Identity Crisis! teaser No. 6

Here's yet another sneak peek at my upcoming book, Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands

The above is just one spread of the Toppers Pizza identity re-design and rebranding effort, submitted for the book project by Shine Advertising Co.

Upcoming Identity Crisis! blog entries will include lists of other contributors selected to appear in the book, more visual teasers and related book news. The book is currently at the printer. Look for it on your bookstore shelves this fall.

Image: Copyright © 2007 Jeff Fisher • Used with permission of author and HOW Books, an imprint of F+W Publications, Inc.

'Identity Crisis!' contributor 'toots' his horn

I want to acknowledge Calvin Lee, of Mayhem Studios, for taking the news of his two identity redesign projects appearing in the upcoming book Identity Crisis! 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands and running with the information as a promotion tool. For years I've written, and made presentations, about the need for designers to fine-tune their marketing skills - especially through the use of press releases. Lee has used this promotion tactic extremely well in marketing his own design business.

The Internet posting of the press release on various free PR distribution sites is bringing a lot of traffic to the Identity Crisis! blog. As an example of how a design firm (or independent designer) can use inclusion in a book, or news of industry design awards, here's the content of Lee's press release:


Mayhem Studios Case Studies Published
in Jeff Fisher's Identity Crisis!


Los Angeles, Calif. - The identity of Mayhem Studios client Fagerholm & Jefferson Law Corporation and the award-winning, Los Angeles-based, design firm's own identity will be featured in Jeff Fisher's next book 'Identity Crisis! 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands.' 'Identity Crisis!' will be released by HOW Design Books in 2007.

'Identity Crisis!' takes a fresh look at 50 before and after case studies by exploring the process of redesigning existing identities to help businesses refine their image, communicate with customers, and find success.

Readers will get an inside look at the challenges of redesigning identities. They'll see the creative and strategic thinking behind fresh design work as well as have a powerful tool to show clients what a difference a professional can make to their image.

For more information, please visit http://identitycrisisbook.blogspot.com.

Jeff Fisher, author of the 'Savvy Designer's Guide to Success' is the Engineer of Creative Identity for Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. He has received over 550 regional, national and international design awards for his logo design efforts. His work is featured in over 85 books about logos, the business of design, and small business marketing. Fisher serves on the HOW Magazine Editorial Advisory Board, the UCDA Designer Magazine Editorial Advisory Board, and the HOW Design Conference Advisory Council. In addition, Fisher also writes for CreativeLatitude.com and HOW Magazine.

About Mayhem Studios:
Mayhem Studios is small, award-winning design firm located in Los Angeles, California, developing identity and brand recognition for small, mid-size and large businesses across the nation.

The Studio uses strategic and creative design with effective messages targeted to the client’s specific audiences to produce identity and branded collateral pieces, annual reports, brochures, logo design, advertising & interactive web sites.

Calvin Lee, Principal & Creative Director of Mayhem Studios is a graduate of Platt College and serves as a member of the Platt College Advisory Board for the Visual Communications Department, NO!SPEC Committee and on the Creative Latitude Management Team.

Contact:
Calvin Lee, Principal
Mayhem Studios
Web: www.mayhemstudios.com
Blog: www.mayhemstudios.com/blog


I want to thank Cal for his 'Identity Crisis!' submissions - and for promoting the book while also increasing awareness of his own work.

Identity Crisis! teaser No. 5

The upcoming book Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands features 50 case studies of identity re-designs and rebranding with the application of the new business images. Projects showcased include "mom and pop" businesses, major corporations, educational facilities, nonprofit organizations, government agencies and more.

Design entities from around the world, from one-person operations to major industry firms, submitted work for possible inclusion in the book. With a series of Identity Crisis! blog entries I will announce the firms and projects that are included in the book. Each re-design is an Identity Crisis! chapter.

Here is the third group of ten re-design case studies included in the book, listed by project featured and firm responsible for the effort:

Vickie Lea Designs, Inc.
RDQ (Rdqlus Design Quantum) • Omaha, NE USA

Ruby Receptionists
Sockeye Creative • Portland, OR USA

Los Angeles Mission
Graphicwise, Inc • Irvine, CA USA

Software Spectrum
MasonBaronet • Dallas, TX USA

Ecos Consulting
Fullblast, Inc. • Portland, OR USA

Space Needle
Hornall Anderson Design Works • Seattle, WA USA

Oregon Department of Forestry
Jeff Fisher LogoMotives • Portland, OR USA

CHUMS
Fullblast, Inc. • Portland, OR USA

Pier 39 Steakhouse and Winery
Graphicwise, Inc • Irvine, CA USA

Portland State University
Sockeye Creative • Portland, OR USA

Over the next few weeks I will post additional contributors to Identity Crisis!, as well as other news and notes. The book is scheduled for a September release.

The project selection process for Identity Crisis!

Quite a few individuals have asked - in person, on design forums and via email - how the case studies were selected for Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands. I thought I would explain the process a bit.

My original book proposal to HOW Design Books expressed my desire to have Identity Crisis! present identity redesigns from firms of all sizes, covering a wide range of client types, and representing as many countries as possible. The initial concept was to introduce 100 redesign solutions. From the beginning I felt that might not allow for sufficient representation of the projects to be selected. However, it was a good starting point.

Rather than present an open "call for entries" for the book, I hoped I could get a great cross-section of the design community and project types by inviting specific designers and firms to participate in the project. Over 200 email invitations were sent out to potential case study submitters around the world.

My list was compiled from a variety of sources. A few of the invitations went out to those who had participated in my first book, The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success. Others invited were designers with whom I had connected through online design forums and at industry conferences. I was familiar with the identity work of other firms through reading magazine articles or design blogs. I was introduced to the work of a number of firms through Jocelyn Luciano, the Executive Director of the Summit Creative Awards - for which I have been a judge three times. Alina Hagen's Graphic Makeovers column at Creative Latitude made me aware of the work of some individuals.

After the invitations went out, some recipients responded immediately with regrets of being unable to participate due to prior commitments or current workloads. About half contacted me with intentions to submit case studies for consideration. There were a few I never heard from at all.

As the submissions began to arrive, I found that my original goals and desires for the book were being met. Work was submitted by large international firms and one-person home based studios. Clients represented included retail operations, educational facilities, service industries, products, nonprofit organizations, restaurants, government agencies and more. Projects to be considered included simple identity redesigns, website makeovers only, and full-blown rebranding efforts. My only disappointment was that, in the end, there were only submissions from six countries.

In the middle of the book process the decision was made to limited the case study number to 50 and give some of the projects greater exposure. The change actually allowed for some redesigns to be explained in much greater detail - while not eliminating a few smaller projects with which many designers, and other book readers, might be able to relate.

Projects were weeded out by myself, my editor Amy Schell and book designer Grace Ring. Some projects were chosen immediately for inclusion due to the explanation of the design process, the visual impact of the finished results and the quality of the graphic materials submitted. Other design efforts just fit well into my original hopes for the book. Some, intrigued us enough to request additional materials to support a great identity redesign. Those designers and firms who followed "the rules" in making their submission were always given serious consideration.

(I do think that following the submission guidelines, and production specifications, for any design competition or book submission request would be a great topic for a future magazine or blog article. It's amazing to me the number of firms who didn't follow "the rules." Artwork was often submitted in formats and resolutions that could not be used. The briefs of some projects were so poorly written that they made no sense. Contact and credit information was incorrect. A few contributors never responded to requests for additional text or illustrative materials. In some cases, the required permission forms weren't signed. Such things made for a very annoyed and cranky author. "Babysitting" designers is not fun - especially for another designer.)

I am very pleased with the end result - especially for a book project that was completed in just over one year. I hope those who have work included will appreciated the time and effort that went into presenting their projects in the best light. When the book is released this fall, I also hope that readers will find it a valuable resource as they tackle identity redesign projects of their own.

Illustration: Original "Identity Crisis!" invitation/specifications form.

Identity Crisis! teaser No. 4

Here's another sneak peek at my upcoming book, Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands

The above is just one spread of the Vancouver Aquarium identity re-design and rebranding effort, submitted for the book project by the firm Subplot Design.

Upcoming Identity Crisis! blog entries will include lists of other contributors selected to appear in the book, more visual teasers and related book news. The book is off to the printer. Look for it on your bookstore shelves this fall.

Image: Copyright © 2007 Jeff Fisher • Used with permission of author and HOW Books, an imprint of F+W Publications, Inc.

Identity Crisis! teaser No. 3

The upcoming book Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands features 50 case studies of identity re-designs and rebranding with the application of the new business images. Projects showcased include "mom and pop" businesses, major corporations, educational facilities, nonprofit organizations, government agencies and more.

Design entities from around the world, from one-person operations to major industry firms, submitted work for possible inclusion in the book. With a series of Identity Crisis! blog entries I will announce the firms and projects that are included in the book. Each re-design is an Identity Crisis! chapter.

Here is the second group of ten re-design case studies included in the book, listed by project featured and firm responsible for the effort:

La Baguette
Paragon Integrated Marketing Communications • Salmiya, Kuwait

Enforme Interactive
Octavo Designs • Frederick, MD USA

Union Leasing
Brainforest, Inc. • Chicago, IL USA

Glitschka Studios
Glitschka Studios • Salem, OR USA

Buckfast Organic Bakery/Clive's
biz-R • Totnes, Devon, Great Britain

American Design Awards
Graphicwise, Inc. • Irvine, CA USA

Minturn Inn
b-design • San Diego, CA USA

URBANOS
MyBrand • Lisbon, Portugal

Sheridan's Frozen Lattes and Custard
(See sample layout)
Willoughby Design Group • Kansas City, MO USA

Belle Provence
John Silver Design• Bothell, WA USA

Over the next few weeks I will post additional contributors to Identity Crisis!, as well as other news and notes. The book is scheduled for a September release.

Jack Anderson pens Identity Crisis! foreward

One of the great aspects of writing books about the graphic design industry is having the opportunity to meet people you admire. A few years ago, while writing the book The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success, I sought out design career suggestions and advice from many industry leaders. The vast majority responded immediately with "I'd love to contribute to your book."

Jack Anderson, Founding Partner and Creative Director of Hornall Anderson Design Works, invited me to interview him personally. As I was going to Seattle about once a month at the time, it was easy to schedule a visit to the company's headquarters. Anderson could not have been more gracious in providing me a bit more than an hour of his time - and giving me a personal tour of the incredible Hornall Anderson office space. (For a look at the firm's home, check out the article by Carmen Pease in the August 2007 issue of HOW Magazine) He also provided some great input for Savvy Designer.

When it came time to select an individual to write the foreward of Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands the first person that came to mind was Jack Anderson. The work and reputation of Anderson, and that of the firm Hornall Anderson, made him a natural to provide his thoughts on the topic of clients having an "identity crisis" and needing design expertise in the process of creating a new corporate identity as part of the rebranding process.

The "powers that be" at HOW Design Books were thrilled at the prospect of Anderson writing the foreward of Identity Crisis!. The invitation was extended and readily accepted. I'm grateful for the assistance of Christina Arbini, Public Relations Manager for Hornall Anderson, in coordinating the foreward process and submissions of the firm's additional contributions to the book.

In his writing, Anderson provides excellent advice to the business considering an identity re-design and the designer taking on the challenge. It's a great addition to Identity Crisis!. I'm once again honored to have his participation in a book I've written.

Note: Photo courtesy of Hornall Anderson Design Works

Identity Crisis! teaser No. 2

The upcoming book Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands features 50 case studies of identity re-designs and rebranding with the application of the new business images. Projects showcased include "mom and pop" businesses, major corporations, educational facilities, nonprofit organizations, government agencies and more.

Design entities from around the world, from one-person operations to major industry firms, submitted work for possible inclusion in the book. With a series of Identity Crisis! blog entries I will announce the firms and projects that are included in the book. Each re-design is an Identity Crisis! chapter.

Here are the first ten re-design case studies included in the book, listed by project featured and firm responsible for the effort:

P.E.O. International Sisterhood
Sayles Graphic Design • Des Moines, IA USA

Toppers Pizza
Shine Advertising Co. • Madison, WI USA

Adige
Studio GT&P • Foligno (PG), Italy

RAM Digital
Octavo Designs • Frederick, MD USA

Brentwood Classics
3 Dogz Creative Inc. • Toronto, ONT Canada

Shared Ownership Homes
Common Sense Design • New Hamburg, ONT Canada

Atlas Economic Research Foundation
CC Graphic Design • Salt Lake City, UT USA

Fagerholm & Jefferson Law Corporation
Mayhem Studios • Los Angeles, CA USA

New Triad for Collaborative Arts
Finamore Design • Brooklyn, NY USA

VanderVeer Center
Jeff Fisher LogoMotives• Portland, OR USA

Over the next few weeks I will post additional contributors to Identity Crisis!, as well as other news and notes. The book is scheduled for an September release.

Designers Who Blog has "Identity Crisis!"

A special thanks to my friend Cat Morley for adding Identity Crisis! to the Designers Who Blog list. Cat and I have multiple connections through design industry online forums, Creative Latitude, NO!SPEC, other design-related web presences - and having actually spent time together in Seattle on two of her recent visits to the U.S.

In poking around the blog-o-sphere, I've also found references to the book Identity Crisis! at Method to the Mayhem, Design Cultures, POPwink, The Whine Cooler, Tapp-d and elsewhere. I really appreciate the interest in the book. Thanks!

Identity Crisis! teaser No. 1

Here's the first sneak peek at my upcoming book, Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands

The above is just one spread of the Sheridan's Lattes and Frozen Custard identity re-design submission from the folks at Willoughby Design Group.

Future Identity Crisis! blog entries will include lists of other contributors selected to appear in the book, more visual teasers and related book news. The book is off to the printer. Look for it on your bookstore shelves later this year.

Image: Copyright © 2007 Jeff Fisher • Used with permission of author and HOW Books, an imprint of F+W Publications, Inc.