Jeff Fisher LogoMotives: Identity Crisis

Showing posts with label Identity Crisis. Show all posts

'Trademark Power' book, published in 1916, offers identity advice to designers and business owners

Recently, I took another look at a fantastic gift I received from Liz and Nena, the co-owners of St. Johns Booksellers and hosts of the 2007 Portland book-signing for the release of my book Identity Crisis! Their store sells new and used books - and they are always having a wide variety of books - from estates, house cleanings and other sources - being added to their inventory.

Among books coming into the establishment was a copy of the 1916 book Trademark Power: An Expedition into an Unprobed and Inviting Wilderness by Glen Buck. The volume, published 94 years ago by Munroe & Southworth in Chicago, even contained its original sales sheet of promotional blurbs (below left); with the notice that the volume was "Not for sale at book stores. One dollar a copy." The shop owners both immediately felt the book would be the perfect gift for me.

Considering the age of the book, it is incredible to see so many recognizable brands and identities. Of course, some have suffered their own identity crises and evolved over time. Still, Heinz, Western Union, Nabisco, Sherwin Williams, Dutch Cleanser, Yale Locks, RCA, Paramount Pictures, Dutch Boy Paints, Lysol, Log Cabin Syrup, Firestone Tires, Eagle Brand, and many other identities appear throughout Trademark Power (one page of examples is displayed below right). There are also many logo examples for firms that have disappeared over the past century.

Chapter 32 of the book covers what constitutes a good trademark - and things to be avoided when designing the identity to be trademarked. The author's list of things which may be avoided is as follows:

First - Common and familiar forms do usually make good trademarks, for they lack distinction. The circle, the square, the crescent, the star, the diamond. the heart, the oval, the shield, the cross, all have long ago been usurped and are burdened with significances.
Second - If one is anxious to aquire legal title to a trademark her will not have it resemble any other trademark, nor will he put in it any descriptive phrase or name.
Third - Flags and emblems of all nations, the established devices of societies, associations and institutions should be avoided as not legally usable or protectible.
Fourth - Complicated and confused pictures or devices do not make good trademarks, because they cannot be seen and comprehended at a glance. As they lack simplicity they lack strength.
Fifth - A good trademark will not depend upon any color arrangement for its effect, at it will undoubtedly be necessary to reproduce it in many places where color cannot be used.
Sixth - It is advisable to avoid designs that are higher than they are wide. A "tall" trademark is often difficult to fit into attractive and harmonious layouts.
Seventh - A trademark should be capable of reproduction in all engraving processes, by zincs, half-tones, and the different offset and lithographic methods, that it may be well printed on all kinds of paper and other printable materials.
Eighth - If the trademark is not as simple as it can be made, and carefully proportioned in all its parts, it may be impossible to reduce it to small sizes without losing the design, or to increase it to large sizes without rendering it ugly.
Ninth - Care should be taken to evolve a design that will not print too black or too light, for undoubtedly it will be used with many styles of lettering and kinds of type faces.
Tenth - Designs that have only a temporary significance should be discarded. They may be meaningless, absurd, or quite impossible of use tomorrow.
Eleventh - That which is vulgar, repulsive, or ugly will never make a good trademark. Also one should be extremely cautious in the use of comic motifs.
Twelfth - It will save expense and trouble, and perhaps prevent disappointment, if the work of designing the trademark is put into trained and understanding hands. It is work that can't be hurriedly done in an idle moment by one who has not conception of the importance of the task.

This advice is nearly a century old and, with all the advancements in the design industry and technology over that period of time, it is surprising that most of the recommendations are still very valid for today's identity designers.

In closing his book, author Buck writes:

The new manufacturer who does not bring into being a good trademark at the time his venture is launched, even though it may not at once be conspicuously used, is neglecting a real opportunity to add to his tangible assets.
And the established manufacturer who has not now a good trademark stands in pressing need of one.
The trademark is not a panacea for every business ill. But it is a fundamentally important part of the business equipment that is to serve efficiently in the new order.

Thank you again, Nena and Liz, for the incredible gift of yet another interesting and historical perspective on identity, branding and trademarks. It's a great addition to my personal design library of nearly 400 volumes.

A collection of design competition - and book submission request - tips, tricks and observations

Nearly 20 years ago I began responding to design competition calls for entries and book publisher requests for submissions with the entry of client work. Early on I saw awards and inclusion in books as much more than an ego booster. Instead, positive results of such opportunities were a valid marketing and promotion tool for my business. Since then, my work has garnered over 600 regional, local and international design awards.

My designs appear in over 130 books from publishers around the world. The majority of potential clients coming my way begin our interaction with comments such as “I was at my local bookstore and saw some examples of your design work in a book...” In addition, relationships have developed with writers, editors and publishers. When they need illustrative elements for books, I am often contacted as a result of past positive experiences to submit work for inclusion in articles or books. I’ve also been asked to judge design competitions, or book submissions, many times in the last two decades.

When writing my first book, The Savvy Designer’s Guide to Success, I crossed over to the other side and became the person requesting design submissions to illustrate a book. I quickly learned the challenges of compiling the images I desired, obtaining the proper digital files for quality reproduction, collecting the descriptions and credits for specific projects and getting the permission forms required by my publisher, HOW Books.

My frustrations were multiplied in writing Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands - a volume greater in scope, with many more contributors from around the globe, and hundreds of graphic and photo images. I am now in the midst of writing my third book, Logo Type: 200 Best Typographic Logos from Around the World Explained which has involved over 200 submitting designers or firms and thousands of contributed images. Some days, while digging through the numerous submissions, I find myself getting really cranky and bitchy.

A few years ago, at a design conference, another author and I were lamenting about the issues associated with writing and coordinating a book before the finished manuscript is shipped off to a publisher. Our gripes and pet peeves were remarkably similar. As our conversation came to an end, he said, “If I ever even consider writing another book please slap me silly.” I gave him similar permission. Of course, he just completed his third book, and I am working on my second, since having that particular discussion.

The work on my current book got me thinking. What advice would I share with other designers in regards to responding to competition calls for entries and book submission requests?

Read the call for entries or book submission request: Seriously. Read the call for entries or book submission request thoroughly and carefully. Pay attention to the details from the entity conducting the design competition or writing/publishing the book. Failure to follow the specific documented requests could result in your work being immediately disqualified from consideration.

Evaluate what competitions and book submissions will best serve the needs of you or your firm: What do you, as a designer hope to achieve by responding to a call for entries or request to submit designs for possible inclusion in a book? An ego boost? Validation from your design or industry-specific peers? A happy client? Marketing and promotion of your work? The opportunity to “toot” your own horn with the possible results? A trophy and certificate wall in your studio?

My purpose for entering design competitions, and submitting my work for possible inclusion in books, is to make use of the results for the marketing and promotion of my design efforts. With a focus on identity design, I tend to target competitions and publisher requests that will give the greatest exposure to logo design, corporate identity and branding. Logo-specific competitions and books are always a first priority. Requests for complete identity programs are a close second. Calls for entries focusing on stationery package and business card design follow. Re-evaluations do result in changing priorities over time. For example, my logo designs were selected for inclusion in Print’s Regional Design Annual for many years. When Print opted to exhibit many fewer logos in the annual, I lost interest in entering the competition as a possible showcase for my identity design work.

An added bonus in the case of some competitions, or book submission requests, is the future release of compilation volumes by the publisher. For sometime Rockport Publishers has increased the exposure of a designers’ work with The Best of the Best of... books highlighting brochure, letterhead and logo design. LogoLounge is now doing the same with the new Master Library series. It’s great to discover your work will be featured in an upcoming book – with no additional effort on the part as the original submitter.

Create a budget for entry fees and potential publication fees: Entering design competitions can be an expensive venture. From my earliest submissions, I created a budget for entry fees I was willing to pay – and considered that expenditure a major portion of what I would spend on marketing in any given year. I sought out competitions that had a cap on entry fees after a given number of entries, offered an additional cap on any publication or “hanging” fees (which just annoy the hell out of me), charged no additional fees beyond entry fees, or resulted in a book being published. The Big Book of Logos series, LogoLounge, the former American Corporate Identity competitions, the Creativity Awards, and a few others fit into the guidelines I established for my business.

I’ve always appreciated the fact that the Summit International Awards– already directed at smaller firms – is willing to offer an added discount to one-person studios. This year, the American Advertising and Graphic Design Awards offered a free pro bono project entry with a paid entry fee in another category. With their American Graphic Design Awards the trade publication GDUSA has offered discounted entry fees to previous submitters and winners. Still, having won 20 American Graphic Design Awards over the years, I have yet to pay what I feel are outrageous publication fees to have my work appear in the magazine. As a one-person studio, I simply can’t justify the expense - especially when some of the awards have been for pro bono logo design projects.

Personally, I prefer to submit my work to book producers such as the widely promoted efforts of Rockport Publishers, Rotovision (UK), Index Book (Spain) and zeixs (Germany) - which have no entry fees and incredible reach with their products. HOW Books and PIE Books (Japan) are increasingly promoting future books with no fees for submissions. Inclusion in the books of all of these publishers exposes a designer’s work to an international audience of potential clients.

I think it’s unfortunate the the American Graphic Design and Advertising Awards (formerly American Corporate Identity) recently announced that winning entries of the most recent competition will not be published in a book. To be honest, had I been aware of this prior to the competition deadline, I probably would not have submitted designs. I also noticed that for a specific submission request, although an entry fee is not necessary, Crescent Hill Books is now requiring a $25 fee ($350 for a selected case study) for publication in the future book release. I do understand the challenges of publishing these days, but such changes will cause me to have second thoughts about the book submission requests of those two entities in the future.

Enter what you consider to be your best and most representative work: When giving designers advice about what to include in their portfolios, I always say “only include what you feel is your best work.” The same goes for considering one’s own work for possible competition entry or book submission. Competitions and publications are an opportunity to present to the world what you do best. Don’t be tempted to submit what you may consider mediocre work due to an entry fee price break at, let’s say, 15 entries. If you have 10 kick-ass design projects to contribute; only submit the ten pieces. It’s almost a given that, if you present work of which you are not particularly proud, the work will be selected for recognition or publication.

Provide what is requested: Simple right? You would think so, but many designers seem to have a problem following instructions. If a competition or book call for entries requests actual printed samples don't provide digital images. Most likely there's a desire to photograph all selected projects in-house for quality control. If a writer or editor request two or three submissions, don't submit 10 and ask that the reviewer select what they like. With several hundred people submitting work, numerous additional, unneeded entries means hundreds of images that the recipient most likely doesn't have time to review. Besides, the submitting designer knows their own work best and should be able to select what they hope to have showcased.

Submit the exact image files needed: There’s a reason competitions and book publishers ask that image submissions meet their own very specific file type and size requirements. The requested files are what will best serve the needs of the specific judging process or high-resolution printing. Many submissions to my own books have been every file type other than what was requested - the wrong size, low resolution or just really poor quality. Specifications may differ for each competition or book project. It's in a designer's best interest to submit exactly what is requested to present one's work at its best. Improper image files, or misnamed digital files, may result in disqualification from review.

The old "garbage in; garbage out" adage applies here. Submission of a poor quality digital image is only going to make a designer's work look bad. High quality digital images are a book publisher's friend.

Take advantage of an opportunity to describe your work: If given the opportunity to submit a detailed description of your work, take advantage of the situation. In early 2010 I was asked to judge a large number of submissions for the book Logolicious. The online submission form provided designers the chance to include a short description of the logo being submitted. I was surprised at the large number of designers who entered no description at all. In judging the entries, I found myself questioning what some images were, and what other designs supposedly represented. Simple one or two sentence descriptions went a long ways in making my decisions as a judge much easier and definitive.

Complete all requested documentation and authorization forms: It may sound like a "no-brainer," but it is very important to complete all entry form information and provide any required signature verifying rights and authorizing publication. An individual reviewing submissions may find it easier to reject an incomplete entry than tracking down the designer to collect missing details.

Give credit where credit is due: It is incredibly important to always credit those who participated in any project you choose to submit as a competition entry or as possible book content. Be generous in listing all that have contributed to the final project – especially if the design will end up being published, with credits, in a book or magazine. There is nothing worse than a supposed “team” member providing a design for publication, or a competition, and not crediting (or improperly crediting) major players on a project. Many years ago a minor contributor on a project of my own submitted the end result for inclusion in an international design book – listing me as minor participant on the effort. To say I was unhappy is an understatement.

Verify that you have have permission to submit specific design work: Many designers automatically assume that they have all permissions required to submit a project for award or publication consideration. Work for employers, work-for-hire situations, projects executed as a contractor for a corporation and other scenarios may not offer carte blanche authority to do so. Many competitions and book publishers require that contributors verify that they have maintained the right to make the submission in question. Early in my career I would often find myself chasing down a former client to get permission to enter a project in a competition or for inclusion in a book. For the past decade the following clause in my own project agreement has made such submissions much easier:

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.

Feel free to use and abuse the clause for your own purposes.

Set yourself apart from the crowd: What makes your design efforts unique? Work that stands out from the crowd in concept, execution and presentation is what will often get the attention of those judging a competition or selecting graphic content for a book. Several years ago I was judging the Summit Creative Awards and the trend of lime green and orange ink colors was a bit overwhelming. I found myself being drawn to the submitted designs that were unusual, didn’t fall into the trap of current trends or offered unique solutions to what may have been a very common design brief.

Ask any questions you may have about the competition or book project: Most design competition calls for entries, or book submission requests, do provide contact email addresses or phone numbers for any questions that contributors may have about the detailed specifications for such activities. Make use of these resources. Making your own assumptions in regards to any questions you may have could result in an entry that will not be accepted due to failure to follow the rules. In addition, contact with the competition sponsor or book publisher may initiate a relationship of value when submitters are being sought in the future for other projects.

Inquire about possible deadline extensions: Many design competitions and book submission deadlines allow for some flexibility. Rather than rushing to finalize an entry, due to a looming deadline, contact the entity in question and inquire about a possible extension. Often additional time will be provided, allowing for completion of an organized and complete submission.

Neatness counts: Neatness in all aspects of an entry or submission does make a difference. Enough said.

Package your submissions carefully: If shipping off actual printed samples of design work, make sure that your pieces are packaged to survive the wear and tear of the U.S. Mail or other delivery option. The first impression of a damaged project is going to impact the review or judging process.

Be patient in awaiting the results of a competition or book publication: Competition judging, and the production of a book, takes time. Be patient in awaiting the results of your design submissions. Most calls for entries or submissions result in hundreds, if not thousands of contributions. In its first year the HOW Logo Design Awards received over 800 entries. The book Logolicious required the review of nearly 5000 logo designs. In selecting designs for inclusion the book Letterhead and Logo Design 11, the firm Design Army had to sort through over 3000 submissions. Most design books are the result of a year or two of interviewing, writing, image selection, editing, design and printing.

Many competition coordinators and publishers are excellent about informing those whose work has been selected. By doing so, they are providing designers the opportunity to promote the news in a very timely manner - giving greater exposure to the competition or possibly increasing book sales. Unfortunately, in some cases I have received official notification of my work being included months after a book has hit the retailers' shelf.

Promote the hell out of your competition or book submission successes: It's in a designer's own best interest to "toot! one's own horn" when receiving a industry award or having work published in a book. Post the news on your blog, create a note on your Facebook page, or "tweet" about the information. Send out press releases to online and print design media, local newspapers, business publications, alumni organizations and trade magazines. An email press missive may be sent out to art/creative directors, vendors, clients, past clients, potential clients, design peers, friends and family. Make sure the client whose work has been recognized is aware of the fact. Ask the client if their specific industry has a trade publication or organization that should be made aware of the news.

Making others aware of your honor, or inclusion in a book, may result in requests for new work, possible inclusion in other books or articles, opportunities to make business or design organization presentations, or more.

Show your appreciation: In some cases, designers may receive complimentary copies of a book or magazine in which their work appears. If so, immediately send the author, editor or publisher a handwritten thank you note. In addition, whenever a writer or interviewer includes me in an article, book or podcast, I always make sure to express my appreciation with a note, email or call. Simple "thank yous" are an incredibly valuable tool in establishing career-long relationships.

Some additional resources on this topic:

Calls for entries: Upcoming graphic design competition and book submission deadlines

When a "contest" is not a contest

"Calls for entries" confusion?

A Winning Strategy

Toot! Toot!*: 'Best of Letterhead and Logo Design' features six identities by Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Six logo designs by Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, are featured in the recently released book The Best of Letterhead and Logo Design. The volume, from Rockport Publishers, is a collection of the best designs from the previous four Letterhead and Logo Design books released by the company between the years 1999 and 2007.

The selected designs include identities for Black Dog Furniture Design and the triangle productions! theatre company shows The Food Chain and Girls' Night Out. Logos for writer Kimberly Webster, retail establishment Peggy Sundays, and the 100-year-old W.C. Winks Hardware were also selected. All of the businesses are in the Portland metropolitan area.

Fisher, a 32-year design industry veteran, is the author of Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands and The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career. He is currently writing the book Logo Type, about typography in identity design, with a scheduled 2011 release.

The designer has received over 600 design awards and his work has been published in more than 130 books on identity design, self-promotion and the marketing of small businesses.

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.)

The client is always right...
...except when REALLY wrong

In preparing a proposal for a potential corporate identity project client, I was going through my archives and came across one of the great blunders that occurred in a past effort. The 1992 project, for The Governor Hotel in Portland, was one of the last times I kept my mouth shut when within my head I was screaming "silly client, you're making a huge mistake!" It made me realize that the adage "the customer is always right" is not always true.

My first visit to the hotel site required donning a hard hat to tour the historic structure, which was already being renovated. Director Gus Van Sant had recently filmed a scene featuring transients around a bonfire for "My Own Private Idaho" in what was to be the lobby and, for those who recall that movie scene, the building actually looked worse when I was touring it than it did in the film. I brushed the dust off the paneling on one dark,, dirty wall to get a better look at the beautiful Arts & Crafts bell ornament inlay. I mentioned that the shape would make a great icon for the logo and the response, from one of the hotel development team, was "Oh, no, we don't want to draw attention to the Art and Crafts elements of the building. Huh? Hmmm...after numerous attempts to create a logo the final selected identity incorporated the bell-shaped image I saw on the wall that first day.

Lesson learned #1: The client is not always right.

After a lengthy debate about whether the official name was "Governor Hotel" or "The Governor Hotel" it was finally decided, at the last minute, the drop "The" as an identifier. I've always felt that last minute elimination left a visual "hole" in the logo design. The project moved along fairly well after that. I ended up designing more and more pieces for the hotel over a period of almost nine months. The design assignments included the stationery package, coasters, notepads, pocket inserts for the bathrobes to be in the rooms, notecards, signage, catering and event planning marketing materials, computer paper to be used by the reservations department, print ads, brochures, grand opening invitations, press passes for the opening, the hotel restaurant logo and much more. It was a great deal of fun to select the unique mixture of paper colors and textures that would be combined to create a beautiful identity system for the hotel.

It then came time to select the final colors for the logo and printing of all materials. The hotel's interior designer stepped into the picture and basically demanded that specific colors be used. The PMS colors being suggested would compliment many of the interior elements of the hotel, but I knew they would look horrible on the printed materials. I could also see I was losing the battle and soon gave in out of frustration. My rep at the print house even shook his head when he saw the ink color selection. The stationery package was printed - in quantities of up to 10,000 pieces per item - and delivered to the hotel. The General Manager was stunned when he opened the box and saw the end result. He looked at me and said, "It looks like the Taco Bell Hotel!" (see above)

The manager recommended that all the printed materials be scrapped and the reprinting make use of the much more subtle color scheme I had originally suggested. We were able to salvage some of the letterhead stock to be used for printing the new half sheets. I grabbed a few samples of the "Taco Bell Hotel" stationery package before all the boxes were hauled off for recycling.

Lesson learned #2: When the client is wrong they may be REALLY wrong and, when you hear "silly client, you're making a huge mistake!" bouncing around inside your head, you may want to open your mouth and let your thoughts escape.

The identity project for The Governor Hotel lives on to this day in materials still used by the hotel, in the Japanese book American Hotel Identity Graphics, and in David E. Carter's volume The Big Book of Designs for Letterheads and Websites.

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

Jeff Fisher to present live HOW/Print DesignCast - 'Using Social Media as a (Free!) Marketing Tool'

Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, will present the live DesignCast "Using Social Media as a (Free!) Marketing Tool" on February 18, 2010 at 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT. The one-hour session is sponsored by HOW and Print magazines. The registration fee is $69. Online registration, and more information, is available on the MyDesignShop.com website.

Learn how to use Facebook, Twitter, blogging and more to grow your business, build networks, and reach out an international community of design peers and potential clients. Designer and author Jeff Fisher will sort through a variety social networking/media options and teach you how to use these FREE promotional activities.

Jeff Fisher, author of Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands (HOW Books, 2007), is a 30-year design veteran. He has been honored with over 600 regional, national and international design awards and is featured in over 130 books about logos, the design business, and small business marketing. His first book, The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success was released in 2004 and has been reissued as a PDF on CD from MyDesignShop.com. Fisher is currently writing a new volume, Logo Type: 200 Best Typographic Logos from Around the World Explained, on the topic of typography in identity design.

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

Identity Re-Design: Balaboosta Delicatessen

The Japanese book Works in Progress: Graphics for Visual Presentations features a portion of the logo design process for Balaboosta. The following example of a logo re-design project by Jeff Fisher LogoMotives goes into a bit more detail.

Local chef and restaurant owner Lisa Schroeder was opening a new traditional delicatessen on a city block where she owned two other eating establishments. Initially the new eatery was also going to display and sell artisan furniture made from reclaimed products. A polished identity was needed to represent the new business.

Furniture designer Brett Bigham had created an initial image for use in promoting the establishment which would also showcase his creative efforts (above). A more stylized and finished business identity was desired by the owner of the business. Retaining the image of a waitress in the graphic was discussed, as was the incorporation of some retro restaurant imagery.

With "Balaboosta" being a rather unique word, I first presented the client the word in a wide variety of typefaces - both upper and lower case for each font presented (above).

The initial concepts (above) incorporated waitress imagery, a retro-like checkerboard pattern and all of the text elements desired by the client. The first two logo concepts included an oval shape - an element used in the identities of the client's tow other eating establishments.

Feedback on the initial concepts led to the elimination of the waitress image. The client suggested that I concentrate on promoting the food offerings of the delicatessen within the logo design.

I then decided to incorporate a cup of coffee and a bagel as replacements for the "O" letterforms in the word "Balaboosta." In addition, concepts were presented that conveyed a restaurant tabletop with coffee cups, bowl, plate and pitcher. (above) Again, one of the designs involved the inclusion of the oval shape.

The oval resonated with the client and I was asked to move forward with that shape as a graphic element. The coffee cup remained within the design; while the bagel was replaced with a half sandwich and a dill pickle slice. In simplifying the design, the name Balaboosta Delicatessen was the only text retained. A variety of background treatments were presented (above).

The client, who had a great understanding of design and typography, then suggested that I take a look at the font Serific/Serifa as a possible primary type treatment. Baskerville was discussed as a complimentary type selection for the word "Delicatessen" (above).

The simplification of the logo design continued with the elimination of all illustrative elements. The diamond pattern background of previous concepts brought my attention to the tile pattern on the floor of the historic building housing the delicatessen. I then brought that tile pattern - and the colors of wood, paint and tile within the restaurant - into the design (above).

The oval shape was a consistent element from the beginning of the process to create an identity for the Balaboosta Delicatessen. Through the process of distilling the design down to a simplified image, a final sophisticated logo was created.

The client was very pleased with the final identity image and how it complimented the logos of her other restaurants. Unfortunately, the design got little use, as the eating establishment was reconcepted shortly after opening.

In addition to appearing in the Works in Progress: Graphics for Visual Presentations, the Balaboosta design lives on in The Big Book of Logos 5, 1000 Restaurant Bar & Cafe Graphics, 100s Visual Logos & Letterheads (UK), Design DNA - Logos: 300+ International Logos Deconstructed and Logo Design Vol. 3 (Germany). It also received an American Graphic Design Award from GD:USA.

Check out some other Jeff Fisher LogoMotives identity re-design projects.

(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.)

Never tell a potential client: "Your logo sucks!"

The one piece of advice readers seem to be taking away from my book, Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands, is that you should "never tell a potential client that their current logo sucks." In the volume's introduction I write:

"In doing so, you can almost guarantee that the client, a family member of the client, or the individual with whom you are dealing played a major role in creating the current image. This seems to hold true whether the client is a one-person home-based business or a large corporation. Making such an insensitive introductory remark is not the best way to start the sometimes long collaborative process of putting the best new face on a client's business or organization."

Most designers have found themselves in the position of needing to deal with a less than stellar logo when it comes to designing marketing materials, a print ad, a new website or some other promotional material. It may be difficult to keep oneself from blurting out, "Your logo sucks!" In additional to conveying a more tactful message, the designer must take into consideration the emotional and historical perspective of the identity - for the business owner, employees and client base. Another major concern for the client will be the financial investment of having a new identity created and then having it implemented as a complete brand.

I'm always somewhat amazed when designers mention that, as a marketing tactic, they plan to approach a local business or organization to tell them their existing logo or website is "bad" - and that their own design talent and ability is the solution for the now potentially insulted business owner or manager. The designers also expect that ambushing the potential client with rough or finalized design concepts - without any prior information-gathering from the business or organization in question - will be met with open arms. Again, the potential for offending the possible future client may be great.

In addition, the designer will have invested a great deal of time in producing what is little more than another form of speculative work. Perhaps one of the greatest dangers in attempting to "sell" such a completed proposal or concept to an entity is that the business representative will not see the true value in work that is already completed. In the end, the designer may be cheating themselves out of time and income that can not be recovered, while also creating designed work that may not best serve the requirements and desires of the potential client.

It's best to approach such potential clients, or the in-house boss, through the initiation of a positive dialogue of possibilities. Occasionally, great opportunities to begin that process may be presented by a business or organization. Recent discussions with clients of mine, in regards to new identities, have come out of the following:

• A business moving to a new location - which immediately requires the redesign or updating of everything for the business; from business cards to website.
• A possible major capital expenditure - the remodeling of an office, need for new signage, purchase of new company vehicles, or potential website design may prod "the powers that be" to take a new look at all aspects of the corporate identity.
• A major business anniversary - taking a look back at a company history often initiates the discussion of the future of the business image.
• Actual changes in the business operations and/or scope - a publication client recently expanded the geographic area they serve, and changed the page size of the paper, which brought about a major redesign need.
• Changes in management or staff - a long-time owner, or management person, leaving the firm - or the hiring of new marketing or administrative staff - can "jump start" the redesign of a company's brand.
• A specific need for a new promotion or advertising piece - the investment in a major marketing brochure or print ad may bring about the re-evaluation of an identity.
• Simply having the time and opportunity - with the economic downturn several clients have found the time to take on redesigning the business identity.
• The realization that an identity is "tired" - every once in a while a client surprises me and, out of the blue, suggests that a business identity facelift may be needed.

Designers should make themselves aware of such opportunities with clients, potential clients or employers - and be ready to react. Have a finely-tuned online or physical portfolio in place to showcase your capabilities, a marketing packet or proposal ready to present, and questions prepared to begin the discussion about the future of the entities identity and marketing. Queries need to be worded in such a way as to not put the business decision-maker on the defensive. Some possible questions might include:

• What is the significance of the logo design and how does it represent your business?
• What is the history of your business identity and its creation?
• Does your current logo best identify and represent your business in reaching your target market?
• With the creation of a new website in the works (or any of the possible scenarios listed above), is it time to review the impact and effectiveness of your business identity?
• Is the current image the logo that you hope to have represent your company for up to decade?

Of course, there are many other questions you might want to ask. Again, once you have a signed agreement for the redesign project, remember to reflect on the emotional and historical perspective of the identity in question.

The emotions around a logo, whether a client did it themselves or not, can be very strong. I just completed the identity for a business, that had made use of a less than ideal logo for over two decades, where there was an understanding that the logo wasn't going to be touched until the founder was no longer involved in day-to-day operations. He had designed the original logo himself. After a very productive identity design process the only historical aspect of the logo retained was the original color.

Another potential client is having difficulty moving forward on an identity redesign due to the emotional attachment to a logo the founder created almost 20 years ago. I provided them with my marketing materials, a number of before and after case studies, and a copy of my book, Identity Crisis!. The message I've repeatedly stressed to the founder is that an identity redesign does not necessarily require tossing out all graphic references to the history of the organization - but the identity should be updated as they move into a new facility.

Do remember that the re-design of any business or organization identity usually requires a fairly decent financial investment for the client - the cost of the logo itself, the design and printing of a stationery package and all marketing/advertising materials, the creation of new signage, and so much more. Hesitancy, on the part of a client, to dive into a total rebranding may be due to financial considerations above and beyond the actual cost of having a logo designed.

Identity redesign projects do not need to be painful for designer or client. In many cases, a designer needs to realize they should not necessarily be putting their personal "mark" on the business or organization, but rather working in collaboration with the client to produce the best solution for extending the life, recognition and success of the identity being addressed.

Self-Promotion the Social Way

Designer Daniel McNutt recently posted on Twitter, “Jeff, you were social networking before it had its catchy name.”

And I realized that he’s right: I’ve been using social interaction tools for self-promotion for quite a long time. I found my way online more than a decade ago with my first website, newsgroups and forums such as the HOW Forum (forum.howdesign.com). I used those outlets to promote my firm and to share my design and business expertise. About five years later, I was dragged kicking and screaming into the then-new blogosphere. To my surprise, bLog-oMotives (my first attempt at blogging) proved to be a great outlet for communicating ideas and promoting my work. I created a separate blog to promote my book Identity Crisis! From there, I made over my fairly stagnant business website with a blogfolio format (as you’d guess, part blog and part portfolio of my work), which was more flexible for me and more search engine-friendly.

Social networking is the latest tool for online marketing, one that I’ve embraced, like many other creative pros. LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, Naymz, Plaxo, Twitter, Squidoo and Ning — it almost sounds like the name of a law firm. Instead, by adding “.com” to each term, you’ll find just a few of the growing number of social networking sources available to spread your name, work and brand out into cyberspace.

And that’s precisely the point of using social networks as self-promotion tools: They can grow your universe of business prospects, draw traffic back to your website or blog and help you develop a broad reputation as an expert. “These sites all help get your name out there,” says Paul Kline, a photographer who runs a studio bearing his name in Washington, DC. “Websites, search engines and direct mail are all important, but social networking sites are more personal, and in some cases more effective.”

Getting Started in Social Media
Social networking success depends on initiating interaction, engaging an audience, sharing information, making the impersonal personal and inviting feedback. It also demands that you offer easy access to an already established web presence (either your website or blog). Your online audience will want additional information about you and your expertise before deciding to be your friend, follower or contact. Without that link, you lose credibility, and the perceived value of your tweets, posts and comments may lessen.

Nashville, TN-based children’s illustrator Holli Conger built that foundation first. “I’ve always had an online portfolio and website,” she says. “When I first started out, I participated on a lot of forums. I would usually read more than I commented or posted. Then I moved on to blogging, which opened me up to other illustrators who were more on my level career-wise.” Justin Ahrens, principal of Geneva, IL-based design firm Rule29, had a similar introductory experience to internet marketing. “Early on, we primarily utilized our website; it basically just showcased our work, contact information and news highlights.”

MySpace and Facebook
When I joined MySpace several years ago, the network was primarily populated by teens, but I saw its promotional promise and I did land a couple of projects. But I’ve found myself returning to MySpace less and less frequently as my business goals have outgrown the site’s audience and abilities. Frankly, it’s OK to move on if a social network isn’t serving your needs.

When I joined Facebook, my strategy was to create a personal profile with a business slant. Increasingly, though, Facebook is attracting “grown-up” users and has added new tools that enable a more professional presence on the network. I’ve set my Facebook profile up so that it automatically feeds my latest blog posts, and I contribute targeted, business-specific updates and post galleries of appropriate photos and graphic images. And I’ve created a page for Jeff Fisher LogoMotives that exclusively spotlights my business.

LinkedIn
LinkedIn was built from the ground up as a business networking tool; unfortunately, the site’s early iteration was clunky, difficult to navigate and, let’s face it, boring. Now, however, LinkedIn has perhaps taken cues from Facebook: It’s a friendlier environment for making professional contacts, with easier navigation. The addition of industry-specific groups and discussions created a venue of true social interaction. The groups also make it easier to find and connect with people of similar interests and experience.

Looking at who your contacts are connected to expands your exposure to potential clients, as Conger discovered. “LinkedIn led to a pretty lucrative design/illustration contract that feeds me work monthly,” she says. “I found the company through another contact and noticed in their profile that they were hiring in-house positions. I e-mailed to see if they’d be interested in working with me on a freelance basis. They said yes and they’ve been one of the best clients I’ve ever had.”

Twitter
My fear of a Twitter addiction kept me from participating early on; after just a month of tweeting, traffic to my blogfolio and blogs doubled. I’ve found Twitter to be an invaluable business resource. While casual Twitter users post their whereabouts and what they ate for breakfast, I opt for more professional tweets. I add links to blog posts or articles I think others may find interesting. I share design competition and book submission deadlines. I retweet, or re-post, messages I feel may be of interest to those following my posts. Occasionally I toss in a personal note or response to someone.

Using Social Media Strategically
In my involvement with these sites, I see a lot of designers, writers, illustrators and photographers networking only with other creative types. Selectively interacting with just your peers isn’t the best tactic for finding potential clients. So I encourage creative professionals to also seek out networking opportunities on sites frequented by business folks, like StartupNation.com or Biznik.com.

The social networking sites of traditional print media also provide great opportunities to rub cyber elbows with business professionals. Magazine websites such as FastCompany.com, Entrepreneur.com and Good Magazine provide a connection to the business community—including the ability to create online profiles, participate in discussions and post articles or blogs. Being active in these online conversations demonstrates your expertise to a new niche.

I’ve discovered that there’s little difference between my individual personality and that of my business. Conger advocates using caution in establishing the online attitude for your business, as well. “I think it’s important to show your personality, but I’ve chosen to have a more professional appearance on the internet as a whole,” she says. “Everything is searchable, and what you say could come back to haunt you.”

This blending of personal and professional worlds may be one hurdle keeping you from tapping social media as a professional tool. Another may be time. Just as you can be strategic about representing your brand online, you can be thoughtful about how you manage all these networks. You can repurpose content across media; a blog post might also appear in your newsletter and, in short form, on Twitter. Applications like Ping.fm can synchronize your blog with your social media accounts, so a new post is automatically broadcast to other outlets—a huge time-saver. And tools like TweetDeck let you monitor and post to Twitter and Facebook simultaneously.

When it comes to social networking, it’s possible to successfully mix business with pleasure. “Make time for social networking,” Ahrens concludes. “It’s a ton of fun—and more important, you never know whether or not a valuable new business connection is just around the corner.”

Note: This article, by Jeff Fisher - the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based design firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, was originally published in its entirety in the October 2009 HOW Magazine Self-Promotion issue.

"8 tips and tricks for professional and effective 'Self-Promotion the Social Way'" is the side-bar to that printed piece.

Toot! Toot!*: Designer/Author Jeff Fisher to judge first HOW Magazine Logo Design Awards

Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based design firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, will be the judge for the new HOW Logo Design Awards competition. Sponsored by HOW Magazine, the leading creativity, business and technology magazine for graphic designers, the competition has a new submissions deadline of December 15, 2009.

All entries must have been produced between July 1, 2008 and December 1, 2009. There are no specific categories for designs to be submitted and work entered may have been created for real world clients, as student class assignments or just for fun. The fee for each entry is $30. Submissions are to be made online through the HOW Logo Design Awards website.

The 10 winners will be featured on the HOW website, get $150 worth of HOW books and receive a 1 year subscription to HOW magazine. In addition, a graphic will be provided for posting on websites, blogs and/or online portfolios announcing a winners' status.

Fisher, a 30+ year design industry veteran, is the author of The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career and Identity Crisis!: 50 redesigns that transformed stale identities into successful brands. He is currently writing the book LogoType, about typography in identity design, with a scheduled release of late 2010.

The designer has received over 600 design awards and his work has been published in more than 130 books on identity design, self-promotion and the marketing of small businesses. In recent years, Fisher has judged numerous competitions, including American Advertising & Design 25, the Logopond Awards, The Create Awards, and the Summit Creative Awards.

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.)

Before & after logos from Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Many of my identity design projects have been redesigns of existing logos. Over the years I have been contracted many times to update or makeover the logos of businesses and organizations. My "before & after" images of such projects get a great deal of attention in my marketing packets and through previous blog entries focusing on redesign efforts. I thought I would create a visual recap of many of the design efforts - with links to previous posts offering project explanations and anecdotes. (A few of the logo explanations will be the subject of future blog entries)