Identity Re-Design:Childpeace Montessori Community

In 1999 I was contracted to create a new identity for the Childpeace Montessori Community. The existing geometric logo seemed somewhat cold and impersonal in representing the education facility. I was asked to design an image that was softer, more inviting and played upon the school location on Portland's North Park Blocks.

With the school and its playground equipment so connected to the treed city park location, I chose to make leaves the primary graphic element in the design. A trio of elm leaves was positioned over the word "Childpeace," creating a situation where the descender of the "p" letterform hinted at being part of a tree branch. By extending that descender a bit, space was made available for the words "Montessori" and "Community" to fit in easily, forming a tight identity for the facility.

Making use of a gradation in the leaf elements gave the image a sense of warmth and energy. However, for ease of reproduction in some applications the logo was also produced in a version with solid leaves.

The Childpeace Montessori Community identity received a 2000 American Graphic Design Award.

With a move to a new location in the summer of 2003, and adoption of the name Childpeace Montessori School, the short-lived logo was retired.

(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.)

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives.

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Excavated Design Artifact #21

I don't think I'm ever going to get through the boxes and files of past projects that have piled up around my home-based studio over the past 30 years. At least I have no shortage of excavated artifacts to share with others. Here's another example of what a client thought they wanted - and the end result.

I recently came across another yellowing thermal fax page, this one from March 1996. A client of my sister's ad agency and PR firm sent the office a rough layout of a logo and flier they wanted the design department to create.

The client, Advocates for Home Buyers, wanted to promote guidebook the firm had produced for individuals considering purchasing a home. The concept for the flier included multiple fonts for the text and a rough drawing of illustrative element creating a house from the A, H and B letterforms (above left). The colors of red, blue and green were specified for the logo to be produced.

Luckily, my sister and her staff were able to convince the client to have cleaner logo created and the one-sheet flier became a two-color tri-fold, self-mailing brochure. The client also agreed that "Home Buyers" should really be one word as a business name element - even though the emphasis on the H and B were still requested to maintain some consistency with existing marketing and promotion materials.

I designed a tighter house image making use of the letters requested and set it within a circular shape containing the business name (above right). A new color palette was accepted by the client for the printing of the two-color direct mail piece.

Looking back on the approved image 12 years later, I would have refined it even more. However, the logo solution met the time and budget constraints of the job - and greatly exceeded the expectations of the client.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

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Toot! Toot!*: NAILS Magazine features Jeff Fisher LogoMotives in "Graphic Design 101" article

The design efforts of Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, are featured in the October 2008 issue of NAILS Magazine. In the article Graphic Design 101, Fisher is interviewed by Ami Neiberger-Miller about his identity design work for Diva Salon, and the creative process in meeting the needs and desires of a small business client.

Owner Lisa Fritsch also provides the perspective of a small business owner working with a graphic design professional. In the piece, Fritsch sums up her experience in working with Jeff Fisher LogoMotives saying, "I've been fortunate. I got lucky when I had a meeting of the minds with Jeff Fisher."

In the introduction to her article, Neiberger-Miller writes: "Graphic design can make or break the image of a nail salon. Whether or not you have a consciously crafted image, your nail salon's brand is expressed through the look of your salon's materials."

Written for professionals in the salon industry, NAILS Magazine covers all aspects of the business, including how to open and run a successful salon or spa, career advice, safe and effective manicure/pedicure techniques, healthy and safety matters, trend forecasts, advertising, branding and more. Published since 1983, the magazine has provided advanced education for nail professionals to a subscription base of 60,000.

Fisher's branding efforts for the Diva Salon have experienced previous international exposure. The Diva logo appears in the The New Big Book of Logos, Logo World (Japan), Logo Design for Small Business 2 and Logos from North to South America (Spain). The business card for Diva is featured in the book New Business Card Graphics 2 (Japan).

Jeff Fisher has received nearly 600 regional, national and international graphic design awards for his logo and corporate identity efforts. His work is featured in over 100 books on the design of logos, the business of graphic design, and small business marketing. He is a member of the HOW Design Conference Advisory Council and the UCDA Designer Magazine Editorial Advisory Board, and served on the HOW Magazine Editorial Advisory Board. His latest book, Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands, was released in 2007 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.)

Note: The NAILS Magazine article came about as a result of the writer's resource request through Help A Reporter Out (HARO).

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

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Tweet! Tweet!: LogoMotives is all a-Twitter

Until now I've avoided joining the Twitter bandwagon - primarily due to to my addictive personality. Besides, between design and business forums, online portfolios and social networking/media I'm online way too much already. Well, those days are over.

Thankfully, I do get to blame someone else for my fall into the abyss that is Twitter-mania. My buddy Christian Messer, of Whiplash Design, wrote the recently posted article article Online Marketing: Everyone's all a Twitter… for the site biznik (business networking that doesn't suck) and I was sold.

I've been "tweeting" for almost two days and having a lot of fun in the process. I do already see the value in Twitter as a networking tool and community builder. It will be interesting to see how my participation evolves as yet another marketing and promotion tool for Jeff Fisher LogoMotives.

The url of my Twitter profile is twitter.com/LogoMotives. See you there...

By the way, Twitter has become another method for me to campaign for your vote in the StartupNation Home-Based 100 Competition. (With some help from Cal the "retweeter!") Vote early. Vote often.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

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Excavated Design Artifact #20

The design studio housecleaning continues...and I have another excavated artifact to share.

Early in the summer of 1989 I was contacted by Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) to create a logo for "From All Walks of Life," the third annual AIDS pledge walk to benefit AIDS care and education in Portland, OR. In my first doodle (below left), done in red ink pen for some unknown reason, I envisioned a variety of oversized shoes containing some of the recognizable buildings in downtown Portland.

That original concept then evolved into an illustration executed with a rapidiograph pen, making use of some polka dot Zipatone film pattern and Liquid Paper for a little cleanup (above middle). A cowboy boot - with a stitched rose, a ruby red high heel, a oxford brogue, a hiking boot, a high top tennis shoe and a ballet slipper were represented in the artwork. Within some of the shoes rested the now iconic Portland Building, the KOIN Center, what was then the First Interstate Building, and the US Bancorp Tower (also known a "Big Pink").

The rough logo design concept presented to CAP as a color copy (above right) showed the artwork, with a possible treatment indicated in color pencil, surrounded by the proposed placement of the needed text. The type seems somewhat poorly laid out, and difficult to read, in the pre-computer transfer lettering font Latino.

The final design (above) made use of another font in an arch-like treatment, with the tagline beneath the illustration. Reviewing the design now, the type treatment of the event name looks kind of clunky and awkward. It appears to be a bit 1980's-ish - which it is...

Note: The Cascade AIDS Project is still an active organization today. In fact, the 22nd annual AIDS Walk Portland will be held Sunday, October 12, 2008.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

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Education Logos

(Clockwise from upper left)

James John School
Client: James John Elementary School
Location: Portland, OR USA

The logo for a public elementary school near the historic St. Johns Bridge. The identity was honored with an American Graphic Design Award and a Silver in the Summit Creative Awards. It appears in the books The New Big Book of Logos (HBI, USA, 2000), The New Big Book of Logos (Paper, Harper Design, USA, 2003), Logos from North to South America (Index Book, Spain, 2005), Logo Cafe (Page One, Singapore 2005) and Logos from North to South America (Paper-mini, Index Book, Spain, 2007).

Four Rivers Community School
Client: Four Rivers Community School
Location: Ontario, OR USA

This logo needed to appeal to children and adults associated with the bilingual charter school. A graphic representation of the "four rivers" was requested - along with the text in Spanish and English. The logo appears in The Big Book of Logos 5 (Harper Design, USA, 2007) and The Big Book of Logos 5 (Paperback, Harper Design, USA, 2012).

Fall Thesis 1999
Client: Reed College
Location: Portland, OR USA

This image was created to celebrate the 1999 Fall Thesis students at Reed College. The logo was honored with an American Graphic Design Award. It also appears in the books The New Big Book of Logos (HBI, USA, 2000), Logo World (P.I.E. Books, Japan, 2001) and The New Big Book of Logos (Paper, Harper Design, USA, 2003), Logos from North to South America (Index Book, Spain, 2005), Logo Cafe (Page One, Singapore 2005) and Logos from North to South America (Paper-mini, Index Book, Spain, 2007).

Childpeace Montessori Community
Client: Childpeace Montessori Community
Location: Portland, OR USA

This logo was also produced with solid leaves for various applications. It received an American Graphic Design Award.

All logo designs © 2015 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. All rights reserved.

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StartupNation recognizes Jeff Fisher LogoMotives"Home-Based 100" one-hour marketing effort

Yesterday I received the StartupNation Community Bulletin in my email box - and there I was as the lead story. The mention was in regards to the Jeff Fisher LogoMotives entry in the StartupNation Home-Based 100 Competition. Under the heading "1 Hour Grassroots Marketing Victories" the text read:

Home-Based 100 contestant Jeff Fisher sees everything as a marketing opportunity and with about 1 hour of effort has made a significant impact on his business. "My little "Home-Based 100" marketing campaign has a resulted in a little side effect - traffic to my blogs and website is up about 30% in the past week." ...

A link in the email then invited readers to "Learn the 1 hour marketing plan ." The Community Bulletin newsletter is also posted online. In my original StartupNation forum post I explained how, in just about an hour, I had made a significant marketing effort in my quest to be one of the businesses featured on the annual Home-Based 100 list.

Here I am today using my marketing efforts as a self-promotion example - and promoting my business, and the competition, even more.

Please remember to vote daily for Jeff Fisher LogoMotives throughout the competition. Vote early. Vote often.

Thank you for your support.

(See what other sites have been "tooting my horn" in regards to the Home-Based 100 competition.)

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

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Toot! Toot!*: Jeff Fisher LogoMotives honoredwith 2008 American Graphic Design Award

Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, has received a 2008 American Graphic Design Award for his identity design efforts. Over the past decade Fisher has been honored with 19 of the awards in the annual national competition coordinated by the trade publication Graphic Design USA and sponsored by NewPage.

Fisher was honored for the identity created to represent the Holocaust Remembrance Project, a program of the Holland+Knight Charitable Foundation, Inc - the charitable giving organization of the Holland+Knight law firmwith headquarters in Tampa, FL. In the identity redesign effort, the designer made use of the negative imagery of triangle-shaped concentration camp uniform badges to form the colorful rays of a strong, positive sun graphic in projecting an image of honor and respect in regards to the issues of the Holocaust.

The Holocaust Remembrance Project is a national essay contest for high school students that is designed to encourage and promote the study of the Holocaust. Participation in the activity encourages students to think responsibly, be aware of world conditions that undermine human dignity, and make decisions that promote the respect and value inherent in every person. The project serves as a living memorial to the millions of innocent victims of the Holocaust.

Jeff Fisher has received nearly 600 regional, national and international graphic design awards for his logo and corporate identity efforts. His work is featured in over 100 books on the design of logos, the business of graphic design, and small business marketing. He is a member of the HOW Design Conference Advisory Council and the UCDA Designer Magazine Editorial Advisory Board, and served on the HOW Magazine Editorial Advisory Board. His latest book, Identity Crisis!: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands, was released in 2007 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.)

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

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Resources from "Reaping the Rewards" at theCreative Freelancer Conference in Chicago

As a speaker, I had a great time at the Creative Freelancer Conference. It was incredible sitting in on the presentations of the other presenters, meeting so many of the participants in person, having the opportunity to answer so many of your questions on a one-to-one basis, and getting to review some great design and photography work.

In the course of my presentation "Reaping the Rewards of Creative Independence," and my "Marketing Through Social Networking" roundtable, many Creative Freelancer Conference attendees requested additional information. I mentioned I would make links to those resources available.

Many people requested the handout I created for the social networking roundtable. That information is available in my blogfolio post "Marketing through social networks & social media."

I was also asked about the online portfolios I use to market my identity design work. That information may be found in the article "Marketing logo design efforts with online resources." The marketing packet I send out to potential clients is described in the entry "Prepare for any marketing or promotion opportunity with a customizable "media kit."

A few of you requested a copy of my project agreement - which includes the wording of the rights clause I include to ensure I can use all work for self-promotion purposes. The text of my contract is detailed in the piece "Signing on the dotted line…"

StartupNation and biznik were the two general business networking sites I discussed in my presentation. "Real world" networking events are a possibility in your local area as a result of biznik, if there are enough nearby members. The organization for creatives working for, or with, colleges is the University and College Designers Association.

About every 30-45 days I post an updated list of design industry competitions and book submission calls-for-entries on bLog-oMotives.

I did have questions about my personal Facebook presence and my Jeff Fisher LogoMotives Facebook Page. These are two different entities - and any Facebook member may have a personal profile and a business Page.

A review of previous blogfolio entries about the Creative Freelancer Conference will also provide information covered in my presentation.

Several people asked about any upcoming speaking engagements I may have on my schedule. On Monday, October 13, 2008, I will be making a presentation on self-promotion at the Create Chaos 2008 event in Orlando, FL. I will be conducting a day-long workshop on identity design on Thursday, October 16, 2008, at the School of Visual Concepts in Seattle, WA.

I hope that all attendees got a great deal of value out of the Creative Freelance Conference. I really appreciate all the feedback I have received in the form of emails, posts on forums and other sites, and in person from those participating in my roundtable and attending my session. Thanks also for the many positive comments about my books, blogs and forum postings.

I would like to thank my friends Ilise Benun and Peleg Top of Marketing Mentor, the entire staff of HOW Magazine, my new unimaginary friend Colleen Wainwright (aka "the communicatrix"), all the other speakers and the conference sponsors, for putting on a really great creative industry event.

© 2008 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

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