bLog-oMotives

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

All of the following competition or book submission deadlines present great opportunities to showcase your design efforts, market your work on an international scale through the published books, and "toot!" your own horn to clients, peers and the media:

Communication Arts Design Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Late Deadline: 28 May 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Advertising Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Late Deadline: 28 May 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

The Best of Cover Design
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline Extended: 28 May 2010
No entry fees charged

My Own Business Card, Volume Two
(Design and Design - France)
Deadline Extended: 31 May 2010
No entry fees charged

Just Sit! Chairs and Stools Design
(Design and Design - France)
Deadline Extended: 31 May 2010
No entry fees charged

Best Organic Packaging, Volume One
(Design and Design - France)
Deadline Extended: 31 May 2010
No entry fees charged

Out of the Closet/Into the Street Poster Exhibit
(Center for the Study of Political Graphics - USA)
Deadline: 1 June 2010
No entry fees charged

Top 100 New Creatives
(CMYK - USA)
Deadline: 7 June 2010
Entry fees charged

"Non-Traditional" Advertising and Design
(CMYK - USA)
Deadline: 9 June 2010
Entry fees charged

American Graphic Design Awards
(GDUSA - USA)
Deadline: 10 June 2010
Entry fees charged

Graphis Annual Reports 2011
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 14 June 2010
Entry fees charged

Graphis New Talent Annual 2011
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 14 June 2010
Entry fees charged

Coupe International Design and Image Competition
(Coupe Magazine - Canada)
Deadline: 16 June 2010
Entry fees charged

Summit Marketing Effectiveness Awards
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline: 23 June 2010
Entry fees charged

Print Student Cover Competition
(Print Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 30 June 2010
No entry fees charged

Basic Brochures
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 30 June 2010
No entry fees charged

HOW In-HOWse Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Late Deadline: 1 July 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

UCDA Design Competitions
(University and College Designers Assn.
- USA)
Deadline: 9 July 2010
Entry fees charged

International Wine Label Design Competition
(IWLDC - USA)
Deadline: 15 July 2010
Entry fees charged

HOW Interactive Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 15 July 2010
Late Deadline: 2 August 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Trademarks USA
(American Pixel Academy - USA)
Deadline: 31 July 2010
Entry fees charged

Creativity Print Awards
(Creativity Awards - USA)
Submissions accepted 1 June 2010
Deadline: 13 August 2010
Late Deadline: 27 August 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Letterpool - London
(Letterpool - UK)
Deadline: 20 August 2010
No entry fees charged

iheartlogos
(iheartlogos.com - USA)
Season One Deadline: 31 August 2010
Entry fees charged

HOW International Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 1 September 2010
Late Deadline: 15 September 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Typography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 10 September 2010
Late Deadline: 24 September 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Summit Emerging Media Awards
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline: 22 September 2010
Entry fees charged

Book of the Year, Volume 3
(Design & Design - France)
Deadline: 30 September 2010
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Interactive Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 8 October 2010
Late Deadline: 22 October 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Hiiiband International Logo Award 2010
(New Graphic - China)
Deadline: 31 October 2010
No entry fees charged

Logo Nest
(Logo Nest - International)
Deadline: 31 December 2010
No entry fees charged

Summit Creative Awards
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline: 24 January 2011
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 130 graphic design books. Many of those inclusions are the result of design competitions, or requests for submissions, like those listed above.

Toot! Toot!*: Summit Creative Awards recognizes Stumptown Clowns identity with silver honors

The Stumptown Clowns identity, by Jeff Fisher - Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives - has been recognized with Silver honors in the Summit Creative Awards. The awards honor and celebrate the creative accomplishments of small and medium sized advertising agencies and other creative companies throughout the world with annual billings of under $25 million. Thousands of entries, from 25 countries, were submitted for consideration this year. Since 1998, Fisher has received 18 of the Summit Creative Awards honors, in a variety of categories.

After attending Clown School in 2009, and becoming a member of the Portland Rose Festival Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corps, the designer and several clown pals opted to form the Stumptown Clowns troupe for non-festival public appearances. When the name was adopted, Fisher immediately visualized a graphic clown face within the needed letterforms.

Judges for the 2010 Summit Creative Award were from both large and small-size companies including J. Walter Thompson USA, Inc.; Promoseven McCann Relationship Marketing; Pixel & Co.; Bates Ukraine; Wieden & Kennedy; Hal Riney and Partners; Strategy & Beyond, Turner Studios; Grey Advertising; MWW/Savitt; TBWA/Chiat/Day; Young and Rubicam; Leo Burnett; NYU; Turner Studios; Mfx, Inc.; Ogilvy; XM; and Saatchi & Saatchi.

Earlier this year the Stumptown Clowns logo received an American Graphic Design and Advertising Award.

Fisher, a 32-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, about typography in identity design, with a scheduled release in 2011.

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.)

Garden umbrella takes a stand - in flower pot [Redux]

[One of my most popular bLog-oMotives entries the past two summer did not feature a graphic design topic. Instead it involved a garden design project. At the time, my instructions for a flower pot patio umbrella stand ended up on the homepage of Apartment Therapy. Then it was mentioned on the blog Life on the Balcony, resulting in a lot of traffic coming my way. Google searches are now bringing a lot of readers to my instructions for this project. I've also had several email requests for the information - so, here it is again.]

My increasingly gorgeous North Portland garden does need some urgent care this week. Things are growing out of control and I hope to take advantage of some "garden therapy" several times in the next few days. Funny, since LeAnn Locher wrote about my garden in Just Out this past month, quite a few people have been inviting themselves over for viewings. (LeAnn recently posted some additional photos on her Flickr page.) We've also been enjoying numerous dinners with friends out on the backyard patio.

Until quite recently I had paid little attention to the tumbled paver patio in front of the house. Initially created to eliminate the last patch of lawn in our garden, the patio had remained empty for almost a year. One of the ideal aspects of the patio space is that it is completely private from the street due to the growth of the plantings behind a curved retaining wall. In fact, walkers passing by on the sidewalk below, while commenting on the garden, most often are unaware I am up on the higher portion of the front yard.

I knew I wanted a couple somewhat traditional Adirondack chairs and a small table for the outdoor room. I also felt a garden umbrella was needed to shade the seating area in the mid-afternoon when hot, direct sunlight was a factor. Still, I didn't want your average, clunky umbrella stand in my front patio decor. When I came across some large pottery flower pots I knew I had my umbrella stand solution - I just needed to wait for the pots to go on sale. I couldn't possibly pay retail. I hate to pay retail.

A couple weeks later the pot I had my eye on went on clearance - and I had an additional 20% off coupon. My umbrella stand project could begin.

The materials needed for one flower pot umbrella stand (shown above right) are:

• 1 large, heavy flower pot - a minimum of 18" to 24" tall

• 1 piece of 2 inch PVC plumbing pipe - cut 2 inches shorter than the depth of the flower pot

• 1 metal plumbing flange to fit 2 inch pipe

• 1 transitional "screw-on thingy" to add to the flange allowing for the PVC pipe to fit into flange

• Rocks, gravel or crushed concrete - enough to fill flower pot to about 6 inches below lip of pot

• Potted annuals or perennials in 6 inch pots - enough to circle around top of large flower pot

• Metal peg or nail (optional)

The tools needed include:

• a tape measure

• a hacksaw (to cut the PVD pipe)

• an electric drill (optional)

Measure the depth of the large flower pot and subtract two inches. This will give you the length needed to cut the PVC pipe with the hacksaw. Screw the transitional "thingy" onto the flange, place the PVC pipe into the transitional "thingy" and place the combined pieces into the large flower pot (as shown above in the second panel from the left)

(As an optional step, I then measured 2 inches down from what would be the top of the exposed pipe and drilled a hole through both sides of the pipe. I placed the umbrella pole into the pipe, marked the location of the holes in the pipe and drilled a hole of the same size through the umbrella pole. This will allow me to slip a metal peg, or large nail, through the pipe and pole to prevent the umbrella from possibly taking flight in a strong wind.)

I then began to fill the flower pot with some crushed concrete - remnants of our past deck backyard deck project. With about 4-5 inches of concrete in the pot I repositioned the pipe/flange contraption so it was centered (above, center photo). I then continued to fill the pot with crushed concrete until I had reached a level about 6 inches from the lip of the flower pot. (above, second photo from right).

After leveling out the crushed concrete in the flower pot I placed seven 6 inch pots of flowers and vegetation in the large flower part and around the pole (above, far right). My flowering garden umbrella stand was complete. All I had to do was place the umbrella in the stand and arrange the rest of my garden furniture (below).

I purchased the Adirondack chairs, small table and umbrella on clearance, with a 10% off total purchase coupon from Cost Plus World Market. All the plumbing pieces used to make the stand came from a nearby Lowe's, but could probably be found at any hardware store. The large flower pot, as well as the smaller one and all the plants, were purchased on clearance - with additional coupon discounts - at a neighborhood store. My entire new patio decor project cost me just under $300.

I have enjoyed sitting out on the patio, working on my PowerBook, listening to the garden critiques from unsuspecting passersby.

Note: You might also want to check out my copper and bronze hose guard and copper pipe garden trellis projects.

Logodotes: W.C. Winks Hardware

[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.]

Jane Winks Kilkenny passed away, at the age of 98, in December 2009. For nearly five decades she managed the day-to-day operations of a Portland institution W.C. Winks Hardware. I first met her in 1996, following her retirement, when daughter Anne Kilkenny hired me to design an identity for the business, which had been without a logo throughout its previous 87-year-old history. In one of our early interactions, Mrs. Kilkenny bluntly informed me that she didn't like the new logo at all.

W.C. Winks Hardware was established in 1909 by William Caldwell Winks and his daughter Jane stepped in to run the business upon his death in 1945. In 1996, his grand-daughter Anne Kilkenny provided me with one of the few existing photos of the founder (above left) as a possible centerpiece for the first logo for the hardware store.

In designing the symbol I hoped to convey a historical perspective for the retail establishment. Making use of ovals with banners, to showcase a stylized representation of Winks, graphically hinted at the turn-of-the-century founding of the business. The typefaces Horndon, Copperplate Gothic 33 and Copperplate Gothic 31 added to conveying a look of the time.

When the finished logo (above right) was presented to Anne Kilkenny, she was very pleased, and told me "it looks like the logo that would have represented the store when it opened in 1909." Shortly thereafter, at the Winks Hardware annual holiday party for customers and staff, Jane Winks Kilkenny told me, "I don't like the logo at all; it doesn't look anything like my father."

In 2001, Winks Hardware moved from its long-time Pearl District location to a much larger building in the city's Central Eastside Industrial District. The logo was prominently displayed on the front of the building as signage. Anne Kilkenny and her husband Jon Naviaux drove her mother by to see the completed new location of W.C. Winks Hardware. "The logo looks really good," was her first comment.

The W.C. Winks Hardware logo became an element of an anniversary image in 2009 when the store celebrated 100 years in operation (above).

Since its introduction the Winks Hardware logo has appeared in the books American Corporate Identity/14, New Business Card Graphics 2 (Japan), Letterhead and Logo Design 7, Graphically Speaking, LogoLounge - Volume 1, Logo Design for Small Business 2, Logos from North to South America (Spain), 1000 Retail Graphics and The Best of Letterhead and Logo Design.

Jeff Fisher offers suggestions in 'Design Matters: Portfolios 01;' new release from Rockport Publishers

Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based design firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives is cited as an expert in the new book Design Matters: Portfolios 01: An Essential Primer for Today's Competitive Market. The volume, released by Rockport Publishers, was written by Maura Keller of Keller Ink.

Design Matters: Portfolios 01 defines the core elements of self-promotion and portfolio creation and provides the insights graphic designers need to showcase their work in unique and creative ways. Case studies demonstrate the different techniques designers use to create successful portfolios for different audiences and measure the results of those efforts. The book also details how often portfolios should be updated and distributed and determine workable budgets to produce a great portfolio.

Fisher offers recommendations for portfolio creation and presentation in a book contribution titled "Portfolio Must Haves: Knowing when to stop and when to go." His expertise is recognized as the author of The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career, now available in a PDF format on CD from publisher HOW Books.

In addition to freelance writing for more than 50 publications for the past 10 years, author Maura Keller was a marketing communications writer for the award-winning design firm, Yamamoto Moss in Minneapolis. She has also written extensively on marketing and business-related topics for regional and national consumer and trade publications.

A simple garden trellis project [Redux]

The renovation of our garden continues. When Joy Creek Nursery had to remove an old rhododendron from what will become an outdoor kitchen area, a beautiful purple clematis lost its natural trellis. The old rhody found a new home out in the Joy Creek gardens, after being the model for a pruning class. The clematis, and several other plants, sat above ground, basically bare root, for a couple months before finding new homes among the revised hardscape.

I couldn't find trellises that I liked for the clematis. Most cost several hundred dollars and had patterns I didn't really want incorporated into our gardenscape. I roughed out a design on my computer for a set of trellises to be made out of copper pipe. My partner, Ed, previously made an arbor in a similar manner several years ago when he was practicing his copper pipe work prior to re-plumbing our home.

The trellises were designed to be approximately five feet wide and stand a total of five feet above the surface of the garden bed.

The materials needed for one trellis are:

• 8 pieces of 1/2 inch copper pipe cut to 24 inch lengths (you will want to use the thickest 1/2 inch pipe for added strength)

• 8 pieces of 1/2 inch copper pipe cut to 20 inch lengths

• 2 pieces of 1/2 inch copper pipe cut to 12 inch lengths

• 2 copper corner joints for 1/2 inch pipe

• 10 copper "tee" joints for 1/2 pipe

• 2 pieces of 3/8 inch rebar cut to 4 foot lengths

• 1 piece 1/4 inch copper tubing 5 feet in length

• 2 small metal screws 1/2 to 5/8 inches in length

The tools needed include:

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

• 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

I cut all the copper lengths. On the flat surface of my patio, I then prefit all the pieces together to make sure all were correct and my trellis was going to be square. Ed then help me rough up all services that were to be soldered, but flux on both surfaces to be joines and soldered the frame at each joint. (many home improvement websites and books have great detail about the soldering process.)

I then formed the 5 foot length of 1/4 copper tubing into a spiral shape to serve as the centerpiece design element of the trellis. Spirals and swirls are patterns that have been repeated throughout our home in light fixtures, switchplate covers, light fixtures, fabrics, glassware, eating/serving utensils, dishes, interior art, garden art and elsewhere. Where the tubing was to meet the frame, I crimped the tubing flat with plyers and then drilled a hole (just smaller than the selected screws) through the flattened tupping and the "tee" joint where the swirl would be joined to the frame. The swirl was then screwed tightly into place.

Two pieces of rebar were then stuck about 1 foot into the ground at the distance determined by the width of the finished trellis. The finished trellis end pieces, or legs, where then forced over the rebar and pushed down to ground level. The previously homeless clematis was then planted in front of the trellis and I wove the new growth through the copper trellis frame.

The process was then duplicated for a second matching trellis. The plants seem very happy with their new homes - and I have trellises that also serve as garden art. I was thrilled that the finished trellises cost about $50 a piece in materials - due in part to the fact we already had the soldering supplies in our personal tool library - and were only a project of a few hours.

Note: You might also want to check out my copper and bronze hose guard and flower pot patio umbrella stand projects.

Toot! Toot!*: Spanish book 'For a Good Cause' gives new life to C.A.T. design by Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

The newly-released book For a Good Cause, coordinated and written by design firm Cactus Disseny, features an identity design by Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. The designer's logo concept for the Cat Adoption Team (C.A.T.) appears in the volume from Spanish publisher Index Book.

For a Good Cause is a collection of the best socially conscious design from around the world. Index Book originally set out to produce a book of only pro bono projects, but later decided to expand the concept to any design done with a good cause in mind. The projects featured were created to show that it is possible to make a better, more beautiful world and simultaneously convey the message of a cause-focused business or organization.

The Cat Adoption Team 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: The Best in Cause-Related Marketing and Nonprofit Design and American Graphic Design & Advertising 25. The yet to be published LogoLounge Master Library Vol. 2, Logolicious and Logo Nest 01 (Australia) will include the design. The logo also appears in the textbook Perfect Match Art Primary 5, by Prisca Ko Hak Moi - a collaborative project of publisher Pearson Education South Asia and Ministry of Education Singapore.

Fisher, a 32-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. Fisher is currently writing a new volume, Logo Type: 200 Best Typographic Logos from Around the World Explained, about typography in identity design. It is scheduled for a 2011 release.

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.

Fisher serves on the HOW Magazine Board of Advisors, HOW Design Conference Advisory Council and Art Institute of Portland Professional Advisory Council, and is a past member of the UCDA Designer Magazine Editorial Advisory Board. The designer also writes for HOW Magazine, other industry publications, and many webzines and blogs. In addition, Fisher is a nationally-recognized speaker, making numerous presentations each year to design organizations, design schools, universities and business groups. Graphic Design USA magazine named Jeff Fisher one of the design industry “People to Watch” in 2009.

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

Communication Arts Photography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline Extended: 9 April 2010
Entry fees charged

Golden Bee 9: Moscow International Biennale of Graphic Design
(Golden Bee - Russia)
Deadline: 15 April 2010
No entry fees charged

The Big Book of Packaging
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline Extended: 16 April 2010
No entry fees charged
Publication fee charged for inclusion in book

PRINT Regional Design Annual
(PRINT Magazine - USA)
Late Deadline Extended: 15 April 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

American Web Design Awards
(Graphic Design USA - GDUSA - USA)
Deadline Extended: 30 April 2010
Entry fees charged

Mediabistro Logo Awards
(Mediabistro - USA)
Deadline Extended: 30 April 2010
Entry fees charged

Graphis Photography Annual 2011
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 10 May 2010
Entry fees charged

ADC Young Guns 8
(Art Directors Club - USA)
Deadline: 12 May 2010
Entry fees charged

Applied Arts Design & Advertising Awards
(Applied Arts Magazine - Canada)
Deadline Extended: 14 May 2010
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Design Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 14 May 2010
Late Deadline: 28 May 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

2010 Pentawards Package Design Competition
(Pentawards - France)
Deadline: 14 May 2010
Late Deadline: 21 May 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Advertising Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 14 May 2010
Late Deadline: 28 May 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

The Best of Cover Design
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline: 15 May 2010
No entry fees charged

Top 100 New Creatives Competition
(CMYK - USA)
Deadline: 17 May 2010
Entry fees charged

The Best of Cover Design
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline Extended: 28 May 2010
No entry fees charged

My Own Business Card, Volume Two
(Design and Design - France)
Deadline Extended: 31 May 2010
No entry fees charged

Just Sit! Chairs and Stools Design
(Design and Design - France)
Deadline Extended: 31 May 2010
No entry fees charged

Best Organic Packaging, Volume One
(Design and Design - France)
Deadline Extended: 31 May 2010
No entry fees charged

American Graphic Design Awards
(GDUSA - USA)
Deadline: 10 June 2010
Entry fees charged

Graphis Annual Reports 2011
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 14 June 2010
Entry fees charged

Graphis New Talent Annual 2011
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 14 June 2010
Entry fees charged

Coupe International Design and Image Competition
(Coupe Magazine - Canada)
Deadline: 16 June 2010
Entry fees charged

Print Student Cover Competition
(Print Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 30 June 2010
No entry fees charged

Basic Brochures
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 30 June 2010
No entry fees charged

HOW In-HOWse Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Late Deadline: 1 July 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

UCDA Design Competitions
(University and College Designers Assn.
- USA)
Deadline: 9 July 2010
Entry fees charged

HOW Interactive Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 15 July 2010
Late Deadline: 2 August 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Trademarks USA
(American Pixel Academy - USA)
Deadline: 31 July 2010
Entry fees charged

Creativity Print Awards
(Creativity Awards - USA)
Submissions accepted 1 June 2010
Deadline: 13 August 2010
Late Deadline: 27 August 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

iheartlogos
(iheartlogos.com - USA)
Season One Deadline: 31 August 2010
Entry fees charged

HOW International Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 1 September 2010
Late Deadline: 15 September 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Typography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 10 September 2010
Late Deadline: 24 September 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Book of the Year, Volume 3
(Design & Design - France)
Deadline: 30 September 2010
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Interactive Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 8 October 2010
Late Deadline: 22 October 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Logo Nest
(Logo Nest - International)
Deadline: 31 December 2010
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 130 graphic design books. Many of those inclusions are the result of design competitions, or requests for submissions, like those listed above.

Toot! Toot!*: 'Best of Letterhead and Logo Design' features six identities by Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Six logo designs by Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, are featured in the recently released book The Best of Letterhead and Logo Design. The volume, from Rockport Publishers, is a collection of the best designs from the previous four Letterhead and Logo Design books released by the company between the years 1999 and 2007.

The selected designs include identities for Black Dog Furniture Design and the triangle productions! theatre company shows The Food Chain and Girls' Night Out. Logos for writer Kimberly Webster, retail establishment Peggy Sundays, and the 100-year-old W.C. Winks Hardware were also selected. All of the businesses are in the Portland metropolitan area.

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.

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.)

Logo Talks goes 'Face to Face with Jeff Fisher'

The interview "Face to Face with Jeff Fisher" has been posted on the identity design Web presence Logo Talks. The site, founded earlier this year by designer Otba Mushaweh, presents case studies, showcases, news and interviews about logo design, branding and typography.

The Logo Talks editor asked Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, about topics ranging from his career background, to thoughts on design education, his opinion of design contests and more. The designer was also asked to define what makes a good logo design, and for brief critiques of several recently unveiled international logo designs.

'Call for entries,' and design book submission request, observations and recommendations: Part Two

Nearly 20 years ago I began responding to design competition calls for entries and book publisher requests for submissions with the entry of client work. Part One of this article provided some general considerations for making the most of such situations. This entry offers some more specific recommendations:

Provide what is requested: Simple right? You would think so, but many designers seem to have a problem following instructions. If a competition or book call for entries requests actual printed samples don't provide digital images. Most likely there's a desire to photograph all selected projects in-house for quality control. If a writer or editor request two or three submissions, don't submit 10 and ask that the reviewer select what they like. With several hundred people submitting work, numerous additional, unneeded entries means hundreds of images that the recipient most likely doesn't have time to review. Besides, the submitting designer knows their own work best and should be able to select what they hope to have showcased.

Submit the exact image files needed: There’s a reason competitions and book publishers ask that image submissions meet their own very specific file type and size requirements. The requested files are what will best serve the needs of the specific judging process or high-resolution printing. Many submissions to my own books have been every file type other than what was requested - the wrong size, low resolution or just really poor quality. Specifications may differ for each competition or book project. It's in a designer's best interest to submit exactly what is requested to present one's work at its best. Improper image files, or misnamed digital files, may result in disqualification from review.

The old "garbage in; garbage out" adage applies here. Submission of a poor quality digital image is only going to make a designer's work look bad. High quality digital images are a book publisher's friend.

Take advantage of an opportunity to describe your work: If given the opportunity to submit a detailed description of your work, take advantage of the situation. In early 2010 I was asked to judge a large number of submissions for the book Logolicious. The online submission form provided designers the chance to include a short description of the logo being submitted. I was surprised at the large number of designers who entered no description at all. In judging the entries, I found myself questioning what some images were, and what other designs supposedly represented. Simple one or two sentence descriptions went a long ways in making my decisions as a judge much easier and definitive.

Complete all requested documentation and authorization forms: It may sound like a "no-brainer," but it is very important to complete all entry form information and provide any required signature verifying rights and authorizing publication. An individual reviewing submissions may find it easier to reject an incomplete entry than tracking down the designer to collect missing details.

Give credit where credit is due: It is incredibly important to always credit those who participated in any project you choose to submit as a competition entry or as possible book content. Be generous in listing all that have contributed to the final project – especially if the design will end up being published, with credits, in a book or magazine. There is nothing worse than a supposed “team” member providing a design for publication, or a competition, and not crediting (or improperly crediting) major players on a project. Many years ago a minor contributor on a project of my own submitted the end result for inclusion in an international design book – listing me as minor participant on the effort. To say I was unhappy is an understatement.

Verify that you have have permission to submit specific design work: Many designers automatically assume that they have all permissions required to submit a project for award or publication consideration. Work for employers, work-for-hire situations, projects executed as a contractor for a corporation and other scenarios may not offer carte blanche authority to do so. Many competitions and book publishers require that contributors verify that they have maintained the right to make the submission in question. Early in my career I would often find myself chasing down a former client to get permission to enter a project in a competition or for inclusion in a book. For the past decade the following clause in my own project agreement has made such submissions much easier:

The designer retains personal rights to use the completed project and any preliminary designs for the purpose of design competitions, future publications on design, educational purposes and the marketing of the designer’s business. Where applicable the client will be given any necessary credit for usage of the project elements.

Feel free to use and abuse the clause for your own purposes.

Set yourself apart from the crowd: What makes your design efforts unique? Work that stands out from the crowd in concept, execution and presentation is what will often get the attention of those judging a competition or selecting graphic content for a book. Several years ago I was judging the Summit Creative Awards and the trend of lime green and orange ink colors was a bit overwhelming. I found myself being drawn to the submitted designs that were unusual, didn’t fall into the trap of current trends or offered unique solutions to what may have been a very common design brief.

Ask any questions you may have about the competition or book project: Most design competition calls for entries, or book submission requests, do provide contact email addresses or phone numbers for any questions that contributors may have about the detailed specifications for such activities. Make use of these resources. Making your own assumptions in regards to any questions you may have could result in an entry that will not be accepted due to failure to follow the rules. In addition, contact with the competition sponsor or book publisher may initiate a relationship of value when submitters are being sought in the future for other projects.

Inquire about possible deadline extensions: Many design competitions and book submission deadlines allow for some flexibility. Rather than rushing to finalize an entry, due to a looming deadline, contact the entity in question and inquire about a possible extension. Often additional time will be provided, allowing for completion of an organized and complete submission.

Neatness counts: Neatness in all aspects of an entry or submission does make a difference. Enough said.

Package your submissions carefully: If shipping off actual printed samples of design work, make sure that your pieces are packaged to survive the wear and tear of the U.S. Mail or other delivery option. The first impression of a damaged project is going to impact the review or judging process.

Be patient in awaiting the results of a competition or book publication: Competition judging, and the production of a book, takes time. Be patient in awaiting the results of your design submissions. Most calls for entries or submissions result in hundreds, if not thousands of contributions. In its first year the HOW Logo Design Awards received over 800 entries. The book Logolicious required the review of nearly 5000 logo designs. In selecting designs for inclusion the book Letterhead and Logo Design 11, the firm Design Army had to sort through over 3000 submissions. Most design books are the result of a year or two of interviewing, writing, image selection, editing, design and printing.

Many competition coordinators and publishers are excellent about informing those whose work has been selected. By doing so, they are providing designers the opportunity to promote the news in a very timely manner - giving greater exposure to the competition or possibly increasing book sales. Unfortunately, in some cases I have received official notification of my work being included months after a book has hit the retailers' shelf.

Promote the hell out of your competition or book submission successes: It's in a designer's own best interest to "toot! one's own horn" when receiving a industry award or having work published in a book. Post the news on your blog, create a note on your Facebook page, or "tweet" about the information. Send out press releases to online and print design media, local newspapers, business publications, alumni organizations and trade magazines. An email press missive may be sent out to art/creative directors, vendors, clients, past clients, potential clients, design peers, friends and family. Make sure the client whose work has been recognized is aware of the fact. Ask the client if their specific industry has a trade publication or organization that should be made aware of the news.

Making others aware of your honor, or inclusion in a book, may result in requests for new work, possible inclusion in other books or articles, opportunities to make business or design organization presentations, or more.

Show your appreciation: In some cases, designers may receive complimentary copies of a book or magazine in which their work appears. If so, immediately send the author, editor or publisher a handwritten thank you note. In addition, whenever a writer or interviewer includes me in an article, book or podcast, I always make sure to express my appreciation with a note, email or call. Simple "thank yous" are an incredibly valuable tool in establishing career-long relationships.

Check out Part One of this article for more information about submitting design work for competition or book publishing review.

Some additional resources on this topic:

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

When a "contest" is not a contest

"Calls for entries" confusion?

A Winning Strategy

Toot! Toot!*: Stumptown Clowns logo wins an American Graphic Design and Advertising Award

The Stumptown Clowns identity, by Jeff Fisher - Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives - has been recognized with an American Graphic Design and Advertising Award. The awards, formerly known as American Corporate Identity, recognize the best graphic design and advertising in the U.S.

In 2009, Jeff Fisher was a judge for the American Graphic Design and Advertising 25. Jeff Fisher LogoMotives has been the recipient of 27 American Corporate Identity Awards in the past.

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.

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.)

'Call for entries,' and design book submission request, observations and recommendations: Part One

Nearly 20 years ago I began responding to design competition calls for entries and book publisher requests for submissions with the entry of client work. Early on I saw awards and inclusion in books as much more than an ego booster. Instead, positive results of such opportunities were a valid marketing and promotion tool for my business. Since then, my work has garnered over 600 regional, local and international design awards.

My designs appear in over 130 books from publishers around the world. The majority of potential clients coming my way begin our interaction with comments such as “I was at my local bookstore and saw some examples of your design work in a book...” In addition, relationships have developed with writers, editors and publishers. When they need illustrative elements for books, I am often contacted as a result of past positive experiences to submit work for inclusion in articles or books. I’ve also been asked to judge design competitions, or book submissions, many times in the last two decades.

When writing my first book, The Savvy Designer’s Guide to Success, I crossed over to the other side and became the person requesting design submissions to illustrate a book. I quickly learned the challenges of compiling the images I desired, obtaining the proper digital files for quality reproduction, collecting the descriptions and credits for specific projects and getting the permission forms required by my publisher, HOW Books.

My frustrations were multiplied in writing Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands - a volume greater in scope, with many more contributors from around the globe, and hundreds of graphic and photo images. I am now in the midst of writing my third book, Logo Type: 200 Best Typographic Logos from Around the World Explained which has involved over 200 submitting designers or firms and thousands of contributed images. Some days, while digging through the numerous submissions, I find myself getting really cranky and bitchy.

A few years ago, at a design conference, another author and I were lamenting about the issues associated with writing and coordinating a book before the finished manuscript is shipped off to a publisher. Our gripes and pet peeves were remarkably similar. As our conversation came to an end, he said, “If I ever even consider writing another book please slap me silly.” I gave him similar permission. Of course, he just completed his third book, and I am working on my second, since having that particular discussion.

The work on my current book got me thinking. What advice would I share with other designers in regards to responding to competition calls for entries and book submission requests?

The following is Part One of my observations, tips and tricks on the issue:

Read the call for entries or book submission request: Seriously. Read the call for entries or book submission request thoroughly and carefully. Pay attention to the details from the entity conducting the design competition or writing/publishing the book. Failure to follow the specific documented requests could result in your work being immediately disqualified from consideration.

Evaluate what competitions and book submissions will best serve the needs of you or your firm: What do you, as a designer hope to achieve by responding to a call for entries or request to submit designs for possible inclusion in a book? An ego boost? Validation from your design or industry-specific peers? A happy client? Marketing and promotion of your work? The opportunity to “toot” your own horn with the possible results? A trophy and certificate wall in your studio?

My purpose for entering design competitions, and submitting my work for possible inclusion in books, is to make use of the results for the marketing and promotion of my design efforts. With a focus on identity design, I tend to target competitions and publisher requests that will give the greatest exposure to logo design, corporate identity and branding. Logo-specific competitions and books are always a first priority. Requests for complete identity programs are a close second. Calls for entries focusing on stationery package and business card design follow. Re-evaluations do result in changing priorities over time. For example, my logo designs were selected for inclusion in Print’s Regional Design Annual for many years. When Print opted to exhibit many fewer logos in the annual, I lost interest in entering the competition as a possible showcase for my identity design work.

An added bonus in the case of some competitions, or book submission requests, is the future release of compilation volumes by the publisher. For sometime Rockport Publishers has increased the exposure of a designers’ work with The Best of the Best of... books highlighting brochure, letterhead and logo design. LogoLounge is now doing the same with the new Master Library series. It’s great to discover your work will be featured in an upcoming book – with no additional effort on the part as the original submitter.

Create a budget for entry fees and potential publication fees: Entering design competitions can be an expensive venture. From my earliest submissions, I created a budget for entry fees I was willing to pay – and considered that expenditure a major portion of what I would spend on marketing in any given year. I sought out competitions that had a cap on entry fees after a given number of entries, offered an additional cap on any publication or “hanging” fees (which just annoy the hell out of me), charged no additional fees beyond entry fees, or resulted in a book being published. The Big Book of Logos series, LogoLounge, the former American Corporate Identity competitions, the Creativity Awards, and a few others fit into the guidelines I established for my business.

I’ve always appreciated the fact that the Summit International Awards– already directed at smaller firms – is willing to offer an added discount to one-person studios. This year, the American Advertising and Graphic Design Awards offered a free pro bono project entry with a paid entry fee in another category. With their American Graphic Design Awards the trade publication GDUSA has offered discounted entry fees to previous submitters and winners. Still, having won 20 American Graphic Design Awards over the years, I have yet to pay what I feel are outrageous publication fees to have my work appear in the magazine. As a one-person studio, I simply can’t justify the expense - especially when some of the awards have been for pro bono logo design projects.

Personally, I prefer to submit my work to book producers such as the widely promoted efforts of Rockport Publishers, Rotovision (UK), Index Book (Spain) and zeixs (Germany) - which have no entry fees and incredible reach with their products. HOW Books and PIE Books (Japan) are increasingly promoting future books with no fees for submissions. Inclusion in the books of all of these publishers exposes a designer’s work to an international audience of potential clients.

I think it’s unfortunate the the American Graphic Design and Advertising Awards (formerly American Corporate Identity) recently announced that winning entries of the most recent competition will not be published in a book. To be honest, had I been aware of this prior to the competition deadline, I probably would not have submitted designs. I also noticed that for a specific submission request, although an entry fee is not necessary, Crescent Hill Books is now requiring a $25 fee ($350 for a selected case study) for publication in the future book release. I do understand the challenges of publishing these days, but such changes will cause me to have second thoughts about the book submission requests of those two entities in the future.

Enter what you consider to be your best and most representative work: When giving designers advice about what to include in their portfolios, I always say “only include what you feel is your best work.” The same goes for considering one’s own work for possible competition entry or book submission. Competitions and publications are an opportunity to present to the world what you do best. Don’t be tempted to submit what you may consider mediocre work due to an entry fee price break at, let’s say, 15 entries. If you have 10 kick-ass design projects to contribute; only submit the ten pieces. It’s almost a given that, if you present work of which you are not particularly proud, the work will be selected for recognition or publication.

Part Two of this article will go into some of the specifics of submitting design work for competition or book publishing review.

Some additional resources on this topic:

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

When a "contest" is not a contest

"Calls for entries" confusion?

A Winning Strategy

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

American Illustration 29
(American Illustration - USA)
Deadline Extended: 2 March 2010
Entry fees charged

Green Graphics
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline Extended: 5 March 2010
No entry fees charged

Project Never
(Project Never - US)
Deadline: 8 March 2010
No entry fees charged

SPD Student Design Competition
(Society of Publication Designers - USA)
Deadline: 8 March 2010
Entry fees charged (3 free entries for SPD Student members)

Basic Identity
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 15 March 2010
No entry fees charged

Graphis Advertising Annual 2011
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline Extended: 15 March 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Typoshirt One
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 19 March 2010
No entry fees charged

The Fexy Awards
(American Pixel Academy - USA)
Deadline Extended: 19 March 2010
Entry fees charged

Creativity 40 Media Competition
(Creativity International Awards - USA)
Deadline Extended: 19 March 2010
Entry fees charged

HOW Promotion Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Late Deadline: 22 March 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

AIGA 365 Annual Competition
(AIGA - USA)
Late-entry Deadline: 26 March 2010
Entry fees charged

AIGA 50 Books/50 Covers
(AIGA - USA)
Late-entry Deadline: 26 March 2010
Entry fees charged

Mail Me Art 2
(Mail Me Art - UK)
Deadline: 31 March 2010
No entry fees charged

American Inhouse Design Awards
(Graphic Design USA - GDUSA - USA)
Deadline Extended: 31 March 2010
Entry fees charged

The Big Book of Packaging
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline Extended: 31 March 2010
No entry fees charged

Mediabistro Logo Awards
(Mediabistro - USA)
Deadline: 31 March 2010
Entry fees charged

PRINT Regional Design Annual
(PRINT Magazine - USA)
Late Deadline: 1 April 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Photography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline Extended: 9 April 2010
Entry fees charged

HOW In-HOWse Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 15 April 2010
Late Deadline: 10 May 2010 (with late fees)
Entry fees charged

Golden Bee 9: Moscow International Biennale of Graphic Design
(Golden Bee - Russia)
Deadline: 15 April 2010
No entry fees charged

American Web Design Awards
(Graphic Design USA - GDUSA - USA)
Deadline: 16 April 2010
Entry fees charged

Trademarks USA
(American Pixel Academy - USA)
Deadline: 30 April 2010
Entry fees charged

My Own Business Card, Volume Two
(Design and Design - France)
Deadline Extended: 31 April 2010
No entry fees charged

Just Sit! Chairs and Stools Design
(Design and Design - France)
Deadline Extended: 31 April 2010
No entry fees charged

Best Organic Packaging, Volume One
(Design and Design - France)
Deadline Extended: 31 April 2010
No entry fees charged

Graphis Photography Annual 2011
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 10 May 2010
Entry fees charged

ADC Young Guns 8
(Art Directors Club - USA)
Deadline: 12 May 2010
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Design Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 14 May 2010
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Advertising Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 14 May 2010
Entry fees charged

Graphis Annual Reports 2011
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 31 May 2010
Entry fees charged

Graphis New Talent Annual 2011
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 31 May 2010
Entry fees charged

iheartlogos
(iheartlogos.com - USA)
Season One Deadline: 31 August 2010
Entry fees charged

Book of the Year, Volume 3
(Design & Design - France)
Deadline: 30 September 2010
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Interactive Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 8 October 2010
Entry fees charged

Logo Nest
(Logo Nest - International)
Deadline: 31 December 2010
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: A Winning Strategy. It has appeared on the Creative Latitude and NO!SPEC web sites.

A design competition calendar is also available at Icograda. Lürzer's ARCHIVE also 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 130 graphic design books. Many of those inclusions are the result of design competitions, or requests for submissions, like those listed above.

Jeff Fisher serves as first guest judge for identity design inspiration site Logo From Dreams

Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for Portland-based Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, was recently invited to be the first guest judge for the identity design inspiration website Logo From Dreams. After reviewing the logo designs featured during the month of February, Fisher selected the identity announced on the site today as Logo of the Month for February.

Logo From Dreams was introduced in November 2007 as a showcase for the most creative and inspired logo design from around the world. From the submitted identities a Logo of the Day is posted on the site. Guest judges - well-known international identity designers - now select the Logo of the Month. A Logo of the Year is named annually. On regular basis, Logo From Dreams also shares identity design information and examples on its blog.

Toots Caboose and Rose Festival Character Clown Corps pals clown around on KATU's AM Northwest

Last spring I had the pleasure of being accepted to Clown School for the Portland Rose Festival Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corps. In the intense three-day workshop I created the identity of my clown alter-ego Toots Caboose, designed signature make-up, coordinated a train engineer costume, created a physical persona for the character and learned how to play well with other clowns.

My participation in the 2009 Character Clown Corps was an incredible experience, with public appearances at National Train Day at historic Union Station, the Fred Meyer Junior Rose Parade and the KeyBank Grand Floral Parade as major highlights. Walking the Grand Floral Parade route, with an estimated 500,000 viewers lining the downtown Portland streets, was a bit overwhelming.

Earlier this week, I got an email from Boss Clown Angel Ocasio asking that Toots Caboose participate in a Character Clown Corps effort to recruit members of the clown class of 2010 with an appearance on KATU's AM Northwest show. At the Portland Rose Festival office, Angel, clown pal Dolly and I were met by AM Northwest producer/reporter Janice Bangs - and "Cameraman Bob."

Cameraman Bob, Dolly, Toots Caboose, Bango and Boss Clown Angel after taping the Portland Rose Festival Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corps recruiting segment for AM Northwest

Out of costume, Dolly (Michele) and I joined Angel in judging the possible new recruit's clown school audition (video above - top). After Bangs nailed her try-out, Angel coordinated the makeup and costume that transformed the reporter into Bango - while clowns Dolly and Toots Caboose evolved in the background. Our AM Northwest segment taping came to an end with Angel, Dolly and Toots Caboose assisting Bango with her first clown trick. It was a fun afternoon of clowning around.

The Portland Rose Festival Character Clown Corps is currently seeking applicants, age 14 years and older, for its 2010 clown workshop class. If interested, applications must be received by Monday, March 1, 2010. Additional information, and a downloadable application form, are available on the Character Clown Corps website.

HOW/Print DesignCast - 'Using Social Media as a (Free!) Marketing Tool' - available for purchase

The recent HOW/Print DesignCast "'Using Social Media as a (Free!) Marketing Tool" is now available as a download for purchase from MyDesignShop. Presented by Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, the DesignCast was described in a bit more detail in a previous bLog-oMotives entry.

Fisher's books Identity Crisis!: 100 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands and The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success (now a PDF on CD), previous DesignCasts, and selected past HOW Design Conference presentation audios are also available at MyDesignShop.

Special Offer: Purchase one HOW/Print DesignCast (archived or upcoming) valued at $69 or more and get one FREE! Use code HOWWB08A at checkout through midnight 02.28.10

Mailbag

Whistle Stops

Get on Track!

Tootin' the Horn

Connections

Destinations

Identity Design Tracks

Side Tracks

The Lounge Car

Booking Adventures

Previous Engagements

Competition Judging

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

Toot! Toot!*: Summit Creative Awards recognizes Stumptown Clowns identity with silver honors

Garden umbrella takes a stand - in flower pot [Redux]

Logodotes: W.C. Winks Hardware

Jeff Fisher offers suggestions in 'Design Matters: Portfolios 01;' new release from Rockport Publishers

A simple garden trellis project [Redux]

Toot! Toot!*: Spanish book 'For a Good Cause' gives new life to C.A.T. design by Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

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

Toot! Toot!*: 'Best of Letterhead and Logo Design' features six identities by Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Logo Talks goes 'Face to Face with Jeff Fisher'

'Call for entries,' and design book submission request, observations and recommendations: Part Two

Toot! Toot!*: Stumptown Clowns logo wins an American Graphic Design and Advertising Award

'Call for entries,' and design book submission request, observations and recommendations: Part One

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

Jeff Fisher serves as first guest judge for identity design inspiration site Logo From Dreams

Toots Caboose and Rose Festival Character Clown Corps pals clown around on KATU's AM Northwest

HOW/Print DesignCast - 'Using Social Media as a (Free!) Marketing Tool' - available for purchase

Engineer of Creative Identity