Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Identity Re-Design: B.A.S.I.C.

2008-07-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

In the early 1990's. my very first design project for the Portland Trail Blazers was the re-design of the identity for the Blazer/Avia Scholastic Improvement Concepts program, commonly referred to as B.A.S.I.C. Blazer Clyde Drexler was chairman of the effort, a statewide literacy project sponsored by the Trail Blazers, Avia and - at that time - Seafirst Bank. The program offered hands-on help for children to improve their academic achievement.

The logo I was asked to improve upon (below left) was a confusing conglomeration of a book, the Blazers icon, the Avia logo with tagline, the Blazers logotype and the text spelling out the B.A.S.I.C. name - all within a circle. Then the Seafirst Bank identity was dropped in below to add to the sensory overload.

I was very pleased with my simplified treatment for the identity (above center). The design was primarily made of up collegiate looking letterforms that I had drawn myself to give them a kid-friendly appearance that would appeal to the young target audience. I replaced the "I" with a stylized human figure reading a book - after all, this was a literacy program. What most kids zeroed in on immediately was that the figure was wearing athletic shoes. Across the bottom of the illustration was the name of the organization in simple and tasteful type - with the word "Blazers" plural.

Everybody loved the design - and then it was time to stick in the Blazers' fancy schmancy, new slanted icon and type treatment - and the Avia logo (thankfully without the tagline) - and the Bank of America identity (above right). Suddenly, my clean and simple design didn't appear so clean and simple. When major corporate sponsors want their logo bigger within a design, you make the logo bigger. However, I do think it was still an improvement over the design used previously.

Restaurant Logos

2008-07-22T05:00:00.001-07:00

(Clockwise from upper left)

North Bank Cafe
Client: North Bank Cafe
Location: Portland, OR USA

The television show Northern Exposure meets a cross-dressing moose in this restaurant identity. It appears in the books Logo Design for Small Business 2 and 1000 Restaurant Bar & Cafe Graphics

Glo's Broiler
Client: Glo's Broiler
Location: Seattle, WA USA

The logo was designed for the Seattle restaurant owned by a very good friend and mentor. The image appears in the books Bullet-Proof Logos, Logo Design for Small Business 2, 1000 Restaurant Bar & Cafe Graphics, and the Japanese volume New Logo and Trademark Design (which was recently re-released as the paperback Logo and Trademark Collection).

Read more about this identity project on bLog-oMotives.

Balaboosta
Client: Balaboosta Delicatessen
Location: Portland, OR USA

Logo for the third restaurant venture of the owner. The oval is consistent in all company restaurant logos. The colors and tile motif come from the floor of the late 1800s building. The design appears in the books The Big Book of Logos 5 and 1000 Restaurant Bar & Cafe Graphics. It was also recognized with a 2007 American Graphic Design Award.

Indies Restaurant & Bar
Client: Indies Restaurant & Bar
Location: New York, NY USA

Hand-cut tin lettering in Caribbean signage inspired the letterforms in this restaurant logo. One day I will complete the entire font set. The image appears in the books Restaurant Graphics 2, New Logo & Trademark Design (Japan), Retail & Restaurant, The Big Book of Logos, Paper: Building Great Designs With Paper, New Business Card Graphics 2 (Japan), Logo Design for Small Business 2, and 1000 Restaurant Bar & Cafe Graphics.

Eliminating geographic boundaries toyour personal creative independence

2008-07-19T06:20:00.000-07:00

Why do so many "creative types" create geographic boundaries for themselves when it comes to working independently? I'm constantly amazed by email, phone call and speaking engagement questions and comments from solo creatives related to what are perceived as the limitations of their local geographic markets.

Huh? I don't think I got the memo about the Federal government building walls around local communities to keep designers, writers, photographers and others trapped in their hometown environments.

Admittedly, when my initial Internet presence went live in 1998, my website was intended to primarily serve as a portfolio for a predominantly local clientele. I wasn't expecting email requests for information about my services from potential clients across the United States - and then from around the globe. Suddenly there were no restrictions to the target market for my business. In the decade since, 80-85% of my business has been for clients outside of the State of Oregon.

Most of that work has been accomplished cyberly. However, some has involved travel, and an even greater escape from the self-imposed boundaries of one's home studio or independent office. I enjoy travel and make the most of taking my portable "office" with me. Advancement in communication technology has resulted in added creative freedom. - whether working from a backyard garden or anywhere in the world.

So, set your mind - and body - free! Eliminate the geographic boundaries, or personal excuses, that may prevent you from true creative independence.

This piece was originally posted on the Creative Freelancer Conference blog. Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, will make his presentation "Reaping the Rewards of Creative Independence" at the Creative Freelancer Conference, to be held August 27-29, 2008 in Chicago. The deadline for "early bird" registration has been extended until July 31 - so register now!

Interviews with Jeff Fisher

2008-07-16T10:15:00.001-07:00

In recent years there have been a number of interviews posted online with Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for Jeff Fisher LogoMotives:

DesignHide: Designer Spotlight - Jeff Fisher LogoMotives (July 2008)

Just Creative: Logo Design Tips & A Not-So-Ordinary Interview with Famous Celebrity Logo Designer Jeff Fisher, by Jacob Cass (May 2008)

Savvy Marketing Secrets: Home Business by Design, by Marcia Ming (January 2008)

TCG eZine: A New Brand for the New Year (January 2008)

FreelanceSwitch: Veteran Designer Embraces Identity Crisis and Casual Fridays, by Kristen Fischer (December 2007)

Creative Experts Audio Interviews: Jeff Fisher (site subscription required), by Doug Farrick; The Designer's Inner Circle (December 2007)

Startup Nation Podcast: Marketing Through Blogs and Forums, with Joel Welsh (November 2006)

Area of Design: In The Spotlight - An Interview With Jeff Fisher (April 2005)

Creative Latitude: Cat's Fancy - Designers Who Blog, by Cat Morley

TCG EZine: Creating a Buzz-worthy Career (August 2005)

Creative Latitude: Chugging down the tracks to Successville -Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, by Neil Tortorella (August 2003)

TCG eZine: Mastering Self-Promotion - Jeff Fisher Tells You How to "Toot-Toot" Your Own Horn (November 2003)

Theatre Logos

2008-07-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

(Clockwise from upper left)

The Food Chain
Client: triangle productions!
Location: Portland, OR USA

This logo for a theatrical production has been featured in the books New Logo & Trademark Design (Japan), The New Big Book of Logos, Letterhead and Logo Design 7, Graphically Speaking, LogoLounge - Volume 1, and New Logo: One (Singapore).

Two Boys in a Bed on a Cold Winter's Night
Client: triangle productions!
Location: Portland, OR USA

This logo for a play is one nearly 100 I have designed for one theatre company over the last 16 years. The logo appears in the books New Logo & Trademark Design (Japan), The New Big Book of Logos, and Logo & Trademark Collection (Japan)

The Dream State
Client: triangle productions!
Location: Portland, OR USA

"The Dream State" is another theatrical production idenity. It won a 2002 American Graphic Design Award, and appears in the books The Big Book of Logos 4 and Logos from North to South America (Spain).

triangle productions! 14 Years of Tears and Cheers
Client: triangle productions!
Location: Portland, OR USA

Stylized images of the traditional drama and comedy masks make an appearance in this anniversary logo of a theatre company.

NOTE: Many of the logos designed for theatre presentations are available for licensing through the Theatre Logos Agency.

Why my design business is at its bestwhen the national economy is at its worst

2008-07-16T07:20:00.000-07:00

My design business is "crazy busy" right now - smack-dab in the middle of all the news about the horrible U.S. economy. I could currently be working night and day - everyday. In fact, I'm now scheduling projects at least a month out on the calendar.

Such has been the case with each economic downturn (wouldn't want to use the word "recession," would I?) since I started working officially as an independent designer in the fall of 1980. What's going on?

Historically, each time we've experienced a "speed bump" in the economy throughout my 30-year career, the following have taken place:

1.) Corporate downsizing of design departments
Often, with a bad economy comes the laying off of in-house design staff. However, there's still design work to be done. With limited, or no, in-house design support the corporation or larger business finds the need to outsource their design efforts. That's when the emails and phone calls start coming in to my home-based studio.

2.) Smart businesses respond with marketing smarts
Smart businesses will have been marketing regularly prior to a "slowdown." With business perhaps a bit slower than usual, these companies will take advantage of the time to pump up marketing and promotion efforts. Often those projects will include a new, or updated business identity - something that may have been put off during periods of busier day-to-day operations.

3.) Laid off workers suddenly become entrepreneurs
Individuals who have lost their traditional jobs, and have become frustrated with a job search, may suddenly take the leap into entrepreneurship. With the cushion of a good severance package, or a "rainy day fund," it may be time for creation of one's own business. If a person can't find a job, creating their own is often a realistic possibility - and new businesses need the services of graphic designers.

4.) Somewhat secure employees plan for the future
Many people, although they feel their traditional job my be secure for the present, are planning for that future leap from the corporate cubicle world. It's often easier to be getting everything together for a future business while the monthly bills are being covered with a salary. I work with many such clients. However, the numbers do seem to rise in uncertain economic times.

The potential clients mentioned in the above scenarios contact me as a result of my own self-promotion efforts. I am marketing and promoting myself ALL the time - even when I am my busiest - to guarantee that work will constantly be coming in the door. I always encourage other creative types to be doing the same. Too many designers wait until no new work is at hand before starting to market their talent. In doing so, the panic of no projects will add a sense of desperation and stress to the quest for new contract work.

This post originally appeared on bLog-oMotives

Signing on the dotted line...

2008-07-14T07:21:00.000-07:00

I often get email requests regarding my graphic design contract. First of all, I refer to mine as a "project agreement" - the term sounds a bit friendlier than "contract," but still shows that I mean business. I have found that my agreement has become a great "pre-qualifier" of clients. When sending out one of my promotional packets to potential clients I always include a copy of the document. Just including the agreement will show potential clients there is a seriousness to the possible business relationship.

My project agreement is created in a way that I can adapt it to the the specific requirements of a particular project. The basic document is below. Until recently it was posted on a graphic design forum site. With an overhaul of the content, the project agreement is no longer available on that site. I'm posting it here as a resource for other designers to "use and abuse."

.........................................................................................................

Client contact name:

Business name:

Address:

City/State/Country/Postal Code:

Phone/Email/Fax:

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

(Insert your itemized description of the project here)

ESTIMATED COSTS:

__ Labor fees (design, art direction, production, copywriting, client services, etc.) are estimated at a total of $_________ or ____ see attached estimate sheet for specifications.

__ Consultation fees are estimated at a total of $ __________ or ____ see attached estimate sheet for specifications.

__ Materials costs (RC/film/neg output, scanning, project specific materials, etc.) are estimated at a total of $__________ or ___ see attached estimate sheet for specifications.

Total estimated cost of project: $____________

Project estimates are valid for 90 days from the date of estimate. Project may be reestimated if, upon receipt of all project elements, the designer determines the scope of the project has been altered dramatically from the originally agreed upon concept. Printing fees will be estimated separately and payment arrangements made between client and printer.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE:

__ A deposit in an amount equal to 35% of the total estimated cost is requested prior to execution of the project ($__________).

__ Payment in full or the remaining balance is to be paid upon delivery of the completed project. A cash discount of 5% of the total project labor and consultation cost is offered to clients paying upon delivery of the finished project.

__ Payment in full or the remaining balance is to be paid 15 days from receipt of the final invoice for the completed project. Finance charge of 1.5% per month (18% annually) on all overdue balances.

__ Additional payment arrangements:

REPRODUCTION OF WORK:

__ The client assumes full reproduction rights upon payment for completed project.

__ One time reproduction rights for the specified project, at the agreed fee, are granted to the client. Any other usage must be negotiated.

__ All reproduction rights on the copyrighted work are retained by the designer. The work may not be reproduced in any form without consent from the designer.

__ 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.

REJECTION/CANCELLATION OF PROJECT:

The client shall not unreasonably withhold acceptance of, or payment for, the project. If, prior to completion of the project, the client observes any nonconformance with the design plan, the designer must be promptly notified, allowing for necessary corrections. Rejection of the completed project or cancellation during its execution will result in forfeiture of deposit and the possible billing for all additional labor or expenses to date. All elements of the project must then be returned to the designer. Any usage by the client of those design elements will result in appropriate legal action. Client shall bear all costs, expenses, and reasonable attorney's fees in any action brought to recover payment under this contract or in which (Insert your company name) may become a party by reason of this contract.

COMPLETION/DELIVERY OF PROJECT

The estimated completion date the project is ______________. Any shipping or insurance costs will be assumed by the client. Any alteration or deviation from the above specifications involving extra costs will be executed only upon approval with the client. Any delay in the completion of the project due to actions or negligence of client, unusual transportation delays, unforeseen illness, or external forces beyond the control of the designer, shall entitle the designer to extend the completion/delivery date, upon notifying the client, by the time equivalent to the period of such delay.

ACCEPTANCE OF AGREEMENT:

The above prices, specifications and conditions are hereby accepted. The designer is authorized to execute the project as outlined in this agreement. Payment will be made as proposed above.

Client's signature:

Designer's signature:

Date:

..........................................................................................................

Remember, the above is simply a guide to follow. Your own design business may have other specific issues to include in a final contract document. My agreement is kept to one page for the sake of simplicity. I would also suggest having an attorney take a look at your completed agreement prior to putting it in use.

Some additional valuable resources for project agreement/contract information include the Creative Latitude "Resources", Creative- Business, CreativePublic and the AIGA Design Business and Ethics web page.

Books providing excellent business advice include Business and Legal Forms for Graphic Designers, by Tad Crawford and Eva Doman Bruck (with a CD of business form templates); Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing and Ethical Guidelines; Graphic Designer’s Guide to Pricing, Estimating & Budgeting, by Theo Stephan Williams; The Business of Graphic Design, by Ed Gold; and Cameron Foote's books The Business Side of Creativity and The Creative Business Guide to Running a Graphic Design Business. Of course, The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success is a very good resource as well.

This post was originally posted on bLog-oMotives in 2006.

Museum Logos

2008-07-12T09:05:00.000-07:00

(Clockwise from upper left)

Benton County Historical Museum
Client: Benton County Historical Museum
Location: Philomath, OR USA

A design created in the early 1980's for a historical museum with a very recognizable cupola architectural detail. The logo somewhat mimics the shape of the historic Philomath College building.

Vista House
Client: Friends of Vista House, Oregon State Parks Trust
Location: Columbia River Gorge, OR USA

The logo identifies the Vista House, which was built in 1916-1918 as a memorial to Oregon pioneers and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The identity appears in the books Graphis Logo 6 and Logos from North to South America (Spain).

Portland Children's Museum
Client: Portland Children's Museum
Location: Portland, OR USA

In 1982 I was commissioned to design and illustrate a coloring book for the Portland Children's Museum. One of the illustrations was of the former dormitory that was home to the museum from 1950 until 2001. The drawing of the building was used as a logo for the facility for quite a few years.

Benicia Historical Museum at the Camel Barns
Client: Benicia Historical Museum
Location: Benicia, CA USA

The Benicia Historical Museum at the Camel Barns had a split personality of multiple identifying images. The Civil War era U.S. Army base needed a logo representative of the time period and its history. The camel image from an antique etching of the museum was used in the design. The logo received an American Corporate Identity 22 award, and appears in The Big Book of Logos 5.

Read more about the museum identity redesign effort in this entry.

Identity Re-Design: The Sentinel

2008-07-09T21:03:00.000-07:00

Recently the result of my latest identity redesign project arrived in the mail - the July issue of my local neighborhood monthly newspaper, The Sentinel.

A few weeks ago "scrappy" (Note: admittedly an inside joke reference) Managing Editor and Publisher Cornelius Swart contacted me in regards to possibly redesigning the paper's identity and assisting in the establishment of a color palette for the news vehicle. Swart, who I originally met several years ago when he was working with the Portsmouth Community Development Corporation - another local identity re-design client, was familiar with my wide variety of past North Portland logo design clients. In addition, over the past 30 years I have designed identities for several publications.

The Sentinel was going through a total redesign, including a change in page size as a cost-saving measure and to allow for greater unfolded newspaper rack placement in local businesses. Art Director Colleen Froehlich was creating the still evolving page format. St. Johns web designer Andy Nelson was - and is - working on the yet to be unveiled new web presence for the paper.

In meeting with all the players, in person and via email, I got a good sense of the direction in which they hoped the public persona of the publication would go. There was a desire to have "the look" be unique, fresher and bolder, while maintaining some elements of the common appearance of a newspaper or tabloid publication. The current image seemed to be fairly traditional to me (above top).

Initially I presented type treatments of The Sentinel, with an image of an eye replacing the dot over the letterform "i" and revamped sun rays as a background, making use of the fonts Unicorn, Boca Raton Solid, Blue Blate Special and Rockwell Extra Bold. I also toyed with adding some emphasis to the "n" and "ne" letters in "Sentinel," as references to "north" and "northeast" Portland, with overly complicated results. I maintained the placement of "THE" as a element of continuity, and historical perspective, to the existing identity.

Swart and his staff narrowed the type selection to the Boca Raton and Rockwell treatments. They liked the "sexiness" of Boca Raton, but thought it might be a little too "magazine-like." Those providing input felt that Rockwell conveyed the "seriousness" needed for a newspaper, but the uppercase "S" letterform was too heavy, "clunky" and distracting. I was asked to finesse - or change - the "S" in the Rockwell treatment, to tweak the eye imagery, and play with "i" letterform a bit to make it possibly more lighthouse or "sentinel-like."

In literally going back to the drawing table, I worked on the "S" element for quite some time. I kept returning to the fact that everyone involved liked the "S" letterform from the Boca Raton font a great deal. In what was a bit of an "a-ha" moment I simply took the "S" from Boca Raton and dropped it in front of the Rockwell treatment of the remaining letters in the word "Sentinel." It seemed to work beautifully - and the newspaper crew agreed.

With some emails back and forth, in tweaking the eye element in my logo concept, the final new identity was approved (above bottom). The rays of light coming from the eye imagery seemed to become less and less important as the project progressed and eventually disappeared.

One of the things I really appreciated about working with the individuals involved in this project is that they really knew their "stuff." The design process for The Sentinel was much more of an actual collaboration than efforts with most of my clientele.

In our first meeting, Swart arrived with his copy of the Jim Krause book Color Index. Numerous Post-It notes marked color combinations he liked and was considering as possible palettes for future use in the newspaper. Once the logo design was finalized in black and white, Swart, art director Froehlich and I met to discuss the pros and cons of the various color options. From our discussion the suggested colors to be used were determined (above). While a blue and orange-ish color combination had been used previously, the new selections were richer and more intense. If used, the added suggested color options of the green and purple will give the paper an even greater visual richness.

It was great to receive the newly formatted paper (old design above left; new design above right) in the mail just days after completing the identity design. I appreciate Swart's column, and blog, mention that, "Thanks to local logo guru Jeff Fisher, The Sentinel has a spiffy new brand identity and logo."

(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.)

Toot! Toot!*:Portfolio site DesignHide interview shinesspotlight on Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

2008-07-09T20:58:00.000-07:00

The design industry portfolio site DesignHide is currently featuring Jeff Fisher LogoMotives as its Designer Spotlight for the month of July. Fisher is interviewed about his 30-year career, his major considerations in initiating identity design projects, advice for others starting a design career, and more. DesignHide is defined as an online resource for "creative media producers, including web designers, graphic artists, videographers, print media producers, photographers, artists, and ad managers, to display their work with the end goal of attracting new business opportunities."

As noted on the DesignHide Spotlight page, "Every month we choose a design company from within the DesignHide community that characterizes the qualities of "creative, attractive, effective design." We base this evaluation on the website of the designer, their portfolio, and their work on DesignHide. We look at hundreds of designers, many of whom have incredible portfolios, but we think that the designers featured in our Spotlight represent the best of the best." Fisher does have a portfolio posted on the DesignHide website. The designer recently included DesignHide as an online showcase possibility for designers in his blog article Marketing logo design efforts with online resources.

Jeff Fisher has received nearly 600 regional, national and international graphic design awards for his logo and corporate identity efforts. 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 book, Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands, was recently released by HOW Books. His first volume, The Savvy Designer’s Guide to Success, appeared on bookstore shelves in late 2004.

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

To market, to market, to get design gigs?

2008-07-09T20:47:00.000-07:00

On several online forums, in recent face-to-face discussions with designers, and in numerous emails the past few weeks, the question has been the same: "How should an independent graphic designer go about marketing themselves?"

I don't pretend to have all the answers for every business. However, the most successful methods for promoting my business are listed below. Hopefully others will find some valuable advice and tools for bringing clients their way.

Industry design competitions: The majority of my marketing budget goes to cover entry fees in industry design competitions. Having pieces honored results in work being printed in design annuals and other design books. I have at least one potential client a week contact me because they have seen my work in a design book at their local bookstore. It also gives you "bragging rights" for press releases announcing your career accomplishments. Do be cautious of "design contests" that are nothing more than "spec" work in disguise.

Press releases: One of my major methods of marketing/promotion is sending out press releases about my work. Make a list of newspaper and magazine editors in your area, and the editors of design and business publications you wish to contact, and send out releases about your business - announcing a new business, new clients, completed projects, design awards and other accomplishments. Seek out press release distribution opportunities online as well such as PRweb.com or PRleap.com. Developing relationships with editors, and design or business editors, creates a number of possibilities for future media exposure of one's work and business. I also send out my press releases in email format to past clients, current clients, potential clients who have contacted me, vendors, friends and family. You never know when someone needs to be "reminded" that your services are available.

Networking: Make EVERYONE you know aware of what you are doing - family, friends, neighbors, former clients, local businesses, and others. Join a local business organization, Chamber of Commerce, industry related organization (International Association of Business Communicators, local ad federations, marketing associations, Women in Communications, public relations organizations, AD2, etc.) and network with people who may need your services. ALWAYS carry your biz card with you. Part of networking is participating in online forums specific to design or business.

Blog: These days my most effective marketing tool is my blog - which is done a no cost. Still, it gets me a great deal of exposure and brings a large number of clients my way. It also directs writers and editors my way who want to use me as a resource or write about my blog. (I just did a Google search for my blog's name and 65,400 references were found.)

Website: I am surprised at the number of independent designers I come across who do not have a web presence. If you don't have a website you had better get one established. Your potential clients will EXPECT it. Most of my clients come to me by way of my website - after reading about me or seeing my work elsewhere - and 80-85% are from outside my home state.

Online directories: Make use of free and paid online directories to get your name and contact info out to possible clients. (Watch for a blog entry about online directories in the near future.)

Work with nonprofits: A good way to promote your business is to do pro bono, or discounted, work for nonprofit causes you support. You should get a credit on all the pieces being produced for the organization. You also have the opportunity to meet a lot of business leaders in the community who serve of the board of directors or are involved with the group. I discourage designers from ever doing free work for "for profit" ventures. In doing so you convey that your work has little or no value - and that's what they will remember if you go back to them for future projects.

Being the expert: Writing articles for publications, making yourself available to the media as an industry expert and being a speaker are all excellent methods of promotion. I was once contacted by a potential client who was given my name by someone who had heard me speak to a group of Small Business Development Center educators FOUR YEARS earlier! Establishing relationships with editors has been a great marketing tool for me. I was recently contacted by a writer for a major business magazine. He remembered me being quoted in an article on a website five years ago and sought me out. Such exposure always results in new client possibilities. When editors or writers contact me for quotes or illustrative content I usually drop everything to make what they need happen. Most such offers have a limited "shelf life."

Direct Mail: Target the businesses with which you would like to work and send them a postcard, brochure or flyer about your services. It's been over 15 years since I've done so, but when I did I had ten new clients over a period of several weeks and I was still getting work from the one 750-piece mailing five years later.

For me it's all about spending as little as possible to market/promote my efforts for maximum exposure and results. My work is constantly promoting itself - with minimum effort by me. I do dedicate at least half of each Friday - the day each week that I have no client contact - to marketing and promotion.

As I mentioned earlier, this is not the "be all, end all" list of marketing and promotion possibilities for the independent designer. Still, the suggestions should be helpful in getting you started with some marketing efforts.

Note: This article originally appeared on bLog-oMotives in 2006. For additional information and suggestions, check out some of my other blog entries on the topic of self-promotion.

Publication Logos

2008-07-07T21:57:00.001-07:00

(Clockwise from upper left)

The Sentinel
Client: The Sentinel
Location: Portland, OR USA

A logo redesign for a monthly North Portland neighborhood newspaper involved combining letterforms from two typefaces, Boca Raton and Rockwell, to create a unique type treatment of the word "Sentinel." A third typeface, Helvetica Neue, was introduced for the line of location text.

Read about the redesign of The Sentinel identity on bLog-oMotives.

Chorus Quarterly
Client: Seattle Men's Chorus
Location: Seattle WA USA

Following my design of the logo for the Seattle Men's Chorus, I created the identity and format for the organization's quarterly membership publication, CQ. Bodoni FB Bold Condensed was used for the large letters, with some customization on the "Q." The name was spelled out in Avant Garde.

Just Out
Client: Just Out Newsmagazine
Location: Portland, OR USA

The redesign of the identity for this statewide newsmagazine, for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities, gave the publication a fresh, contemporary look. The type used was Gill Sans. The logo recently won an American Corporate Identity 22 award and will appear in The Big Book of Logos 5.

Read more about the logo on bLog-oMotives.

Multnomah Monthly Magazine
Client: Multnomah Monthly Magazine
Location: Portland, OR USA

The typefaces Italia and Souvenir Outline were used in the early 1980's to create the identity for this art and literary publication. Dry transfer lettering was used at the time.

Marketing and promotion via a 'blogfolio'

2008-07-07T16:42:00.000-07:00

I was a bit naive about the Internet when my original Jeff Fisher LogoMotives website went live in the fall of 1998. The largest newspaper in the state, The Oregonian, had interviewed me for a feature story about my business and, at the end of the interview, the reporter asked me if I had a website.

In saying "yes," I told a bit of a fib. No, let me correct that, I told an outright lie. I had a URL registered, and had thought about the website a little - but no effort at all had been put into actually creating a web presence of any kind.

I gave the reporter the URL and went into panic mode. I had three to four days to get a site up and running before the article was published the following Monday.

Over the course of a long weekend, my partner Ed, friends Scott Randall and Jason Holland, and myself worked days and nights to get a website up and running. Sunday night it was all set to go. On Monday morning I retrieved The Oregonian from my front porch and a great article had been published - with all my contact information, including the web address, edited out of the piece due to concerns about length.

Still, I now had a website - which I saw as nothing more than an online portfolio for my primarily local clientele. I had given no consideration to the fact that my website had an immediate international audience. Soon I was attracting clients from across the United States and around the world.

For the next nine years the website remained fairly static. There were minor updates, but not a lot changed. I was kind of in an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mode. Redesigning, or updating, the site was one of those things I might do when I had the time. Yeah, right.

This past fall my second book, Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands, was being released. The upcoming major event in my life made me realize that I was actually embarrassed by my now tired, old website. At that time I'd been writing my blog, bLog-oMotives, for about two years and I really enjoyed the process. A few months earlier I'd also started a blog to promote the Identity Crisis! book. Creating an online portfolio in a blog format seemed a natural, and manageable, solution for me - especially since, although I use a computer daily for my work, I am not a skilled technician when it comes to such things (nor do I want to be!). Knowing just enough to be a bit dangerous is just fine.

The Jeff Fisher LogoMotives "blogfolio" was born.

A little over seven months since its initiation, I am very pleased with the results my "blogfolio" has produced. With a Jeff Fisher LogoMotives homepage - making use of my decade-old URL - directing visitors to all three blogs, many more potential clients seem to find their way to me. It gets much more traffic than ever visited my more traditional site. Potential clients, clients, editors, writers, design peers, design students, design educators and others have all taken the time to compliment me on the new web presence and its content.

I really appreciate how the blog format has allowed me to easily exhibit examples of my work, share articles I've written, post articles written about my work, present my "Toot! Toot!" press releases and even recycle a few bLog-oMotives entries into a concise archive. I've especially enjoyed presenting my identity redesigns and "excavated design artifacts" again.

A "blogfolio" may not work for everyone, but it's been a great marketing and promotion tool for Jeff Fisher LogoMotives.

Identity Re-Design: Sunriver Preparatory School

2008-06-30T13:17:00.000-07:00

Back in 1997, while doing work for the TriAd advertising agency my sister owned at the time, I was asked to re-design the identity of the Sunriver Preparatory School outside of Bend, OR. The previous identity (below left), made up of fairly abstract calligraphic letterforms, really didn't say much about the prep school itself.

The "grocery list" of possible items to be included in the new logo included the nearby geographic landmarks of the Three Sisters Mountains, the ski slopes of Mt. Bachelor, Broken Top mountain and the Deschutes River. I was also asked to work in a reference to the school's wolf mascot if possible.

Once the graphic representation of the five mountains was created, it seemed natural to incorporate the river imagery as an "S" letter shape flowing through the design and to add the wolf silhouette viewing the scenery from atop a hill.

Although not a huge fan of the now over-used font Papyrus, the type seemed to work very well, over a decade ago, with the illustration style I had made use of in the logo design. However, I did smooth out the rough letterforms a bit to make them text seem a little less "bumpy."

The Sunriver Preparatory School is highlighted in the book American Corporate Identity 2001 and the Japanese volume Logo World.

Excavated Design Artifact #19

2008-06-18T18:55:00.000-07:00

As I continue to sort through boxes of past project files, I've found some excavated artifacts other than my own doodles. I recently came across a file of faded thermal paper faxes of client concepts for their own logos.

One such effort was a 1995 project for a Bend, Oregon client, Deschutes Plumbing. I was provided with three rough sketches and color suggestions for the plumbing contractor's business (above). The client wanted snow- capped mountains, trees, and a river flowing down the mountainside with a drop of water coming out of a faucet - or possibly two faucets. I was also given the directive "Colors: blue (water), forest green (trees, lettering)."

I don't know about the rest of you, but my first impression was a very clear image of a woman's breasts in the doodles - and knew that would not represent the business well. Still, within the rough ideas there were bits and pieces that could make up a much more concise, clean and usable identity design.

I immediately eliminated the idea of small tree elements, as they would most likely add too much detail to the design. I was able to incorporate graphic elements to represent the nearby Three Sisters Mountains and the Deschutes River. The letterforms "D" and "P" where drawn to resemble pipes, complete with a drip of water coming from the tap imagery. The color requests of the client were implemented as well. All of the elements were incorporated in a circular shape for ease of use in ads, collateral materials and vehicle signage.

The resulting image is still in use by the business 13 years later. It was also featured in the Japanese book New Logo & Trademark Design; later released in paperback by PIE Books as Logo and Trademark Collection.

Toot! Toot!*: Dynamic Graphics featuresmarketing efforts of Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

2008-06-10T08:57:00.000-07:00

The marketing and promotion methods of Jeff Fisher LogoMotives are featured in the June/July issue of Dynamic Graphics magazine. In the article, "Ingredients of a Successful Capabilities Presentation", designer Jeff Fisher's customizable media kit is displayed and his advice on capabilities presentations is shared. One of his company's familiar "Toot! Toot!" press releases illustrates the article and the blog promoting his recent book, Identity Crisis!, is noted.

Author and management guru Guy Kawasaki, Kevin Potts of Graphic Push and Ashworth Creative's Eve Ashworth provide additional presentation recommendations for the Dynamic Graphics piece. Daniel Schutzsmith, a professor at the School of Visual Arts and principal of DSGN + DVLP, wrote the article for the publication.

Dynamic Graphics presents design ideas for the real world for creative professionals, taking readers behind the designs in showing how to apply the techniques of industry leaders to projects.

Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity, is a member of the HOW Magazine Editorial Advisory Board, the HOW Design Conference Advisory Council and the UCDA Designer Magazine Editorial Advisory Board. His book, Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands, was recently released by HOW Books. His first volume, The Savvy Designer’s Guide to Success, appeared on bookstore shelves in late 2004.

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

Event Logos

2008-06-09T16:55:00.000-07:00

(Clockwise from upper left)

Young Native Writers Essay Contest
Client: Holland+Knight Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Location: Tampa, FL USA

A nationwide essay contest, sponsored by the Holland+Knight Charitable Foundation, is represented by this logo featuring an eagle feather as a writing instrument. The input of tribal leaders was sought in the process of creating the image. The logo will appear in The Big Book of Logos 5.

Learn more about the process of creating this logo on bLog-oMotives.

St. Johns Window Project
Client: St. Johns Window Project
Location: Portland, OR USA

This pro bono design represents an annual art event in Portland during which art installations are featured in retail storefronts. The effort received a 2003 American Graphic Design Award from Graphic Design: usa magazine. It will appear in The Big Book of Logos 5.

Native Youth Internship Program
Client: Holland+Knight Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Location: Tampa, FL USA

Another identity created for the Holland+Knight Charitable Foundation. This logo identifies the Native Youth Internship Program initiated by my partner, one of the business managers for the law firm. The logo received a 2007 American Graphic Design Award.

Holocaust Remembrance Project
Client: Holland+Knight Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Location: Tampa, FL USA

One of a series of logos created for the Holland+Knight Charitable Foundation, this logo gives a graphic identity to the annual Holocaust remembrance essay contest for high school students. The triangle elements are used in a positive manner to take ownership of the negative image of the concentration camp uniform identification patches from the past.

Learn more about this logo project on bLog-oMotives.

Prepare for any marketing or promotionopportunity with a customizable 'media kit'

2008-06-06T17:14:00.000-07:00

In my recent HOW Design Conference presentation, Planning, packaging and promoting yourself as the product, I discussed one of my most useful and flexible marketing and promotion tools - what I refer to as my customizable media kit. When a potential identity design client contacts me I can quickly assemble a complete marketing packet to send off in the mail. If an editor, writer or reporter needs additional information about my business I can adapt the included materials to their specific needs, too.

I've made use of the marketing packet for over a decade now. The presentation folders used (in the photo above) are purchased in bulk through an office supply store. The vast majority of the marketing materials are then produced in-house as needed, making use of a color laser printer. Creating the promotion tools in my home studio also allows me to customize each included document if necessary.

A Jeff Fisher LogoMotives brand compatible label is printed on adhesive backed stock and adhered to the front of the folder. Prior to mailing, the packet is filled with the printed elements specific to the targeted recipient. The packet is then placed in a white catalog envelope, prepared with a custom mailing label, for sending off to the addressee.

Depending on who is to receive the promotion information, the presentation folder may include:

1. A personal biography sheet (below left): The information basically mirrors the current Engineer of Creative Identity description posted on the Jeff Fisher LogoMotives blogfolio.

2.) A listing of awards won with my design work: In a little over a decade my design efforts have been recognized with nearly 600 awards and honors.

3.) A list of books in which my work, or references to Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, appears: Over 100 books feature my work to date.

4.) A page of articles written about Jeff Fisher LogoMotives: Published pieces from newspapers, magazines, corporate blogs and webzines.

5.) A list of articles I've written: Magazine and Internet articles I've written about design, identity, marketing and the business of design - including excerpts from my books Identity Crisis! and The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success.

6.) Speaking engagement list: Upcoming and previous speaking engagements, presentations and workshops.

7.) My estimate sheet: Showing my hourly rates does "qualify" many possible clients.

8.) A copy of my project agreement: (above center) This seems to be another excellent project "qualifer" for potential clients who may just be "tire kickers."

9.) My two-page Identity Client Survey: - Two pages of identity design related questions customized to the specific client to whom it is sent. I also send the questionnaire to the individual in email from for ease in answering the questions.

10.) Examples of my logo design work: (above right) I have a variety of pages of logo design examples ready to be printed as needed. I collate them and add a cover sheet that is basically a representation of my website homepage

11.) Several "Toot! Toot!" press releases: (above center) Sharing a few press releases informs potential clients, editors, writers and others about the latest Jeff Fisher LogoMotives news.

12.) Specialized logo sample sheets: If there is a request for examples from a specific industry I will include a pre-prepared sheet of examples for that type of business. Just this past week I supplied several sheets showing logo re-designs (above right) to a potential client looking to have an update of their current identity.

13.) My business card: I always include 2-3 business cards. One for the person receiving the packet and one or two that they can give to others who may desire the services of an identity designer.

14.) A copy of an article I have written: (above left) I like to include an example of an article I have written about some aspect of logo design. It may be a piece explaining my logo design process for a potential client, an example of my writing for an editor considering contracting me to write for a publication, or an article with some historical perspective on my business as a logo designer for a writer/reporter preparing to write about my business.

15.) Book promotion materials: With the late 2007 release of my book, Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands, I have been including some book marketing pieces in the packet. I may include an information sheet about the book displaying some examples of the published case studies, a couple "Jeff Fisher is having an Identity Crisis!" postcards, or some other piece directly recipients to the Identity Crisis! blog.

I usually have four or five completed media kits ready to send out at any given time. That allows me to respond to any potential client of media request almost immediately. With content flexibility, all I may need to do is delete or add pages that are specific to the request for additional information about Jeff Fisher LogoMotives.

Creating a "media kit" for your own work allows you to respond thoroughly and quickly to any request for more information about your business, in a customized manner. Producing it in-house keeps your cost be information packet to a minimum, allows for easy updating and gives you complete control over the contents you may want to distribute to a specific individual.

Note: My customizable media kit was featured in the June/July 2008 issue of Dynamic Graphics magazine.

Marketing through social networks & social media

2008-05-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

The other night I was a member of a panel discussing "Harnessing the Power of Online Social Networks," hosted by Self-Employed Creative Professionals (SECP) in Portland. Others on the panel discussing the business advantages of social networking included writer Susan Rich of RichWriting Creative Services, Working Artists LLC founderAdrienne Fritze, and eMarketing Strategist Elgé Premeau. Christian Messer, of Whiplash Design, was the moderator for the evening.

I was asked to approach the subject of using online social sites from my perspective as the author of Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands. Panel members wanted me to showcase how I had used social networking and related media to market and promote my book. In doing so, I prepared a handout for attendees with the following examples:

MySpace - MySpace drives more traffic to my web presence and blogs than any other social networking site I've used. It allows a detailed profile, image storage, blogs - which I use to post my blog headlines with links back to my own blog sites - forums and actual social networking. MySpace is much more than simply social networking for teenagers. I have eliminated most interaction not directly related to my book and my work with the posted statement: The primary purpose of this MySpace page is to discuss and promote various aspects of graphic design.

FaceBook: Facebook is probably my favorite social networking site. For me it's actually fun, in addition to providing a great opportunity for posting a detailed profile - with links back to whatever sites you wish to post, networking, image galleries, article posting capabilities, blog auto-feeds, and much more. Again, it's very effective in driving web traffic my way. A design industry editor once asked, "Isn't Facebook just for college kids?. My response was: "Have you visited Facebook lately?" It's amazing who in the design industry is making use of the resource as a marketing and promotion tool.

LinkedIn: LinkedIn comes across as primarily a technical information resource for job seekers and those seeking specialized employees. The specialized questions and answers, along with the recent addition of "groups." does make it a bit more interactive. I wish the navigation wasn't so "clunky." Still, making use of the detailed profile has been a great self-promotion tool. The more information provided the more successful LinkedIn will be for the user.

biznik: biznik - Business networking that doesn't suck - is one of the most user-friendly social networking/media sites. It's easy to connect with other members and to create an actual dialog with them. The detailed profile, ability to post articles and other aspects make it a value resource for the independent business person. Local "real world" networking events are an added benefit. As in many of the examples, there are additional benefits with paid memberships.

naymz: I'm relatively new to this site. Months ago I was invited by someone I know and I did little to complete the profile until a discussion with my fellow panel members. Less than one hour of work and a great deal of traffic was coming my way - primarily due to the blogs feeds to my personal profile.

Flickr: Referring to this resource as social networking may not be the first thing that comes to a individual's mind when visiting the site. The storage and sharing of images is it's main attribute. However, the creation of personal communities, groups and the image feeds to other social sites all become part of the online networking experience.

JumpUp: This site, from the Intuit folks, is an example of another aspect of social networking - the corporate-sponsored networking resource. JumpUp creates an avenue for a detailed business profile, interacting with other business professionals, creating a blog and more. My participation online also resulted in my work and book being featured in a traveling exhibit for the company. An online radio program is in the works.

StartupNation: I've been a participant on this site for some time. My primary reason for joining was that a designer shouldn't be networking only with other designers - one needs to be interacting with business people who may become potential clients. StartupNation provides an opportunity to mingle with business people through forum participation, forum postings, a detailed profile, blogs, articles and podcasts.

Adholes: This online networking resource is primarily for the advertising professional. It's a great vehicle for networking through forum participation, posting blogs and articles, and scheduling local meetups through groups. Besides, I like the name of the group, and their tagline: "Ad industry schmoozing without the expensive restaurant tabs."

Fast Pitch: I initially made use of this site for the press release distribution capabilities. Fast Pitch now includes greater networking opportunities, blog feeds and more.

Fast Company: This is the social networking and social media presence of my favorite business magazine, Fast Company. You can network, join groups, post articles and more.

GOOD Magazine: I'm fairly new to GOOD. It's another publication that allows its readers and members to socially interact. My profile, with pertinent information posted, has drawn traffic to mt site and blogs.

Zoodango: This site recently went through a major update. I haven't yet checked out all of the features.

Ziki: The site allows you to network with others, post links, and revieve auto-feeds from blogs and Flickr. The blog feeds are especially effective in bring me a great deal of traffic.

Small Business Online Community: This offering, from Bank of America, is somewhat new and evolving. A forum allows for customer interaction, articles are posted by experts and more is offered on a regular basis.

This is far from a complete list of the sources available for social networking and social media. As mentioned earlier, these are just the resources I put into play in marketing and promoting my book, Identity Crisis!. As you can see, from each page example, I have taken the opportunity to establish a somewhat consistent look in the content and imagery used in each profile. The photo of me is the same in many, my logo is an identifying mark for most, the same book cover image is featured, mentions of the book are always included, and website, or blog, addresses are used with consistency.

Still, it the examples presented should give many people ideas of where they might look for added marketing opportunities.

For a look at portfolio sites check out my earlier piece Marketing logo design efforts with online resources.

Toot! Toot!*: Industry expert Jeff Fisher cited inThe Designer's Guide to Marketing and Pricing

2008-05-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based identity design firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, is quoted and referenced in The Designer's Guide to Marketing and Pricing: How to win clients and what to charge them from HOW Books. The volume, by industry experts Ilise Benun and Peleg Top of Marketing-Mentor.com, provides designers with examples, case studies and worksheets for creating business plans, establishing a marketing strategy, and the successful day-to-day operation of an independent design business.

Designer and author Jeff Fisher is quoted in the book in regards to the need to "have passion for the cause" when doing pro bono work for nonprofit organizations. His first book, The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success, is also listed as recommended reading in the newly released book from Benun and Top.

Fisher is a member of the HOW Magazine Editorial Advisory Board, the HOW Design Conference Advisory Council and the UCDA Designer Magazine Editorial Advisory Board. His book, Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands, was recently released by HOW Books. His first volume, The Savvy Designer’s Guide to Success, appeared on bookstore shelves in late 2004.

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