A Hawaiian escape for a non-holiday

My partner Ed and I ran away from home for the holiday season. We simply made the decision to escape for a couple weeks and not celebrate Christmas. No decorations. No gifts. No holiday craziness. Our friend Mike Smith, one of the owners of Joy Creek Nursery, joined us on our adventure. We rented the Big Island home of my longtime pal, and "HOW Conference wife," Jeni Herberger as our non-holiday getaway. The five-acre property is located in Captain Cook, just south of Kailua-Kona, on the western side of the island.

While in Hawaii, we not only missed having a traditional Christmas holiday - we missed most of the snow and ice that impacted Portland for over two weeks. We had an incredible time in the beautiful tropical location.

Our vacation photos are being shared in a Flickr gallery.

© 2009 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Cowboy Jeffie's Paniolo Papaya Salsa

(Yep, that's me - Cowboy Jeffie - in the photo)

Vacations are not necessarily conducive to blogging, but they are a necessity for sanity in one's life. Two weeks in Hawaii is a heavenly way to celebrate - or avoid - the holiday season. We stayed in an incredible home on the Kona Coast side of the Big Island, with five acres of avocados and fruit/citrus trees. Lemons, limes, oranges, tangerines, guava, figs, starfruit and more were on the property. What we couldn't find outside the house was available at the Kona Farmers' Market. Cowboy Jeffie went Hawaiian as 2008 came to an end. By the way a paniolo is an island cowboy.

Cowboy Jeffie's Paniolo Papaya Salsa

1 medium yellow onion - diced finely
(You may use a red onion to add color and spiciness)
1 papaya - peeled, seeded and diced into 1/4 inch pieces
(mango may be substituted if desired)
2 medium tomatoes - quartered, seeded, cut into 1/4 inch squares
1/2 habanero chile pepper - seeded and diced into tiny pieces
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro - rough cut
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Juice of one fresh lime
Salt to taste
Cilantro to garnish

Prepare all the ingredients as noted and simply dump into a mixing bowl. Do take care in handling the habanero. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after having any contact with the pepper. Stir well before pouring into a serving dish and garnishing with a few sprigs of fresh cilantro. It's best if your salsa sits in the fridge for a few hours before serving - and it's even better the next day. We used the salsa as a compliment to grilled fresh marlin - and with corn chips the following days.

You might also want to check out my other Cowboy Jeffie recipes.

Enjoy!

© 2009 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Re-Design: Private Parties

Back in 1994, a friend working for the catering company Private Parties contacted me about redesigning the firm's identity. The formal image conveyed by the existing logo (below left) was not successfully conveying the more casual and fun event planning being done for clients. Still, the business did not want to completely lose the public's visual reference to what had become an established identity in the local market.

The catering firm did coordinate some formal events, so I suggested maintaining the general look of the previous tuxedo image while changing out the bow tie element for a customized necktie. For the pattern on the tie I created simplified graphics (below) of a variety of fruits and vegetables that might be items incorporated in the menu offerings of the caterer. At the time, the owner even considered having similar neckties made for the staff. Instead of having the tie hanging straight down on the front of the shirt graphic, I gave it a little implied movement to project that the Private Parties personnel never stood still.

All these years later, the company represented by the logo is no longer in business. However, I do think the before and after images are still good examples of a company not totally losing an established business identity when updating the company logo.

Additional, before and after logo images may be seen on the Jeff Fisher LogoMotives blogfolio.

(Note: My 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.)

© 2009 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives.

Jeffism #10

"Market yourself ALL the time - especially when you are the busiest. A designer who waits until no work is coming in the door to start their marketing efforts will most likely be waiting much longer for new project work."

- Jeff Fisher on an online forum

© 2008 Jeff Fisher Logomotives

Jeff Fisher LogoMotives identity included
in "100 Brands of Interest" collection

In his recent dacheboard blog post, David Pache - a respected identity designer in his own right - showcases "100 Brands of Interest." The logo for Jeff Fisher LogoMotives is included in the impressive collection of 100 identifying marks for logo designers, brand identity consultants and graphic studios from around the world.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Before and after logo designs: Part VII

Many of my identity design projects have been redesigns of existing logos. Over the years I have been contracted many times to update or makeover the logos of businesses and organizations. My "before & after" images of such projects get a great deal of attention in my marketing packets and through previous blog entries focusing on redesign efforts. I thought I would create a series of bLog-oMotives visual entries showcasing some of the examples - with links to previous posts offering project explanations and anecdotes - allowing bLog-oMotives readers to easily review some of the past featured designs.

Balaboosta • Portland,OR (More info to come)

Diane Tutch • Portland, OR (More info to come)

House of Light • Portland, OR (More info to come)

Samuels Yoelin • Portland, OR (Read more)

Private Parties • Portland,OR (More info to come)

Check out the complete collection of "before and after" logo design posts on bLog-oMotives.

(Note: My 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

"The Ultimate List of The Best Logo Design Resources" includes Jeff Fisher LogoMotives listings

Just Creative Design, the blog of designer Jacob Cass, has posted "The Ultimate List of The Best Logo Design Resources" - which includes a Just Creative interview with me (Logo Design Tips & A Not-So-Ordinary Interview with Logo Designer, Jeff Fisher), my own blog bLog-oMotives, and a listing of yours truly in the "Logo Designer" category. You'll also find Jeff Fisher LogoMotives mentions or listings at several of the other links provided.

In addition, my book, Identity Crisis: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands, is included on the list.

© 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:

American Package Design Awards
(Graphic Design USA - USA)
Deadline: 12 December 2008
Entry fees charged

H2O
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline Extended: 15 December 2008
No entry fees charged

HOW Poster Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline Extended: 15 December 2008 - with late fees
Entry fees charged

Best of the Web #1
(CMYK Magazine - USA)
Deadline Extended: 17 December 2008
Entry fees charged

American Advertising & Design 25
(formerly American Corporate Identity)
(Graphics Books - USA)
Late Entry Deadline Extended: 29 December 2008 (Late fees)
Entry fees charged

Creative Offices
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline: 30 December 2008
No entry fees charged

I.D. Annual Design Review
(I.D. Magazine - USA)
Deadline Extended: 31 December 2008 - with late fees
Entry fees charged

1000 More Graphic Elements
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline Extended: 1 January 2009
No entry fees charged

Charts & Diagrams
(maomao publications - Spain)
Deadline: 2 January 2009
No entry fees charged

Free Fonts
(maomao publications - Spain)
Deadline: 2 January 2009
No entry fees charged

1 & 2 Colors
(maomao publications - Spain)
Deadline: 5 January 2009
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Interactive Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline Extended: 5 January 2009
Entry fees charged

Chaos & Order: Innovative Grid Systems
(maomao publications - Spain)
Deadline: 5 January 2009
No entry fees charged

1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline: 9 January 2009
No entry fees charged

Project Never
Deadline: 16 January 2009
No entry fees charged

Aspiring Creatives #44
(CMYK Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 19 January 2009
Entry fees charged

Design Annual 2010
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 19 January 2009
Entry fees charged

Interactive Annual 2010
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 19 January 2009
Entry fees charged

The Big Book of Green Design
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline Extended: 20 January 2009
No entry fees charged

88th ADC Awards
(The Art Directors Club - USA)
Deadline Extended: 23 January 2009
Entry fees charged

Summit Creative Award
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline: 26 January 2009
Entry fees charged

My Own Business Card
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 31 January 2009
No entry fees charged

The Mini Book of Great Logos
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline: 1 February 2009
No entry fees charged

New Styles in Graphic Design
(maomao publications - Spain)
Deadline: 2 February 2009
No entry fees charged

Press Kits: Design & Packaging
(maomao publications - Spain)
Deadline: 2 February 2009
No entry fees charged

Point of Purchase Design
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline: 9 February 2009
No entry fees charged

Advertising Annual 2010
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 16 February 2009
Entry fees charged

European Design Awards
(EDAwards - Greece)
Deadline: 14 February 2009
Entry fees charged

Designing for the Greater Good
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline Extended: 27 February 2009
No entry fees charged

Basics: Logos
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 28 February 2009
No entry fees charged

Wine Labels
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 28 February 2009
No entry fees charged

PRINT's Regional Design Annual
(PRINT Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 2 March 2009
Entry fees charged

Handmade Graphics
(Rotovision - UK)
Deadline: 2 March 2009
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Illustration Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 6 March 2009
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Photography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 6 March 2009
Entry fees charged

Best of Business Card Design 9
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline: 9 March 2009
No entry fees charged

Photography Annual 2010
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 16 March 2009
Entry fees charged

HOW Promotion Design Awards 2009
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 20 March 2009
Entry fees charged

Best Bio Packaging, Volume 1
(Design & Design - France)
Deadline: 31 March 2009
Nontry fees charged

New Talent Annual 2010
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 11 May 2009
Entry fees charged

Annual Reports Annual 2010
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 11 May 2009
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Design Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 1 June 2009
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Advertising Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 9 June 2009
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Interactive Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 5 October 2009
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. Lürzer's ARCHIVE also has an impressive online list of competitions sponsored by international magazines and organizations. Dexinger also 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 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

'Identity Crisis!' - and all other books - 50% off
at HOWBookstore.com through 11.28

For a limited time my book, Identity Crisis: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands, and all other HOW Books offerings are 50% off at HOWBookstore.com. From November 25 through November 28 take 50% off suggested retail on book orders of any size from the entire selection of books. Include coupon code BLACKFRIDAY when ordering to receive savings at checkout.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Toot! Toot!*:
StartupNation names Jeff Fisher LogoMotives
one of nation's top 100 home-based businesses

Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, has been recognized by StartupNation as one of the nation's top businesses in its annual Home-Based 100 competition in the category of Most Slacker-Friendly. Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm, is known for operating his company from wherever he and his PowerBook may be - foreign countries, tropical beaches, hotels in various cities, airports, coffee shops, his garden and other locales. The design business, specializing in identity design and branding, is currently celebrating 30 years in operation.

Many of the StartupNation Home-Based 100 submissions revealed that business owners are bucking the current economic downturn and finding business success in these tight times. Historically, Fisher's business has been at its best when the economy is at its worst, as new businesses are launched, existing companies jumpstart marketing efforts, and individuals concerned about possible job losses initiate future plans.

“The 2008 ranking shows that the home-based business is more relevant than ever. The current recession has spurred a new wave of home based businesses as a response to loss of jobs, the need for supplemental income and the sheer passion for blazing your own trail and running your own show,” said Rich Sloan, co-founder of StartupNation.com, one of the leading small business networking and advice websites. “Home based businesses are the biggest block of all businesses in existence and we expect numbers to grow ever greater as extra bedrooms, kitchen tables, basements and garages become host to the innovative thinking and pursuit of success by millions of Americans.”

The StartupNation Home-Based 100 highlights 10 top-ten lists making it not just your ordinary business ranking. From the wackiest, to the most innovative, to the best financial performers – this unique and diverse list highlights the home-based businesses that usually go unrecognized, but still play a vital role in the economy today.

In addition to StartupNation staff, judges for this year’s Home Based 100 ranking included Adam Lowry, co-founder of Method Products, Howard Behar, former President of Starbucks North America, John Jantsch, founder of Duct Tape Marketing, Mel Robbins, host of Make It Happen radio show. The competition was sponsored by Microsoft Office Live Small Business and FedEx Office.

Designer Jeff Fisher is the author of Identity Crisis: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands (HOW Books, 2007). He has received nearly 600 regional, national and international graphic design awards for his logo and corporate identity efforts and his work is featured in over 100 books on the design of logos, the business of graphic design, and small business marketing. Fisher is a member of the HOW Design Conference Advisory Council and the UCDA Designer Magazine Editorial Advisory Board, and served on the HOW Magazine Editorial Advisory Board. His first HOW Books offering, The Savvy Designer’s Guide to Success, appeared on bookstore shelves in late 2004. Fisher is currently writing a book about typography in identity design.

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

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Jeff Fisher LogoMotives designs get flogged

To have a design of which you are proud rejected is to have been "flogged." flogged magazine, the brainchild of editor/designer Jo Mulga Bill, is a website and digital download publication that provides a home for unwanted designs and unappreciated art. Creatives are asked to submit rejected work for showcasing in the PDF format magazine. Jeff Fisher Logomotives was invited to share some flogged past identity design projects in the recent November 08 issue. The logos that were approved and the not used by clients are:

• For The Birds: A friend of mine was to be opening a new retail store selling high-end birdhouses, bird feeders and other bird-related products. The store never became a reality as another career opportunity arose for the woman. The logo is featured in the books New Logo & Trademark Design (Japan), Bullet-Proof Logos and The New Big Book of Logos.

• Balaboosta: The chef/owner of two restaurants asked that the identity for her third eating establishment be in the oval shape of the others. The colors and tile motif come from the floor of the late 1800s building. With the completion of the identity project came the news that the chef had changed her plans for the renovated space. The design appears in the books The Big Book of Logos 5, 1000 Restaurant Bar & Cafe Graphics, and 100's Visual Logos & Letterheads. It was also recognized with a 2007 American Graphic Design Award.

• Esther’s Pantry: A graphic representation of my own great-grandmother gave the Esther's Pantry logo its personality. The community church operating the resource for individuals with HIV/AIDS didn’t feel the logo containing a senior citizen flasher was representative of the organization. I was asked to redesign the identity with a shopping bag and the overused AIDS ribbon graphic as elements. I’ve never liked the revised image and do not include it in any of my self-promotion efforts. My original image appeared in the PRINT Regional Design Annual.

• Cat Adoption Team: A volunteer at C.A.T. asked if I would be willing to donate my services to create a new identity for the local no-kill cat shelter and hospital facility. In doodling with the name I came up with letterforms of the acronym forming a graphic representation of a cat. While the cleverness of the design was appreciated by some associated with the group, members of the Board of Directors felt that the logo was not “warm and fuzzy” enough - and my involvement with the organization came to an amicable end. The design was recognized with a Silver Award in the international Summit Creative Awards.

• Eid: Having done a variety of design work for employee screening and identification company Eid, I was asked to design a new identity and establish new corporate colors for the business. After a fairly lengthy process, the new logo and colors (at right) were finalized and approved. At the same time some major changes were made in the administration of the corporation and the decision was made to retain the existing corporate identity (below right). Not all was lost; I was still hired to redesign many of the marketing and collateral pieces - making use of the old logo design.

Non-flogged work is also presented in each issue of the magazine, in an effort "to help our welts heal" as forms of inspiration. The November issue offers my book, Identity Crisis: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands, as a prescribed antidote for the bruises, scrapes and cuts from being flogged. It is suggested that readers take a look at the "teaser" spreads from the book.

Download the current issue of flogged magazine, and discover additional distractions from flogging injuries, at the magazine's website. You may also submit flogged designs, and subscribe to notifications of upcoming issues, on the site.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Toot! Toot!*: Jeff Fisher LogoMotives designs featured in "100's Visual Logos and Letterheads"

More than two dozen logo designs by Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland- based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, are showcased in the newly released book 100's Visual Logos & Letterheads. The volume, written by Matthew Woolman, is published by Angela Patchell Books. The book features hundreds of the most creative and inspiring logos and letterheads from well-known international designers, design agencies and graphic artists.

The business, organization and event identities featured in the book - from Jeff Fisher LogoMotives - are (shown above):

Good Pig, Bad Pig - Portland, OR (illustration by client Brett Bigham) • Just Out Newsmagazine - Portland, OR • Black Dog Furniture Design - Portland, OR (illustration by Brett Bigham) * Thomas Fallon Architect - Portland, OR • Our House of Portland - Portland, OR • Balaboosta - Portland, OR • North Bank Cafe - Portland, OR • Native Youth Internship Program - Holland + Knight Charitable Foundation, Inc. - Portland, OR/Tampa, FL • TraveLady Media - Wilsonville, OR • Emerge Medical Spa at Bridgeport - Tigard, OR • AFriend - Portland, OR • VanderVeer Center - Portland, OR • Chameleon - Portland, OR • Neighborhood Service Center - City of Portland/Office of Neighborhood Involvement - Portland, OR • North Portland Pride BBQ and Festival - University Park United Methodist Church - Portland, OR • Young Native Writers Essay Contest - Holland + Knight Charitable Foundation, Inc. - Tampa, FL • St. Johns Window Project - Portland, OR • triangle productions! 14th Anniversary - Portland, OR • The Dream State - triangle productions! - Portland, OR • Seacoast AIDS Walk - AIDS Response Seacoast - Portsmouth, NH • Shopping and F***ing - triangle productions! - Portland, OR • Holocaust Remembrance Project - Holland + Knight Charitable Foundation, Inc. - Tampa, FL • Benicia Historical Museum at the Camel Barns - Benicia, CA • Tilikum Center for Retreats & Outdoor Ministries - George Fox University - Newberg, OR • Valles Caldera National Preserve • USDA Forest Service - Jemez Springs, NM • Vista House - Friends of Vista House/Oregon State Parks Trust - Columbia Gorge, OR

Author Matthew Woolman is associate professor and chair of the Graphic Design Program at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he teaches typography and design theory. He has produced eight books, including the best-selling Type in Motion: Innovations in Digital Graphics. His other writings and art/design projects have been published internationally in design journals and books; exhibited internationally; and included in private collections.

Jeff Fisher is the author of Identity Crisis: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands (HOW Books, 2007). He has received nearly 600 regional, national and international graphic design awards for his logo and corporate identity efforts and his work is featured in over 100 books on the design of logos, the business of graphic design, and small business marketing. Fisher is a member of the HOW Design Conference Advisory Council and the UCDA Designer Magazine Editorial Advisory Board, and served on the HOW Magazine Editorial Advisory Board. His first HOW Books offering, The Savvy Designer’s Guide to Success, appeared on bookstore shelves in late 2004. Fisher is currently writing a book about typography in identity design.

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

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Tweet! Tweet!: LogoMotives in the Twitter-verse

My participation on Twitter is still a relatively new thing - but it's resulted in some great exposure for Jeff Fisher LogoMotives by way of responding to "tweet" requests from other designers. A few of the recent postings as a result of Twitter:

What makes a logo designer a professional logo designer?
By way of Twitter, Graham Smith of I'm Just Creative asks the question to a variety of graphic designers.

42 Information Packed Twitter Backgrounds
On the blog I am Mike Smith the namesake posts Twitter backgrounds for the inspiration of others.

How designers charge their clients
In part one of a series, designer David Airey asks creative professionals how they go about getting paid by their clients.

40+ Creative Logos Submitted By the Designers Themselves
On The Design Cubicle, Brian Hoff asked designers to submit their favorite self-designed logo, with comments about the project.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

The logo’s the thing – identity design takes the stage

In “Hamlet” William Shakespeare made the comment “the play’s the thing.” Unfortunately he did not expand on that thought as far as suggesting how theatre companies draw audiences to their venues to see the plays presented.

As a graphic designer I have had many opportunities over the past 30 years to assist performing arts organizations in the marketing and promotion of their efforts by creating logos for companies and theater spaces, identities for shows, posters, season ticket brochures, T-shirts and other marketing pieces. I remember creating a rough, stencil like image for a high school production of Thorton Wilder’s “Our Town” back in the mid-70’s, but I certainly had no premonitions that I would be doing a great deal of such work in the future. In college I designed posters, ads, T-shirts and other graphics for plays, concerts and other art-related associations and events. Later, while living in Seattle, I designed logos, programs, ads and promotion items for the performing arts groups Alice B. Theatre, the Seattle Men’s Chorus, the Evergreen Theater Conservatory and similar companies.

It was also in Seattle that I first became aware of the logo design work being done for local theater by Art Chantry (above). I’d met Chantry, the subject of the book Some People Can’t Surf: The Graphic Design of Art Chantry by Julie Lasky, while he was working at the alternative publication “The Rocket.” His logo creations for local theater companies and plays are what caught my attention the most. The work was stark - almost always just black and white – and had a simplicity that conveyed a great deal about the theatre production company or play being represented. The designs really inspired me to seek out opportunities doing logo design work for similar clients.

In early 1990 I attended the first play of a new Portland theatre company. I’ve got to admit, while looking over the program for the play, my first thought was “these guys could use some help.” Little did I know that I would meet the playwright/director/producer/ticker seller at a party a few weeks later. In that first conversation, Don Horn asked if I’d be interested in meeting with him to discuss some design projects for the theatre. For 16 years I worked with the theatre company, triangle productions!, located in Portland, Oregon. I designed over 100 logos for the company, its venues, shows that have been presented and special promotions. My work for the company has received nearly that number of design awards and many of the logos have been featured in numerous international design books. We have created programs, posters, signage, T-shirts, magnets, beverage cups, a paper doll book and many other unique (and fun) items in an effort to draw audiences to shows over the past decade and a half.

For myself, designing logos for live theatre companies offers me a chance to be at my most creative. With design projects for such a creative clientele there is often a great deal of room to stretch one’s creative muscles. This is not standard or conservative graphic design faire. In designing logos for theatrical productions a designer can often go over the top in the creation of attention-getting images. There is an incredible opportunity to play with type and color in unrestricted ways. I enjoy working with somewhat unusual color combinations and incorporating type from font houses such as P22, Fonthead Design, House Industries or Veer – type you many not normally see in more corporate or commercial designs. It’s not a question of “pushing the envelope” or working “out of the box” – there is no ‘envelope” or “box.” Within the theatrical graphic imagery a designer has the chance to convey the essence of a play, monologue or musical in a unique and stylized manner.

The subject matter lends itself to blatant graphic interpretations. My own experience has included being able to produce images for productions from Shakespeare to spoofs on the Bard. Topic matter has included AIDS, cannibalism, strippers, sex, country-western music, vaginas, religion, Internet dating, death, unique personal relationships, murder, concentration camps, drag queens, drug use and everything in between. Titles have included “Girls’ Night Out,” “2 Boys in a Bed on an Cold Winter’s Night,” “Dishin’ With Divine,” “The Food Chain,” “Naked Boys Singing” and so many more. (The play “Party!” is a personal favorite. Not only did I design the logo, T-shirts and a program – I actually got to spend the summer of my first mid-life crisis directing the show with seven naked men on stage – including Peter Paige who went on to “Queer as Folk” fame) How could a designer not be inspired to come up with some great logo designs to represent such topics and shows?

Don Horn, of triangle productions!, was an incredible client. Each of the past seasons he has provided me with the scripts of all the plays to be produced that year. After reading the plays, I had a meeting with Don to discuss a possible theme for the year as far as design style or colors to be used in printing the season ticket brochure, posters and programs. He then set me loose to be creative – and left me alone! The “leaving me alone” part was initially a foreign concept to me. Never before had I worked with a client who gave me free reign of the process. I never had Horn reject a logo I created for one of his shows. It was a very strange and wonderful client relationship over the years – and I truly value this particular client as a friend.

Judith Mayer, of Keyword Design, also appreciates the opportunity to collaborate with other creatives in a design relationship much different than most corporate clients.

“(Theatre clients) are sometimes more willing to go for a daring or whimsical design solution,” according to Mayer. “The fact that a show is a short term event gives them a little more freedom than if it were a logo that a business wants to last 20 years.”

Mayer enjoys the challenge of telling a story, or conveying a mood, through simple striking graphics. She designs for the Towle Community Theater, in Hammond, Indiana, which presents several shows each season that are not considered standards or classics. Mayer’s challenge is to make the public understand what kind of a show it is – even if they have never before heard the title. The examples below were all designed by Mayer for the Towle Community Theater:

“To create a logo that sums up the story means a lot of image editing - getting down to the strongest symbols or characters,” says Mayer. “In using only the key things that define the story, I try to say a lot using very little.”

As in many of my own theater design experiences, Mayer finds that when a season is promoted all at once the logos for four or five shows need to complement each other and at the same time show a range. She feels the logos must share similar characteristics in order to look like a complete set and must have differences to show whether it is a comedy, drama, classic or cutting edge theatre.

Mayer sits down with the director and has him tell her the story and asks him to list the important characters, props, locations, costume elements, scenery and songs if any.

“I may also ask him to define the look and feel of the production so that I have a pool of potential graphics to choose from,” Mayer adds. “Having him tell me the story takes into account the differences this production may have from another theater’s production of the same play.”

“Total creative freedom.”

That is what designer Jim Charlier, of JCharlier Communication Design, gets out working with those in the theatre arts. He created the series of logos below for the Niagara University Department of Theatre and Fine Arts’ current season of plays. The initial project was to create a 16-page season program booklet.

Charlier is fortunate to enough to have access to a wealth of imagery from The Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University for use in the season program. The permanent collection consists of contemporary prints, photographs, paintings, drawings and sculpture by artists such as Picasso, Basquiat, Modigliani, Dali, Motherwell, DeKooning, Nevelson, Rothenberg, Haring, Rauschenberg and many more.

“Because rights and permissions to use the artworks are either costly (for advertising purposes), or take time to acquire, I am the one that suggested creating a logo for each play, not only to individualize the play, but to also be practical for other advertising needs such as black and white print ads.” says Charlier.

“I created the series using one typeface (P22 Garamouche) to give them consistency for the season. Many of these logos were my first and only attempts. Nary a change was made by the client — they are smart, have good taste and are appreciative of professional-quality work,” Charlier remarks.

Charlier comments that such projects offer him the only total creative freedom he gets in designing logos - unless designing for himself which he finds can be much “tougher.” He finds that most clients add complexity to either the process or the final design in the creation of logos.

“Designers always want to simplify,” Charlier adds. “Working on the theatre projects is a breath of fresh air and I get to make them as simple as I want them to be.”

In Charlier’s situation many productions are already known commodities, such as Chicago and Gypsy. He doesn’t find there is much “heavy lifting” to get the gist of the play across to the potential audience. His logos take graphic cues directly from the storyline or theme of the play - whether comedy, drama or musical.

The One Act Plays image (above) represents a series of plays written by different students presented in one production. Charlier felt that since the productions are not well known a type treatment seemed logically generic as a graphic solution. Often such treatments project a striking image for a play with simplicity and elegance.

“I added self-imposed constraints - to use one typeface, few or one color (because of the B&W print ads) and simple,” says the designer. “The logos couldn't compete with the Picasso or Miro used on the same page in this particular season program.”

“A synopsis of the play works best for me (in getting inspiration) – it’s like speed reading to get the gist of the production,” Charlier concludes. “That's what the logo has to do - be read quickly to convey the strong graphic “gist” of the show.”

Note: This article appeared in its original format in the Logo Notions section at CreativeLatitude.com.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Designer/author Jeff Fisher interviewed
for Inside Digital Design radio program

Recently Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland- based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives was interviewed for the design industry radio program Inside Digital Design. The primary focus of the podcast, conducted by hosts hosts Scott Sheppard and Gene Gable, was Fisher's latest book Identity Crisis: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands. - which was released one year ago.

The Inside Digital Design show airs weekly in key U.S. national markets and is then made available to a global audience, on the program's website and as a podcast via Apple’s iTunes.

Inside Digital Design Radio & TV is a weekly broadcast program providing news, information, product reviews, and in-depth interviews for today’s creative professional. Covering the latest digital design tools, tips and techniques, insights from industry icons and designers, anecdotes from the history of design, and a good dose of creative inspiration, the original content is distributed and produced by Inside Media Networks.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Yes, We Did!

Check out the Newseum site for newspaper front pages from around the United States and throughout the world.

Order a T-shirt or poster of the front page shown above at Classic Headlines.

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:

FONT: Classic typefaces for contemporary graphic design
(Rotovision - UK)
Deadline Extended: 14 November 2008
No entry fees charged

Toilets - PictoSigns
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline Extended: 15 November 2008
No entry fees charged

Sign Graphics: Walk This Way
(maomao publications - Spain)
Deadline: 15 November 2008
No entry fees charged

Really Good Packaging, Explained
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline Extended: 24 November 2008
No entry fees charged

Poster Annual 2010
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline Extended: 24 November 2008
Entry fees charged

Box. Bottle. Bag.
(The Dieline and HOW Books - USA)
Deadline: 30 November 2008
No entry fees charged

Best of the Web #1
(CMYK Magazine - USA)
Deadline Extended: 3 December 2008
Entry fees charged

Creativity + Commerce: PRINT’s International Business Graphics Prize
(PRINT - USA)
Deadline Extended: 3 December 2008 - with late fees
Entry fees charged

American Advertising & Design 25
(formerly American Corporate Identity)
(Graphics Books - USA)
Deadline: 8 December 2008
Late Entry Deadline: 22 December 2008 (Late fees)
Entry fees charged

American Package Design Awards
(Graphic Design USA - USA)
Deadline: 12 December 2008
Entry fees charged

H2O
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline Extended: 15 December 2008
No entry fees charged

HOW Poster Design Awards
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline Extended: 15 December 2008 - with late fees
Entry fees charged

I.D. Annual Design Review
(I.D. Magazine - USA)
Deadline Extended: 15 December 2008 - with late fees
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Interactive Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 15 December 2008
Entry fees charged

Creative Offices
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline: 30 December 2008
No entry fees charged

The Big Book of Green Design
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline Extended: 30 December 2008
No entry fees charged

My Own Business Card
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 31 December 2008
No entry fees charged

Charts & Diagrams
(maomao publications - Spain)
Deadline: 2 January 2009
No entry fees charged

Free Fonts
(maomao publications - Spain)
Deadline: 2 January 2009
No entry fees charged

1 & 2 Colors
(maomao publications - Spain)
Deadline: 5 January 2009
No entry fees charged

Chaos & Order: Innovative Grid Systems
(maomao publications - Spain)
Deadline: 5 January 2009
No entry fees charged

1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse
(Rockport Publishers - USA)
Deadline: 9 January 2009
No entry fees charged

Designing for the Greater Good
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline Extended: 9 January 2009
No entry fees charged

Communication Arts Interactive Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 16 January 2009
Entry fees charged

88th ADC Awards
(The Art Directors Club - USA)
Deadline: 16 January 2009
Entry fees charged

Project Never
Deadline: 16 January 2009
No entry fees charged

Design Annual 2010
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 19 January 2009
Entry fees charged

Interactive Annual 2010
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 19 January 2009
Entry fees charged

Summit Creative Award
(Summit International Awards - USA)
Deadline: 26 January 2009
Entry fees charged

The Mini Book of Great Logos
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline: 1 February 2009
No entry fees charged

New Styles in Graphic Design
(maomao publications - Spain)
Deadline: 2 February 2009
No entry fees charged

Press Kits: Design & Packaging
(maomao publications - Spain)
Deadline: 2 February 2009
No entry fees charged

Point of Purchase Design
(Crescent Hill Books - USA)
Deadline: 9 February 2009
No entry fees charged

Advertising Annual 2010
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 16 February 2009
Entry fees charged

Basics: Logos
(Index Book - Spain)
Deadline: 28 February 2009
No entry fees charged

PRINT's Regional Design Annual
(PRINT Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 2 March 2009
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Illustration Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 6 March 2009
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Photography Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 6 March 2009
Entry fees charged

Photography Annual 2010
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 16 March 2009
Entry fees charged

HOW Promotion Design Awards 2009
(HOW Magazine - USA)
Deadline: 20 March 2009
Entry fees charged

New Talent Annual 2010
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 11 May 2009
Entry fees charged

Annual Reports Annual 2010
(Graphis - USA)
Deadline: 11 May 2009
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Design Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 1 June 2009
Entry fees charged

Communication Arts Advertising Competition
(Communication Arts - USA)
Deadline: 9 June 2009
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. Lürzer's ARCHIVE also has an impressive online list of competitions sponsored by international magazines and organizations. 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

"10 Principles of the Logo Design Masters"
includes Jeff Fisher LogoMotives comments

The industry online presence VECTORTUTS - a blog of tutorials, articles, freebies and more on all things vector - has included input from Jeff Fisher LogoMotives in the article 10 Principles of the Logo Design Masters. The piece, written by Chris Spooner of SpoonGraphics, lists the "K.I.S.S. Principle" as Jeff Fisher's contribution to the methods used by ten identity designers from around the world.

The article passage cited is from "Using, fusing and abusing “the rules” of logo design, written by Fisher for the design resource Creative Latitude.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Letter & Ligatures: High Concept House Show

I've always been a fan of the typography, products and design sensibility of House Industries. I wish I was going to be in Los Angeles, between November 8 and December 5, to have the opportunity to visit Letters & Ligatures, "a new exhibition of prints, patterns, installations and sculptures based on House Industries’ 15-year excursion into the alphabetical world."

The exhibit will be displayed at the Subliminal Projects Gallery, 1331 W Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. An opening reception will be held Saturday, November 8, 2008 from 8 – 11 p.m.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Clickety-clacks along the LogoMotives tracks

In the past month there have been quite a few mentions and sightings of Jeff Fisher LogoMotives out there in the cyber and real worlds:

Inside Digital Design: Brands, Logos and Identity Crisis
Scott Sheppard, CEO, Executive Producer and Founder of Inside Media Networks and co-host Gene Gable interviewed me about my book Identity Crisis: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands, The podcast program is also available for download from iTunes.

Online Marketing Tips (Use These Today!)
In offering authors book marketing advice, The Writer's Handbook Blog suggested that readers take a look at the list of social networking/media sites I have used to promote my book, Identity Crisis: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands.

26 Business Cards of Graphic & Web Designers on Twitter
On The Design Cubicle, Brian Hoff presented a collection of 26 business cards from industry peers who are on Twitter - including my own card for Jeff Fisher LogoMotives (above).

My Freelance Life: Why I Started On The Road To Self- Employment
On the CMD+Shift Design Blog, Liz Andrade includes my input about getting starting as an independent graphic designer - over 30 years ago.

25 Must Read Interviews From 2008
The resource site You The Designer has compiled a reference list of 25 design-related interviews from the year - including the interview with me by Just Creative's Jacob Cass.

Making Time to Market
Linda Whitehead, Vice President of Marketing at ADBASE, gave my marketing methods a mention in her Insight article.

Links of the day
Marketing through social networks & social media was also a "link of the day" at Matt Lambert's Cardeo.

Nerdy Daily Links
In the category of "Design Portfolio Exposure" the website AndySowards.com posted the link to my blogfolio entry Marketing logo design efforts with online resources

Tips To A Greater Logo
The blog AainaA referenced the interview designer Jacob Cass did with me for Just Creative: Logo Design Tips & A Not-So-Ordinary Interview with Famous Celebrity Logo Designer, Jeff Fisher.

Designers Favorite Fonts In Use
Designer Niki Brown included my favorite font in this Design O'Blog entry. (Thanks to Mayhem Studios for the mention about the piece, too!)

Graphic Design 101
The October issue of NAILS Magazine includes references to my design efforts for the Portland nail salon Diva, in this article by Ami Neiberger-Miller. The article was the result of my response to a HelpAreporterOut.com (HARO) posting by the writer.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Dusting off the ol' Symbol Sourcebook

I always seem to be a bit behind in my television viewing. The availability of DVD packages of current highly-rate shows, and the number of recordings on my best friend TiVo, contribute to my tardiness in keeping up with the rest of the world.

A few weeks ago, I joined millions of others in becoming addicted to the AMC offering Mad Men. The program conveys an incredible, and visually stimulating, image of the advertising profession - one that I may have had in my mind when beginning my advertising studies in college back in the 1970's.

In watching multiple first season shows to catch up with the story line, one small graphic image stood out for me in the episode "The Hobo Code." In the program, a young Don Draper is befriended by a hobo who is working on the family home in exchange for a meal. In a conversation, the hobo teaches the boy about the chalk codes that hobos write on the houses they pass. When the hobo leaves the next morning, the young boy notices that on the gate to his own home is a picture of a knife: a dishonest man lives here.

This past week I was viewing some of the programs on my TiVo "Now Playing" list. CBS Sunday Morning is one of the programs I hate to miss - and I'm usually a few weeks behind in my viewing. The particular program I was watching had a feature, by reporter Bill Geist, on modern day hobos. These hobos were attending the 2008 Hobo Convention in Britt, Iowa. Coincidently, the primary focus of the feature was a man whose hobo nickname is "Adman."

Geist visited the National Hobo Museum in the piece. One of the visuals shown was a collection of the graphic hobo code symbols, referred to in the "Mad Men" episode.

I knew I'd seen this imagery before, but couldn't immediately remember where. I suddenly remembered a book - with a red, black and white cover - in my collection of nearly 400 design volumes. The graphic "hobo code" was featured (above) in the Symbol Sourcebook: An Authoritative Guide to International Graphic Symbols, by iconic industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss.

Originally published in 1972, Symbol Sourcebook was a required resource as part of my design studies - when I was taught that, as designers, we had an obligation to design with a purpose and that was not to simply "make things pretty." The book was important in understanding the historical perspective of signs and symbols, what the graphic imagery could convey, and the messages transmitted by specific color selctions. My copy of the book is the 1984 paperback version. However, the iconography and design element information in the volume is still incredibly relevant today.

It's been some time since I flipped through the pages of the book, one of many sign, symbol and shape references in my personal design library. I'm pleased that two sightings of the "hobo code" caused me to revisit Symbol Sourcebook. I highly recommend that every designer have a copy in their own collection.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Re-Design: Peggy Sundays

It's not often that I do an identity redesign before a new business even opens. However, that was the case with the retail operation originally named Peggy Sunday's. Peggy Seaman, owner of the store that Portland Picks has referred to as "an ultra-girly housewares haven filled to the brim with fabulous finds," found me just over a decade ago by way of an article about my business that appeared in The Oregonian.

For the purpose of getting the store together, dealing with possible vendors and coordinating work with contractors, a temporary business card had been created (below left). The name Peggy Sunday's had evolved from a childhood nickname of the owner.

A more sophisticated and customer-friendly identity was desired for business cards, stickers, hang-tags, rubber stamp imagery, signage, ads and more. When Seaman herself mentioned the rubber-stamp need, the concept that would become the final logo started percolating in my brain. I immediately thought of a hand-cut circle with a sun element.

During the design process it was decided to drop the apostrophe in the name - to eliminate any confusion about the proprietor's last name possibly being "Sunday." I chose the font Caslon Antique for the name to tie-in with the rough-hewn appearance of the other design elements. The sun element was adapted from an old dingbat I had come across - with a bit of a facelift suggested by the store owner's sister.

With the simplicity and strength of the final logo design (above right) it was determined that the logo would remain in one color. In most applications it is black on sage paper stock. In some cases it has been produced in metallic gold. A decade after being created the identity still represents the store very well.

The logo for the high-end gift and home furnishings store is featured in the books The Big Book of Logos 3, New Logo & Trademark Design 2 (Japan), Letterhead and Logo Design 7 and The Big Book of Design for Letterheads and Websites.

(Note: My 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.

HOW magazine initiates Poster Design Awards

HOW magazine has announced the new HOW Poster Design Awards. Whether your poster design was created for yourself, for work, or just for fun it may be entered in the competition, which has a submission deadline of December 1, 2008.

All posters must be submitted online at through the awards website, where competition details are posted. 10 winners will be featured on the HOW website, get $150 worth of HOW books and receive a 1 year subscription to HOW magazine. Work must have been created between July 1, 2007 and Dec.1, 2008. The fee for each entry is $25.

Check out my regularly updated list of design competitions and book submission requests for additional opportunities.

Good luck!

Logobama '08 - Create your own Obama identity

With the presidential election just over two weeks away, if you are a Barack Obama backer you can graphically show your support by creating your own Obama logo at Logobama '08. The image may then be used on a variety of social networking sites, or elsewhere, and will appear on the Logobama Flickr Photostream.

On the site, the creator - local Portland digital branding strategy company Substance - posts: "As Obama says, 'we are the change we have been waiting for.' That’s what Obama is representing... someone who wants all of us to participate in changing the world. And together, we can make this change, one logo at a time."

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives