Jeff Fisher's Speaking Engagements

Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, is often asked to speak at universities, colleges, community colleges, high schools, design industry conferences, non-profit organization events and business-related gatherings. His topics of choice include branding, marketing, graphic design, corporate identity, logo design, social networking/social media and other business-related offerings.

TypeCast | The Type Studio
March 22, 2012
Topic: What "type" is your logo?

Neenah Paper Twitterview
October 20, 2011

Columbia College Chicago
AIGA Student Chapter | iChat Lecture Series
December 6, 2011
Topic: Honesty [in Design] is [Always] the Best Policy

Linn-Benton Community College
May 19, 2011 • Albany, OR
Topic: Making Tracks Towards Success in a Design Career

AIGA Colorado
Denver Art Museum
October 6, 2010 • Denver, CO
Topic: Planning, Packaging and Promoting Yourself

Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design
AIGA Colorado Student Chapter
October 6, 2010 • Denver, CO
Topic: Tooting Your Own Horn!

Willamette Writers Conference
August 6-8, 2010 • Portland, OR
Topic: If I don't "toot!" my horn no one else will

CEDIM
Centro de Estudios de Diseño de Monterrey
2010 Summer Stars CEDIM
June 21-25, 2010 • Monterrey, Mexico
Topic: The Social Media Bible

Talk Story Live!
2010 HOW Design Conference
June 8, 2010 • Denver, CO

Bismarck State College
Freshman/Sophomore design classes
April 21, 2010 • Bismarck, ND
Topic: 30 Years of LogoMotives Designs

Bismarck State College
ArtsQuest
April 20-22, 2010 • Bismarck, ND
Topic: Planning, Packaging and Promoting Yourself

AIGA Idaho | Boise State University
Student Event
April 16, 2010 • Boise, ID
Topic: Planning, Packaging and Promoting Yourself

AIGA Idaho
Member Event
April 15, 2010 • Boise, ID
Topic: The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success

Columbia College Chicago
iChat Lecture Series
April 12, 2010
Topic: Tootin' Your Own Horn!

HOW Magazine Live DesignCast
February 18, 2010
Topic: Using Social Media as a (Free!) Marketing Tool

HOW Magazine Live DesignCast
November 23, 2009
Topic: How to Survive as a Freelance Designer

HOW Magazine Live DesignCast
August 31, 2009
Topic: Planning, Packaging and Promoting Yourself

RGD Ontario
Design Business Teleseminar
July 7, 2009
Topic: Tooting Your Own Horn!

2009 HOW Design Conference • Austin, TX
June 24-27, 2009
Topic: Why pay for something you can get for free
Panel: Surviving and thriving in a bad economy

Healthcare Communicators of Oregon • Eugene, OR
June 5, 2009
Topic: No-cost, or low-cost, marketing through social networking

RGD Ontario
Design Business Teleseminar
March 31, 2009
Topic: Packaging Yourself

Working Artists Network Roundtable • Portland, OR
March 29, 2009
Topic: Meet Me on Facebook - Artists & Creatives Who Successfully Use Social Media Marketing to Move Their Business Forward (Panel)

School of Visual Concepts • Seattle, WA
February 23, 2009
Topic: Identity Design Workshop

Central Washington University • Ellensburg, WA
January 21, 2009
Topic: Identity Design Insights

Yakima Ad Federation • Yakima, WA
January 2O, 2009
Topic: Identity Crisis!

Create Chaos Conference • Orlando, FL
October 13, 2008
Topic: Tooting Your Own Horn

2008 Creative Freelancer Conference • Chicago, IL
August 27-29, 2008
Topic: Reaping the Rewards of Creative Independence
Roundtable: Social networking as a marketing tool

APNBA Business District Association Conference
Portland, OR • June 12, 2008
Topic: Projecting a professional association image

2008 HOW Design Conference • Boston, MA
May 18-21, 2008
Topic: Planning, Packaging & Promoting Yourself as the Product

Self-Employed Creative Professionals • Portland, OR
May 15, 2008
Topic: Harnessing the Power of Online Social Networks (Panel)

Art Institute of Portland • Portland, OR
February 28, 2008
Topic: Identity Crisis!

AIGA Oklahoma • Oklahoma City, OK
January 24, 2008
Topic: Tooting your own horn

Oklahoma Christian University • Oklahoma City, OK
January 24, 2008
Topic: Designing in your underwear - life as a home-based independent designer

Southern Nazarene University • Oklahoma City, OK
January 24, 2008
Topic: Designing in your underwear - life as a home-based independent designer

St. Johns Booksellers • Portland, OR
November 8, 2007
Topic: The identity crises of North Portland businesses - book signing

Business Outreach Program
Portland State University • Portland, OR
November 5, 2007
Topic: Identity design as a business marketing tool

Art Beat Week • Portland Community College • Portland, OR
May 7, 2007
Topic: Designing in your underwear - life as a home-based independent designer

Spokane Falls Community College/
Eastern Washington University • Spokane, WA
May 3, 2006
Topic: Designing in your underwear - life as a home-based independent designer

Spokane Advertising Federation
Northwest Museum of Art & Culture • Spokane, WA
May 3, 2006
Topic: Tooting your own horn

University & College Designers Association Conference
San Diego, CA • September 17 - 20, 2005
Topic: Tooting your own horn from the in-house design department

2005 HOW Design Conference • Chicago, IL
June 12-15
Topic: Tooting your own horn

Art Institute of Portland • Portland, OR
May 19, 2005
Topic: The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success

2004 HOW Design Conference • San Diego, CA
May 16-19, 2004
Topic: The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success
Topic: The Limitlessness of the Long-Distance Designer

McNary High School • Art Careers Program • Salem, OR
Topic: Art as a viable career option

Creative Bloc 5 • Waterloo, IA
March 5, 2004
Topic: The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success
Topic: A Designer User’s Manual

City College of San Francisco • San Francisco, CA
April 21, 2004
Topic: Professional graphic design business practices

2003 HOW Design Conference • New Orleans, LA
June 5-8, 2003
Topic: Designers in handcuffs (panel discussion)

Association of Northwest Landscape Designers • Regional Conference • Portland, OR
January 2002
Topic: Graphic design and low-cost marketing solutions for small businesses

Tualatin Chamber of Commerce • Tualatin, OR
November 2001
Topic: Graphic design as a small business marketing tool

SBA/Small Business Development Centers Educators • Portland, OR
January 2000
Topic: Working with graphic designers in creating small business identities and promotions

Canby Union High School • Canby, OR
Topic: Graphic design as a career

Oregon Columbia IABC • Portland State University • Portland, OR
Topic: Profitable PR for non-profit groups

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HOW/Print DesignCast - 'Using Social Media as a (Free!) Marketing Tool' - available for purchase

The recent HOW/Print DesignCast "'Using Social Media as a (Free!) Marketing Tool" is now available as a download for purchase from MyDesignShop. Presented by Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, the DesignCast was described in a bit more detail in a previous bLog-oMotives entry.

Fisher's books Identity Crisis!: 100 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands and The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success (now a PDF on CD), previous DesignCasts, and selected past HOW Design Conference presentation audios are also available at MyDesignShop.

Special Offer: Purchase one HOW/Print DesignCast (archived or upcoming) valued at $69 or more and get one FREE! Use code HOWWB08A at checkout through midnight 02.28.10

© 2010 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

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Toot! Toot!*:"Killed Ideas, Vol. 1" gives second life to rejected C.A.T. design from Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

A logo concept by Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based design firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, is one of 50 projects selected from around the world to appear in the book "Killed Ideas, Vol 1." The volume, released by the creative online publishing entity Blurb®, showcases some of the best creative marketing ideas that never saw the light of day. Curated by AdRants founder Steve Hall, the book has been released as a special limited edition and is not for sale, but will be popping up in various places around the world in the coming weeks.

Fisher's selected design was the result of a request from the Cat Adoption Team organization to participate in a pro bono effort to create a new identity for the "no-kill" feline facility. In an "a-ha" design moment, while doodling one day, the designer came up with C, A and T letterforms creating a cat image. Confidently presented to the nonprofit's appreciative marketing, advertising and design-savvy Executive Director, the identity idea still required approval of the Board of Directors. With the governing body, the concept was DOA for not being "warm and friendly enough."

The ideas in "Killed Ideas, Vol. 1" represent the blood, sweat and tears of many creatives who poured the best of themselves into their work, which never ultimately saw production. Photographers, designers, artists and creative agencies representing more than 31 countries and 170 brands submitted their best killed ideas to be considered for inclusion in the book. Book curator Hall selected 50 finalists whose work has now been brought back to life in "Killed Ideas, Vol. 1." From print to radio to interactive, "Killed Ideas, Vol. 1" applauds creativity in all forms.

"I was blown away by the creativity we were exposed to over the course of this project - it's astonishing that some of these ideas remained on the cutting room floor until now," said Steve Hall, Curator of Killed Ideas, Vol. 1. "Inside this book, you will find fifty wonderful ideas. Great ideas. Insightful ideas. Ideas that should be appreciated. Ideas that should have an audience beyond their creator."

"For the Blurb team, it was truly inspiring to be involved in this project, and to bring these ideas to life in a book for them to be shared, kept, and experienced," said Eileen Gittins, founder and CEO, Blurb. "Congratulations to all whose work is represented in Killed Ideas, Vol. 1. We celebrate rampant creativity daily, and you're the reason we do what we do - awesome work, all!"

Others may now express their opinions of the 50 selected projects, through June 30th, by voting for the book's People's Choice Award at KilledIdeas.com. Through registering their emails, site visitors have the chance to win the one copy of "Killed Ideas, Vol. 1" made available each day during that time period. Fisher will also make several copies available during the 2009 HOW Conference in Austin, Texas. He will make use of social networking tools to give the books away.

Designer Jeff Fisher is the author of Identity Crisis: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands (HOW Books, 2007). He has received over 600 regional, national and international graphic design awards for his logo and corporate identity efforts and his work is featured in more than over 100 books on the design of logos, the business of graphic design, and small business marketing. His first HOW Books offering, The Savvy Designer’s Guide to Success, appeared on bookstore shelves in late 2004, and has been re-released in PDF format on CD. Fisher is currently writing a book about typography in identity design.

In January, Fisher was named one of design industry publication Graphic Design USA’s “People to Watch in 2009.” In 2008, Jeff Fisher LogoMotives was recognized as one of the top 100 U.S. home-based businesses by the web presence StartupNation.

More information about Jeff Fisher, and his design and writing efforts, may be found on the Jeff Fisher LogoMotives blogfolio.

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

© 2009 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

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Toot! Toot!*: Designer/Author Jeff Fisherfeatured on The Reflex Blue Show podcast

Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher Logomotives, is the featured guest on the latest episode of the The Reflex Blue Show. Hosted by Nate Voss and Donovan Beery of 36Point, the design industry interview is available for download at the show site or from the iTunes Music Store.

Fisher, author of Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands, discussed his upcoming public appearances at the 2009 How Design Conference in Austin, TX this June 24-27, his thoughts on recent major brand redesigns, and making use of Twitter as a marketing tool. In addition to referring to his book Identity Crisis!, the design writer also talked about his first book, The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success (now available as a PDF on CD from HOWBookstore.com) and his upcoming volume, Logo•Type - a book about typography in identity design. The new book will be available when released by HOW Books in early 2010.

Designer Jeff Fisher has received over 600 regional, national and international graphic design awards for his logo and corporate identity efforts and his work is featured in more than over 100 books on the design of logos, the business of graphic design, and small business marketing. Earlier this year, Fisher was named one of design industry publication Graphic Design USA’s “People to Watch in 2009.” In 2008, Jeff Fisher LogoMotives was recognized as one of the top 100 U.S. home-based businesses by the web presence StartupNation

The designer was also asked about recently attending clown school. With his newly-created clown persona of Toots Caboose, he is currently a member of the Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corps, for the 2009 Portland Rose Festival.

More information about Jeff Fisher, and his design and writing efforts, may be found on the Jeff Fisher LogoMotives blogfolio.

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

© 2009 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

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

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 130 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.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

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Toot! Toot!*:Fisher to speak at 2008 HOW Design Conference

Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland design firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, will be a speaker at the 2008 HOW Design Conference to be held May 18-21 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, MA. This annual creativity, business and technology conference for graphic design professionals will feature nearly 50 speakers and wide variety of topical sessions and workshops.

Fisher's session, Planning, Packaging & Promoting Yourself as the Product, will take a look at the challenges faced by graphic designers in marketing their own services. On Tuesday, May 20, the designer/author will have a book signing in the How Conference Bookstore.

Attendees can choose from more than 50 sessions in a variety of tracks, including Creativity & Inspiration, Design Disciplines, Career Development and more. Optional events include pre-conference workshops, a networking lunch, Boston design studio tours and more. The Conference will also host a Design Resource Center with exhibits featuring paper, stock photography, computer hardware and software, and products from other industry vendors.

More than 3,000 graphic designers, art directors, creative directors and illustrators are expected to participate in this year's Conference. The 2008 HOW Design Conference is presented by HOW Magazine, the creativity, business and technology magazine for graphic designers. HOW is published by F+W Publications, Inc. in Cincinnati, OH.

For additional information, and to register, visit the HOW Conference website and the HOW Conference blog. (The semi-early bird deadline, for conference registration savings, is Friday, April 11.)

Jeff Fisher has received over 600 regional, national and international graphic design awards for his logo and corporate identity efforts. His work is featured in more than 100 publications on the design of logos, the business of graphic design, and small business marketing. In late 2007 HOW Books published his latest book, Identity Crisis: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands. Fisher's first book, The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success, was released by the publisher in 2004.

Fisher, is a member of the HOW Magazine Editorial Advisory Board and the HOW Design Conference Advisory Council.

*If I don't "toot" my own horn, no one else will.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

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