Jeff Fisher LogoMotives: January 2008

Excavated Design Artifact #9

The design studio housecleaning continues. There are boxes of old design concepts and projects that haven't been touched in at least a decade. Here's another example of a logo design concept I recently came across.

Back in 1997 a close friend was discussing the possibility of opening a retail store that focused on outdoor bird houses, various bird seed products and related items for the gardener looking to invite wild birds into their landscapes. During an afternoon conversation a brain-fart resulted in the name "For the Birds" being realized for the venture. I told the friend I would be thrilled to create the logo for the business while she did necessary further research on the business.

A few days later I scribbled out a potential design, with a black ballpoint pen, on the back of a folded piece of laser paper from my recycle bin (actually a printout of my own then recently completed Jeff Fisher LogoMotives identity is on the other side of the sheet). The scribble has a bird house graphic as its centerpiece, with the opening to the residence as the letterform "O" in the word "FOR." Little doodles of bird images sit on top of the letters "B" and "S" from "BIRDS."

I obviously wasn't completely pleased with the concept. On the reverse side of a fax printout, along with a collection of phone messages and client appointment notes, is an additional rough sketch of the design idea. This one has a bird as the "B" letterform in the word "BIRDS."

The two concept drawings were combined - with the addition of a leafy tree branch for balance - to create the final logo design, which has always been a personal favorite. In the end, my friend never opened her bird house store as her career went off in another direction. However, the logo design has lived on in the books New Logo & Trademark Design (Japan), Bullet-Proof Logos, The New Big Book of Logos and Logo & Trademark Collection (Japan).

(This entry originally appeared on bLog-oMotives on April 27, 2007.)

Identity Re-Design: Cooke Stationery

As an artistic kid growing up in Salem, Oregon I would often buy art and design supplies at the local retail institution Cooke Stationery Company. I also went to high school with the children of the family who owned the business. Many years after moving from Salem I was contacted by the third generation of owners to redesign the company's identity.

Over the years, since opening in the 1930’s, the Cooke Stationery Company had used a variety of identifying elements, but did not have one consistent logo for use in its marketing and promotion. The primary graphics used by the office supply and stationery store were a type treatment from the 30’s and a character illustration made up of an old-fashioned typewriter eraser, pencil, rubber bands, paper clips and a sheet of paper. These two graphics were seldom used together, giving the business a split personality.

When the owners began a process of restoring the historic façade of their Salem building, it was also time to give the company image a make-over – while maintaining a connection to its history and celebrating survival as a small business in a world of “big box” stores. One directive for the new logo was that it not look like a new logo. An updated, yet not too sophisticated, character illustration was created and framed in an oval with banners noting the date the company was founded. The result was strong solid, single image projected by a logo that seems as if it may have appeared when the store opened in 1935.

The Cooke Stationery Company identity has appeared in the Japanese book Logo World (from PIE Books) and Logos: From North to South America from Spanish publisher Index Book.

(Note: My new 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!*
TCG eZine publishes Jeff Fisher interview

The latest edition of the TCG eZine features the article A New Brand for the New Year - an interview with Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based design firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. The author of Identity Crisis! 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands discusses aspects of the new book, as well as strategies for adding impact to a professional designer's own brand image.

The TCG feature notes: "In his second book, Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands, Fisher takes a fresh look at before-and-after case studies of businesses that refined their images. In doing so, he explores the process of redesigning existing identities to help organizations better communicate with customers and find success. We recently caught up with Fisher to discuss how creative professionals can apply the concepts he discusses to advance their careers, and how social media and "blogfolios" can be used to fortify brand image and drive business."

The eZine is the online magazine of The Creative Group, a highly specialized staffing company focusing on the placement of freelance professionals in the creative, advertising, marketing, web and public relations fields.

Jeff Fisher has received nearly 575 regional, national and international graphic design awards for his logo and corporate identity efforts. His work is featured in nearly 100 books on the design of logos, the business of graphic design, and small business marketing.

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 new book, Identity Crisis!, 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.)

Identity Re-Design: Smith Freed

In the case of the Portland law firm commonly known as Smith Freed, the old logo - for what was then the company name Smith Freed Heald & Chock – was actually a new identity that had been approved and implemented by the company. There was one serious problem. The letters representing the names did not really read in the order they should, due to awkward placement in the design. The dimensional shading of the letters also presented reproduction issues in some applications. Prior to dedicating money for a cast bronze lobby sign the partners in the firm decided to have the logo redesigned.

Ampersands are always odd design elements in “alphabet soup” company identities representing a number of named partners. It was decided to eliminate the symbol completely and just include the initials of the partners in a simple logo. To keep the costs of reproducing all printed materials to a minimum the logo was limited to a one-color treatment at the time. I always liked the "happy accident" of the interesting shape in the design, where all the letterforms came together.

A change in the name of the firm, to Smith Freed Chock & Eberhard, required that the logo be changed to incorporate the acronym SFCE. A new two-color palette was introduced to set the image apart from the previous incarnation.

Yet another name change a short time later resulted in additional alterations to the logo – and the reintroduction of the ampersand. Even with the second and third name, and logo, changes the public image of Smith Freed remained somewhat constant.

The redesign process of the logo appears in the book Logos Redesigned: How 200 Companies Successfully Changed Their Image by David E. Carter.

Excavated Design Artifact #8

I am continuing to sort through and archive over 30 years of design projects as I organize my home studio. It amazes me how much concept and process documentation I have filed away over the years. I seems a possible book on my 30+ years is evolving as I find more such materials all the time - and I haven't even started converting years of floppy disks to more stable archival vehicles.

Recently I came across the original planning meeting notes for a 1995 AIDS organization fundraising event to be called "Coffee Cares." The sheet of notebook paper listed a variety of possible event names and taglines. As the meeting progressed I scribbled out a possible logo design in ball point pen - based in part on the design of my own previous logo design for the Seattle restaurant Glo's Broiler. By the time the meeting was adjourned the event identity was created in my mind and on my page of notes.

My rough sketch included a roughed out intrepretation of the font Frankfurter Highlight for that retro cafe look, a checkerboard pattern above and below the event name, a space for the yet-to-be-determined tagline and steam coming off the coffee cup in the form of the AIDS ribbon.

Within a day my final logo concept was created, presented and accepted by the event planners. Little changed from the original scribble. I did drop the checkerboard pattern above "Coffee Cares" and the space reserved for the tagline was moved from the left to the right - now filled with the message "Baristas, bakeries & bistros supporting people with AIDS."

The image was very successful in drawing attention to the city-wide event in Portland and the fundraiser added to the coffers of local AIDS organizations. The logo was also featured in the books Restaurant Graphics 2, Typography and Blue is Hot,Red is Cool: Choosing the Right Color for Your Logo.

(This entry originally appeared on bLog-oMotives on March 19, 2007.)

Toot! Toot!*:
Create Magazine quotes designer and
author Jeff Fisher on education options

Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based Jeff Fisher LogoMotives is quoted in the January/ February 2008 issue of the industry journal Create Magazine. The veteran graphic designer is one of several industry professionals cited in regards to design education options for the article Art School vs. The Real World, from Dave Willmer of The Creative Group. The piece is part of the publication's annual Learn special section; a "guide to education for the creative mind." The feature includes information about a wide variety of design and art schools throughout the U.S.

In concluding his comments, Fisher addresses graduating design students with; "when you walk out of your school for the last time, degree in hand, your design education may truly begin."

Create Magazine provides creative professionals with an insider's perspective on the people, news, trends and events that influence the local advertising, design, printing, photography, film & video, animation and new media industries. Published in five regional editions, the publications has approximately 45,000 readers nationwide.

The Create Magazine web presence provides creative individuals with additional pertinent news, the opportunity to post an online portfolio, industry blogs, a job board, networking opportunities through a community forum and more.

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 new 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.)

Excavated Design Artifact #7

I'm continuing the ongoing process of going through 30+ years of files as I organize and catalog all my old graphic design files. Numerous times I have opened a folder or envelope to find an original doodle of what would eventually become a completed logo for a client.

In 1995 I sketched out a rough concept for a pro bono logo for the Portland nonprofit organization Esther's Pantry. Esther’s Pantry was founded in 1985 to provide individuals living with AIDS access to food and personal care items they themselves might not be able to afford. The organization was named in memory of Chester "Esther" Brinker, one of the first people in Portland to die of complications from AIDS.

Still, my take on "Esther" was meant to cause people to smile through the suffering and pain of the continuing AIDS crisis. I saw Esther as a bit of a "flasher," opening her jacket to reveal what was on the shelves of the "pantry." The female character in the design is actually a fairly good graphic representation of my late great-grandmother Osie Saltmarsh Cantrall Norris - a Southern Oregon pioneer and one of the most incredible people in my life.

In March 2000, the pantry transferred its operation to MCC Portland (I designed their logo in 1995 as well) and I was asked to redesign the logo as a grocery bag image that I never liked much. In fact, I've never even included that design in my portfolio. It was determined that my "Esther" - used in a limited fashion for a while - was a bit glib and possibly controversial.

I was very pleased when my Esther's Pantry logo was honored in the 1995 PRINT Regional Design Annual. I still smile each time I come across the image - and I'm sure that great-grandma gets a kick out of it, too.

It's great that Esther's Pantry continues on - with, it appears, an even newer logo. Each month 150 to 200 clients are allowed to select their groceries and personal care items from well-stocked shelves, rather than being handed a pre-packed box of food.

(This entry originally appeared on bLog-oMotives on December 30, 2006.)

Identity Re-Design: VanderVeer Center

Dr. Elizabeth VanderVeer’s clinic, offering nonsurgical cosmetic procedures, was having an identity crisis. In the period of just over a year there had been two name changes (one logo is shown above) and a major internal business reorganization.

It was decided to rebrand the company with the Doctor’s name. Initially I was asked to maintain Papyrus as the font for the redesign. By showing the client multiple images of the font in use by local businesses I was able to encourage the use of another typeface.

Originally the client proposed that the identity have an Asian influence, with bamboo as a design element. As the project progressed further, it seemed more appropriate to create an image that worked well with the rich Tuscan colors the walls of the clinic had been painted. The font Mousse Script lent itself well to use in the identity, especially with the expressive “V” letterforms.

Once the new logo (at right) was finalized the rebranding took an unusual turn. Before a stationery package, or any collateral materials, could be designed the immediate creation of a two-page magazine spread was required to meet an impending deadline for the premiere issue of a new publication.

The previous ads (at left) ran over a period of the previous six months and demonstrated the split personality of the business at the time.

The fact that Dr. VanderVeer was an artist led to the proposing of “The Art & Science of Image Enhancement” as a tagline. With the photo images of Loma Smith, the colors of painted walls in the clinic and the new identity, the ad effectively introduced the VanderVeer rebranding. The ad became the inspiration for all other marketing and advertising pieces.

The rebranding of the VanderVeer Center 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 volume was released by HOW Books in late 2007. Read more about the book on the Identity Crisis! blog.

The initial two-page VanderVeer Center ad (above) was honored with a 2007 Summit Creative Award. A one-page version of the ad appears in The Big Book of Layouts. The VanderVeer Center logo is featured in The Big Book of Logos 5 and Design DNA - Logos: 300+ International Logos Deconstructed. The rebranding case study is also posted on the membership site The Designers Inner Circle.

Education Logos

(Clockwise from upper left)

George Fox University 2002-03
Client: George Fox University
Location: Newberg, OR USA

The logo for a George Fox University admissions program appears in the Spanish book Logos from North to South America (Spain).

Reed College Fall Thesis 2005
Client: Reed College
Location: Portland, OR USA

This image was created to recognize the 2005 Fall Thesis students at Reed College. The logo appears in The Big Book of Logos 5.

PACRAO
Client: Pacific Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers

PACRAO is a non-profit association representing more than 350 regionally accredited 2-year, 4-year, and graduate schools with an individual membership of 1,500 professional admissions officers and registrars. The identity is featured in The New Big Book of Logos.

Sunriver Preparatory School
Client: Sunriver Preparatory School
Location: Bend, OR USA

This logo redesign evolved from a "grocery list" of possible items to be included in the image, including the nearby geographic landmarks of the Three Sisters Mountains, the ski slopes of Mt. Bachelor, Broken Top mountain and the Deschutes River. The school's wolf mascot was to be incorporated in the design if possible. The logo received an American Corporate Identity 16 Award and, as a result, was published in the book American Corporate Identity 2001 (HBI, USA, 2000). It is also included in The New Big Book of Logos (HBI, USA, 2000) and Logo World (P.I.E. Books, Japan, 2001).

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

Excavated Design Artifact #6

In his Right Brain Reader article, Away from the sketch pad; away from the struggle, Philip Bailey mentioned the logo I had designed for the theatrical production Fat Men in Skirts. Having done the logo about a decade ago, I had not thought about the image in some time - and then the other day I came across my original sketch for the identity on a scrap of laser paper that I had filed away.

I've been designing logos for triangle productions! theatre presentations for over 16 years. Producer/director Don Horn has been a dream client. He'll throw some odd play or musical name my way and leave me alone to create the identity for the show. He seldom even requests any changes in the designs. In this case, the production was to be playwright Nicky Silver's show Fat Men in Skirts.

I almost immediately had an image for the logo in my mind - kind of a cross between a middle-aged thick manly man and someone's pleasantly plump grandmother - with curly black chest hair. I quickly sketched out a rough design and then proceeded to take the image to the computer. In my digital design I wanted to maintain some of the qualities of the rough drawing - without giving the "fat man" too much detail.

The show was yet another successful local theatre production. My logo design had some success as well. It was recognized by the PRINT's Regional Design Annual at the time and was published in the Japanese design book New Logo & Trademark Design - which was recently republished in paperback as Logo and Trademark Collection.

(This entry appeared on bLog-oMotives on September 26, 2006.)

Identity Re-Design: Just Out

Just Out, the statewide monthly newsmagazine for Oregon's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, was approaching 22 years in operation and its identity was showing some age. The heavy, bulky type treatment of the name (below left) was definitely hinting at the 1980's and 1990's.

Publisher and Managing Editor Marty Davis wasn't seeking an entirely new "look" with a redesigned logo, but rather a refined - possibly redefined - treatment of the existing identity. The hope was to maintain the readers' immediate recognition developed at newsstands over the years, while making the paper's flag fresh and a bit more flexible in cover design applications.

The use of the font Gill Sans gave the identity a fresh, contemporary and slimmed-down look (above right) that has worked very well for the publication.

The award-winning Just Out logo appears in the books American Corporate Identity 2008 and The Big Book of Logos 5

Excavated Design Artifact #5

Recently, while cleaning out a box of old unfiled business papers, I came across a doodle that was to become one of my most successful logo designs. As it is the identity for a law firm, it is somewhat appropriate that the sketch is on a piece of a yellow legal pad. Creating a logo for a law firm can bring about many challenges. In addition to the partners in the business name, there are usually at least a few other lawyers who desire to claim some ownership in regards to selecting a final design. In such situations a designer needs to tactfully perform the "design by committee" dance. It can also be tough to convince the members of a legal firm to stray from the traditional conservative designs often used to promote such a company. It is necessary to convey that creating an original image positions the firm as unique in the market.

The identity process for the Portland law firm Samuels Yoelin Kantor Seymour & Spinrad went through numerous somewhat complicated iterations before one of the main partners in the firm suggested returning to an early, very simple concept. That design was a graphic interpretation of two thick law books creating the “S” letterform – representing the name Samuels, designated as the one constant in any future name changes. In a moment totally unrelated to meeting with the attorneys, while on the phone with another client, I drew out my initial thoughts with a felt tip pen. In fine-tuning the design I made the "books" come across as much more like the heavy legal volumes I'd seen in the firm's office bookcases. With some prodding by the one partner advocating the image, the icon was adopted by the firm and it has served them well over the past decade.

The design brought a great deal of attention to my identity creation efforts. The logo appeared in a PRINT Regional Design Annual, won a LOGO 2000 award, and received a Bronze in the Summit Creative Awards. The design was also published in the books International Logos & Trademarks 4, Letterhead and Logo Design 5, The Big Book of Logos, Global Corporate Identity, The Best of Letterhead and Logo Design, and the Japanese volume New Logo & Trademark Design (which has been re-released in paperback as Logo and Trademark Collection).

(This entry originally appeared on bLog-oMotives on September 19, 2006.)

Toot! Toot!*:
Jeff Fisher interview featured on FreelanceSwitch

An interview with designer and author Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, is currently featured on the web presence FreelanceSwitch. In the piece, "Veteran Designer Embraces Identity Crisis and Casual Fridays," written by Kristen Fischer, the designer discusses his 30-year career and recently released book Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands.

FreelanceSwitch is an online resource for all independent creatives, offering advice, articles, podcasts, a job board, and a community forum for designers, writers, illustrators, photographers, web developers and others.

Kristen Fischer, an independent copywriter and editor, is also the author of the book Creatively Self-Employed, in which designer Fisher was featured.

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 first book, The Savvy Designer’s Guide to Success, was released in 2004 by HOW Books, also the publisher of Identity Crisis!.

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

Excavated Design Artifact #9

Identity Re-Design: Cooke Stationery

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TCG eZine publishes Jeff Fisher interview

Identity Re-Design: Smith Freed

Excavated Design Artifact #8

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Create Magazine quotes designer and
author Jeff Fisher on education options

Excavated Design Artifact #7

Identity Re-Design: VanderVeer Center

Education Logos

Excavated Design Artifact #6

Identity Re-Design: Just Out

Excavated Design Artifact #5

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Jeff Fisher interview featured on FreelanceSwitch

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