A W.O.W. from Identity Crisis!

Scattered throughout my new book, Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands, are "Words of Wisdom" (W.O.W.) from a great group of design industry experts. I asked these individuals to contribute comments, for both designers and clients, in regards to the identity re-design process.

One such piece of advice - from Sean Adams of AdamsMorioka, Inc. - reads:

"Hire the designer that you feel comfortable with, who is willing to truly listen to you. Explain your expectations, in deliverables and time. Pay more than you want to. It's worth it."
Visit the AdamsMorioka website to learn more about the company and see examples of their design work.

Oregon Department of Forestry - A case study

In its seventy-nine-year history, the Oregon Department of Forestry has been represented by a series of identities. Most recently, in 1971, the department adopted a half-tree logo (below).

They had been using this logo for nearly two decades when a change was proposed. Many within (and out of) the State of Oregon government agency disliked the image and found that it was confusing to many others. Some thought the thin half-tree graphic conveyed a message of unhealthy forests.

The new logo (above) conveys a much more simplified and organic image, while maintaining some the inherent formality of a government agency identity. It projected the Department of Forestry's growing involvement and interest in all forest resources, including air, soil, water and trees. The new image is more inline with the Oregon Board of Forestry's new guiding policy document, the Forestry Program for Oregon.

The logo is the department identifier on all printed collateral, vehicles, uniform shoulder patches, the website and other materials. It is widely recognized due to the carving of the logo on signage at the Oregon Department of Forestry headquarters and throughout the state at ranger stations and state forest boundaries (above).

The rebranding of the Oregon Department of Forestry by Jeff Fisher LogoMotives is one of 50 case studies, from designers and firms around the world, featured in my latest book, Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands. The actual spread from the book is shown below. The volume was released by HOW Books in late 2007.

Identity Crisis! teaser No. 16

An additional sneak peek at my book, Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands, is the spread featuring the Oregon Department of Forestry identity re-design case study - one of the designs from Jeff Fisher LogoMotives.

You'll find a number of teaser spreads from the book here on the Identity Crisis! blog.

Look for the book on bookstore shelves throughout the world and on all online booksellers.

Image: Copyright © 2008 Jeff Fisher • Used with permission of author and HOW Books, an imprint of F+W Publications, Inc.

'Designer' takes a look at 'Identity Crisis!'

In the upcoming issue of Designer, the magazine of the University and College Designers Association (UCDA), editor Kirsten Ruby takes a look at the book Identity Crisis! 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands in her The Designer's Bookshelf column.

Ruby writes:

If browsing before-and-after logo designs fascinates you (and it does most designers), Identity Crisis! should be just what you need for a creative boost. UCDA Designer magazine advisory board member Jeff Fisher explores 50 logos from colleges, universities, restaurants, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and foundations, and shares the detailed creative background about each. The old and new identities are dissected and discussed, and Fisher provides eaxamples of the new logos as stand-alone art and in application. Especially interesting are the descriptions of the redesign process from both the clients and designers' perspectives.