emmy award-winning series produced by the Oregon Public Broadcasting. The weekly programs feature the stories and work of Oregon individuals in a wide variety of the arts. I regularly TiVo the show, and over the years many artists and performers I know, or have met, have been featured.

The episode about Jan Eliot and Stone Soup may be viewed online. The show did a great job in showcasing her work, the process she goes through in creating a weekly comic strip, and her personality.

The "diva" I refer to in the title of this blog entry is certainly not Jan Eliot. In the Oregon Art Beat segment following the piece on Stone Soup, "Diva" unexpectedly popped up, full screen, on the television in the form of a logo I designed for the Diva Salon.

Blues musician Steve Cheseborough was the topic the incredibly interesting feature (also available for viewing online). Early in the piece Cheseborough explains how he does not use a pick to play the guitar. Later the Diva logo, and my friend and client Lisa Fritsch, appeared on the screen. Fritsch is Cheseborough's manicurist and she applies acrylic to his picking fingernails.

The complete Diva logo includes a tagline and a leopard pattern border - suggesting the faux leopard skin covered stylist chairs in the salon. The image appears in the Japanese books New Business Card Graphics 2 and New Logo World, David E. Carter's The New Big Book of Logos, Logo Design for Small Business 2 by Dan Antonelli, and the Spanish volume Logos from North to South America.

(I also worked with salon owner Fritsch on two other identity projects. I created a logo for a salon to be called Page Six - which never opened due to lease complications with a building owner. She did have much more success in opening a salon with the name Slick in a converted auto repair shop.)

I had a lot of fun calling Lisa Fritsch to tell her that she, and her logo, looked great on television.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Re-Design: VanderVeer Center

Dr. Elizabeth VanderVeer’s clinic, offering nonsurgical cosmetic procedures, was having an identity crisis. In the period of just over a year there had been two name changes (one logo is shown above) and a major internal business reorganization.

It was decided to rebrand the company with the Doctor’s name. Initially I was asked to maintain Papyrus as the font for the redesign. By showing the client multiple images of the font in use by local businesses I was able to encourage the use of another typeface.

Originally the client proposed that the identity have an Asian influence, with bamboo as a design element. As the project progressed further, it seemed more appropriate to create an image that worked well with the rich Tuscan colors the walls of the clinic had been painted. The font Mousse Script lent itself well to use in the identity, especially with the expressive “V” letterforms.

Once the new logo (at right) was finalized the rebranding took an unusual turn. Before a stationery package, or any collateral materials, could be designed the immediate creation of a two-page magazine spread was required to meet an impending deadline for the premiere issue of a new publication.

The previous ads (at left) ran over a period of the previous six months and demonstrated the split personality of the business at the time.

The fact that Dr. VanderVeer was an artist led to the proposing of “The Art & Science of Image Enhancement” as a tagline. With the photo images of Loma Smith, the colors of painted walls in the clinic and the new identity, the ad effectively introduced the VanderVeer rebranding. The ad became the inspiration for all other marketing and advertising pieces.

The rebranding of the VanderVeer Center is one of 50 case studies, from designers and firms around the world, featured in my latest book, Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands. The volume was released by HOW Books in late 2007. Read more about the book on the Identity Crisis! blog.

The initial two-page VanderVeer Center ad (above) was honored with a 2007 Summit Creative Award. A one-page version of the ad appears in The Big Book of Layouts. The VanderVeer Center logo is featured in The Big Book of Logos 5. The rebranding case study is also posted on the member- ship site The Designers Inner Circle.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives.

Calls for entries:Upcoming design competition deadlines

All of the following competitions 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:

Tempus Fugit - World's Best Calendar Design
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: No deadline published
No entry fees charged

The Big Book of Self-Promotion
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline: No deadline published
No entry fees charged

2008 Design and Design Book of the Year
(DesignAndDesign.com - France)
Deadline: Ongoing at this point
No entry fees charged

Just For You - Designs Made By The Heart
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: January 2008
No entry fees charged

Identity - Best of the Best 2008
(Identity Magazine - Russia)
Deadline: January 15, 2008
No entry fees charged

D&AD Awards 08
(D&AD - UK)
Deadline: January 16, 2008
Entry fees charged

The Art Director's Club 87th Annual Awards
(The Art Director's Club - USA)
Deadline: 18 January 2008
Entry fees charged

Sleeping & Designing
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 30 January 2008
No entry fees charged

Behind the Design
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline: 1 February 2008
No entry fees charged

I.D. Student Design Review
(I.D. Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 1 February 2008
Entry fees charged

The One Show
(The One Club - USA)
Deadline Extended: 8 February 2008
Entry fees charged

2008 Gold Quill Awards
(International Association of Business Communicators - IABC)
Early-bird deadline: 5 February 2008
Final deadline: 12 February 2008
Entry fees charged

European Design Awards
(ED-Awards - Greece)
Deadline: 15 February 2008
Entry fees charged

1000 Garment Designs
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline: 15 February 2008
No entry fees charged

Summit Creative Awards
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline Extended: 20 February 2008
Entry fees charged

The One Show Interactive
(The One Club - USA)
Deadline Extended: 29 February 2008
Entry fees charged

American Inhouse Design Awards
(Graphic Design USA - USA)
Deadline: 29 February 2008
Entry fees charged

Design=Information: 10 Principles for Creating Graphics That People Understand
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline: 29 February 2008
No entry fees charged

Logo Design Love Awards
(Logo Design Love - Scotland)
Deadline: 1 March 2008
No entry fees charged

PRINT’s Regional Design Annual 2008
(PRINT Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 3 March 2008
Entry fees charged

Market Smart Design
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline Extended: 14 March 2008
No entry fees charged

HOW Annual Promotion Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 21 March 2008
Entry fees charged

International Gallery of Artistic Business Cards
(International Creators' Organization - Japan)
Deadline: 30 March 2008
No entry fees charged

STEP Best of Web Design 2008
(STEP inside design - USA)
Deadline: 1 April 2008
Entry fees charged

INHOWSE Design Awards 2008
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 14 April 2008
Entry fees charged

Worldwide Logo Design Annual 2008
(Wolda - Italy)
Deadline: 20 May 2008
Entry fees charged

(For the latest bLog-oMotives design competition update click here.)

You may want to read my article about participating in design industry competitions: A Winning Strategy. It has appeared on the Creative Latitude and NO!SPEC web sites.

Design competition calendars are also available at Icograda and Workbook. DesignTaxi and Dexinger post 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 nearly 100 graphic design books. Many of those inclusions are the result of design competitions, or requests for submissions, like those listed above.

For the perspective from the other side of design competitions, I wrote a bLog-oMotives entry about judging the 2007 Summit Creative Awards.

Good luck!

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Marketing a Portland balloon business in Africa?

Back in 1998 I redesigned the identity for the Portland-based company Balloons on Broadway. Several years after that first redesign I was again hired by my friend, and company owner, Ron Pitt to update the logo.

My original redesign of the logo for the retail store, balloon delivery business and event company won a Summit Creative Award, and appears in the books Logos Redesigned and The New Big Book of Logos.

Fast forward nearly a decade from my first redesign.

Last week a received an email from my friend and client, with the heading "Such a small world in which we live..." Ron explained 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 below showcased one of the families they befriended.

Ashley was the first to notice the following:

It really is a small world.

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."

So, this is just another example of the fact that, especially in this digital world, a designer never knows when work for their clients may be "borrowed" by someone for another use.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

HOW Blog promotes FreelanceSwitch article

Thanks to Megan Lane Patrick, Senior Editor of HOW Magazine, for posting "Fisher on Freelancing" on the HOW Blog. It's a mention of the recent FreelanceSwitch interview with yours truly. It's also a nice little plug for my book Identity Crisis! - recently released by HOW Books.

Hmmm...the situation has forced me to use that "freelance" word I detest so much. One of my often-quoted Jeffisms is:

"Freelance" is a nasty little word. It seems to imply an individual doesn’t have a "real" job, can’t get a job, isn’t truly professional in their field, and is willing to work for "free."

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

2008 HOW Design Conference site goes live

The web presence for the 2008 HOW Design Conference, to be held May 18-21, 2008 in Boston, has gone live. Information about conference registration, sessions to be held, this year's speakers, available design studio tours, making travel arrangements and Boston tourism is available on the website. The 2008 HOW Conference program includes more than 50 sessions in a variety of tracks, including Creativity & Inspiration, Design Disciplines, Career Development and more.

Attendees registering prior to the Early-Bird Deadline of March 28th will save $80 in fees.

The 2008 HOW Conference marks the fourth time I have been invited to be one of the design industry speakers making presentations. I will be speaking on "Planning, Packaging and Promoting Yourself as the Product" as part of the Career Development track.

There will also most likely be a book signing for my recently released book, Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands, at the on-site conference bookstore.

Nice little plug (above) on the HOW Forum, too. (That's where I most often hang out with my imaginary design friends.)

Re-Design: Just Out

Just Out, the statewide monthly newsmagazine for Oregon's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, was approaching 22 years in operation and its identity was showing some age. The heavy, bulky type treatment of the name (below left) was definitely hinting at the 1980's and 1990's.

Publisher and Managing Editor Marty Davis wasn't seeking an entirely new "look" with a redesigned logo, but rather a refined - possibly redefined - treatment of the existing identity. The hope was to maintain the readers' immediate recognition developed at newsstands over the years, while making the paper's flag fresh and a bit more flexible in cover design applications.

The use of the font Gill Sans gave the identity a fresh, contemporary and slimmed-down look (above right) that has worked very well for the publication.

The award-winning Just Out logo appears in the books American Corporate Identity 2008 and The Big Book of Logos 5.

(Note: My new book, Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands, contains case studies from 35 designers and firms located around the world. Learn more about the book on the Identity Crisis! blog.)

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives.