Thanks to Wisconsin graphic designer Paul Her for including my book, Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands, on his list of "Logo Design Books for the Creative Designer." The resource recommends a great variety in the 10 international volumes providing offerings showcasing symbolism in designs, logo design case studies, historical perspectives, branding, identity tutorials and more.
© 2009 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives
I've been a fan of Neenah Paper products my entire 30+ year career, especially when I've needed quality stock for stationery packages designed for my varied clientele. However, I didn't have a personal relationship with the company until we started following each other on Twitter. (You'll find Neenah at @NeenahPaper and my ID is @LogoMotives) We really began to interact on Twitter while I was at the HOW Design Conference in Austin this past June. Since then we've had kind of an online "mutual admiration society."
A couple months ago, the offical Neenah "tweeter" (Jamie Saunders, Public Relations for Fine Paper) suggested that I be interviewed for the company's blog presence, Against The Grain. When interviewed, I was asked about social networking, my personal and career history, those in the design industry whose work I admire, creating a work life balance and more.
Part one of of Jeff Fisher of LogoMotives: Toot! Toot! went live last week. Jeff Fisher of LogoMotives: Toot! Toot!, Part 2 was posted earlier this week.
Making use of social networking led to this great promotion opportunity for my business - and I've used Twitter, Facebook, my Facebook fan page and other such methods to announce the fact. Neenah Paper, a company that certainly understands the value of social networking as a marketing and education tool, has done the same through their own Twitter and Facebook presences.
Thanks Neenah! See you in the cyber-sphere. Tweet! Tweet!
© 2009 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives
Referring to myself as an author still feels a bit odd at times. From an early age, it is something that I wanted to be "when I grew up." Well, I don't know if I've grown up but, with the publication of The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career (HOW Books, 2004); the 2007 release of Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands (HOW Books); currently writing Logo Type for a 2010 HOW Books release; and discussions about future books, I guess I have become an author.
Anyone surviving the process understands the accomplishment of writing a book - and actually getting the thing published. In the last few months at least nine "creative type" friends, acquaintances and "imaginary" online pals have released design-related books. I wanted to take this opportunity to acknowledge their efforts and the end results.
The other day I came across Graphic Design for Nondesigners: Essential Knowledge, Tips, and Tricks, Plus 20 Step-by-Step Projects for the Design Novice, by Tony Seddon and Jane Waterhouse. The book is an incredible resource for anyone needing a basic understanding of graphic design. It would be a great gift for a student considering a design career. I first met Seddon at a HOW Design Conference, where he was attending in his capacity as art director for UK publisher Rotovision. Hopefully our discussions about possibly doing a book together will result in a future volume.
I can't remember when I first met Seattle-based designer Terry Marks. I've been a long-time fan of the work of his firm, TMARKS. His book Good Design: Deconstructing Form and Function and What Makes Good Design Work, written with Matthew Porter, features interviews with numerous designers presenting their definitions of "good design." There's plenty of "eye candy" in this offering from Rockport Publishers.
Illustrator Holly DeWolf is among what some refer to as my "imaginary friends." We're online pals from design forums, Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere. DeWolf's book, Breaking Into Freelance Illustration: A Guide for Artists, Designers and Illustrators, has just been released by HOW Books. It's a step-by-step guide to assist illustrators in creating and promoting an independent business.
I recently just missed a "real world" Austin introduction to another "imaginary friend" - designer, artist, craftsperson and writer Patricia Zapata. Zapata's book, Home, Paper, Scissors: Decorative Paper Accessories for the Home, provides beautiful inspiration to anyone enjoying the creation of art from paper. Check out A Little Hut for a peak at the incredible artwork. I'm thrilled to have a piece of her original art awaiting display in my soon-to-be redecorated bedroom.
Steve Gordon, Jr. is absolutely RDQLUS! One of the nearly infamous HOW Conference "Speakers Gone Wild" gang, Gordon - owner of RDQLUS Creative - was initially another of my online "imaginary friends." Today he is one of my favorite design industry pals. Rockport Publisher released his book, 100 Habits of Successful Freelance Designers: Insider Secrets for Working Smart & Staying Creative, earlier this year. The book focuses on the daily habits that inspire designers to stay creative and business strategies to be successful when working on your own.
Caffeine for the Creative Team: 200 Exercises to Inspire Group Innovation is the follow-up volume to the HOW Books release Caffeine for the Creative Mind: 250 Exercises to Wake Up Your Brain. The new volume offers exercises, tools and related experiences to help creative teams get the most out of their efforts. Authors Stefan Mumaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield have become friends over the years through time spent together at HOW Design Conferences.
I first met designer and educator Peg Faimon years ago when we were on the "Designers in Handcuffs" panel at the New Orleans HOW Design Conference. We've kept in touch over the years - and that resulted in her using me as a resource (more about that it a future bLog-oMotives entry) for her book, The Designer's Guide to Business and Careers: How to Succeed on the Job or on Your Own. The book is a "must have" resource for assisting designers in mapping out a successful career.
Tamye Riggs is another online "friend" that I've never met. We have an Oregon connection, a common passion for typography, and often bump into each other on Typophile, Twitter and Facebook. Riggs' new book, Typeface: Classic Typography for Contemporary Design, is a type lover's wet dream. Read more about this book in a recent bLog-oMotives "Toot! Toot!"
Illustrator, designer and speaker extraordinaire Von Glitschka lives less than an hour from my Portland home studio. However, we were online forum acquaintances long before we met in person at a HOW Design Conference in Chicago. Glitschka spent over a year creating the patterns in his book, Drip Dot Swirl: 94 Incredible Patterns for Design and illustration. The book is an excellent follow-up to his first texture volume, Crumble Crackle Burn
Any titles from this incredible assortment of books - written a collection of my friends, acquaintances and "imaginary" online pals - would be great additions to your own design library.
© 2009 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives
Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands (HOW Books, 2007), by Jeff Fisher - the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based design firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, has been listed as one of "10 Readable Branding Books" by the industry site Fuel Your Branding. Editor and creative strategist Beth LaPierre included Fisher's book along with volumes by branding experts Alina Wheeler, Marty Neumeier, Scott Bedbury, Allen Adamson, Seth Godin and others.
Fuel Your Branding offers resources, articles, interaction and advice to businesses seeking a successful brand to differentiate them in the marketplace and make them memorable to consumers. It is also a valuable tool for any professional in the business of branding.
Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, will present the webinar "Planning, Packaging and Promoting Yourself" on August 13, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT. The one-hour session is sponsored by HOW Magazine and the fee is $69. Those interested in participating may register on the HOW website.
Designers are always creating complete brand identities to help clients sell their products and services. But how well are these creatives selling themselves? According to author and designer Jeff Fisher, the key to attracting new clients and more work is planning, packaging and promoting oneself as a product.
Fisher will help participants determine what “product” should be in their package, then offer tips and advice for creating the appearance of the product, getting it on the right shelf in the market, explaining the product to potential customers, and getting those customers to buy that product again and again.
Jeff Fisher, author of Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands (HOW Books, 2007), is a 30-year design veteran. He has been honored with over 600 regional, national and international design awards and is featured in over 100 books about logos, the design business, and small business marketing. The industry publication Graphic Design USA named Fisher one of its "People to Watch in 2009." His first book, The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success was released in 2004 and has been reissued as a PDF on CD from HOWBookstore.com. Fisher is currently writing a new volume, with the working title of Logo•Type, on the topic of typography in identity design.
© 2009 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives
In the recent ImJustCreative blog post Case Studies - The Real Source for Logo & Brand Identity Inspiration, UK identity designer Graham Smith suggests that identity designers look beyond the numerous online logo design galleries for project inspiration. He recommends books that feature real-life logo design case studies and writes: "And no self respecting designer should be without Identity Crisis! by Jeff Fisher."
Thanks, Graham!
Jeff Fisher, author of Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands, is the subject of the featured interview on the industry web presence Designers'Couch. Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, discusses his 30+ years in design, working independently, the challenges facing young designers today, and more.
Designers'Couch is a relatively new online design resource for inspiration, education, collaboration, industry news, project critiques, and other needs of those in the profession. Site membership is free.
