1. Hi , who are you and what do you do?

I’m Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for the Portland-based design firm Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. I’ve been working as a design professional since 1978, with a focus on identity design since about 1995. I kind of have a split personality in the design world. In addition to being a designer, I am a writer.

I’m 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.”

I am currently writing the book “LogoType,” a book about typography in logo design – scheduled for release in late 2010. On occasion I also write for design magazines. My article, “Self-Promotion the Social Way,” was recently published in HOW Magazine and has been posted on their website. Another part of my personality makes presentations at design conferences, speaks to student audiences at universities and design schools, and conducts workshops for business organizations.

2. Describe a typical day at work?

I’m usually up working in my home studio between 5:30 and 6:00 AM. Initially I’ll do a quick check of my email and see what’s happening on Twitter (@LogoMotives) and my Facebook pages. By about 10:00 I’ve probably accomplished more work, whether it be design or writing, than I will the rest of the day – and it’s time for my third double espresso. The rest of the day is somewhat determined by my current project load, depending on client projects, writing assignments or the need to prepare public speaking presentations. Since college over 30 years ago, I’ve known that a 20-30 minute nap is always a great late afternoon activity. The resulting burst of energy will allow me to continue to work, if I so desire, until my partner returns home in the evening from his more traditional job as the Executive Director of a law firm. My evenings are usually personal, non-work time. However, writing a book kind has the ability to disrupt my normal work schedule a bit.

On Fridays I have no client contact. Those days are spent on marketing and promotion efforts, writing blog entries, doing mundane business paperwork, or whatever I damn well please.

3. What do you enjoy most about your work?

I’ve been my own boss for about 25 out of the last 30 years I’ve worked professionally as a designer. I love the flexibility that allows me in my work and life. As I often say, It’s not that I don’t play well with others; it’s just that I want to choose where, when and with whom I play.

I work to live; rather than living to work. The manner in which I work allows me pick the projects I will enjoy the most, or efforts for causes that matter to me personally. I thoroughly appreciate having the ability to combine design and writing for books, articles and my blogs. I also have the ability to pursue personal interests; such a going to clown school – something I did this past spring to become the clown Toots Caboose – and traveling.

4. What do you like least about your job?

Clients. Just kidding – sort of…

Actually, there’s not much I don’t like. Being an independent designer, I suppose the lack of a regularly scheduled paycheck is a sometimes annoying issue. Constantly educating potential clients as to the value of hiring a professional designer gets a bit old after years of doing so. Somewhat related is my annoyance of “spec” work and so-called design “contests” – situations that require me as a professional designer to often justify my value to those seeking design services.

5. What is your worst enemy of creativity?

1. Procrastination. 2 Client indecision. 3. Unrealistic budgets.

Reading, writing, gardening, spending time with friends, home improvement projects and other distractions can always help me delay work on a project – although I often mentally solve design challenges while participating in unrelated activities. Clients who can’t make well thought out decisions drive me crazy; especially when 80-85% of the time the final design solution will be my first concept. I often feel as if I spin my wheels during the design process, coming up with “filler” possibilities while waiting for a client to realize that the initial creative concept will best serve their needs. While budget restrictions may sometimes lead to incredibly creative results, I’m not going to be executing any $50 logos anytime soon.

6. What do you do when you start a new project and you have NO ideas?

That doesn’t happen very often. In meeting with a new client, or reviewing a completed brief sent my way, I usually have a great idea as to the project direction before finishing the activity at hand. I’ve never been much of a sketcher, but that initial idea may percolate in my mind for hours, days or weeks before I put it to paper or the computer. If I’m truly “stuck,” the best solution is to push myself away from my desk and get out into the world. I’ll go to a gallery or museum, check out a new store or restaurant, see a film, read a book, spend time with friends, or take part in some other unrelated activity.

7. What inspires you the most?

Gardening provides my greatest inspiration. Most importantly, it’s like putting your brain on ‘self clean.” An freshly de-cluttered mind provides an opportunity to subconsciously solve business or design challenges. In addition, my blood pressure actually decreases while gardening. Playing in the dirt allows me to truly experience the beauty in plants and flowers. Certain flower structures or colors often help solve design challenges I am experiencing at the time. A few hours in the garden is much better, and cheaper, than therapy. It’s also led to a relatively new interest in photographing garden imagery.

8. Do you listen to music while working?

I don’t often listen to music when working. I enjoy peace and quiet. If I do listen to music in my workspace it will be while participating in something other than designing. The music I then listen to can be incredibly diverse – Alison Krauss, Black Eyed Peas, Pink Martini, jazz vocalist Jacqui Naylor, Jason Mraz, trumpeter Chris Botti, Frank Sinatra, Pink…

9. How do you deal with criticism?

After 35+ years of being critiqued, as an artist and designer, this design-o-saur has fairly thick skin. I appreciate truly upfront constructive criticism. I seldom participate in the online criticism of design work, as a critic or one seeking critiques, because so many reviewers seem to be blowing smoke out of their asses iby way of unconstructive criticism or personal attacks, while hiding behind anonymous screen names.
Given the opportunity, I’d really enjoy slapping such individuals up the side of the head.

10. What does your workspace look like?

My workspace is a disaster right now. I’m in the process of sorting through and archiving over 30 years of design projects, files and things I’ve been keeping for now unknown reasons. The space is a second floor studio within my house. The new windows – and entire space – need a coat of paint and I’ve got to improve the lighting as the dreary winter approaches. In my workspace I’m surrounded by a library of over 300 design books, more than 200 vinyl advertising collectibles, wearables I’ve designed, toys, and award certificates on the walls.

During the summer months my “office” is most often my backyard garden. Much of the year I am working from wherever I may be traveling, for business or pleasure, by way of my PowerBook.

11. Do you remember the very first web-project in which you were involved?

The first web-project in which I was involved was a personal crashing emergency. I had a URL reserved for my business in 1998, but had done nothing with it yet. The state-wide newspaper interviewed me on a Thursday for a feature story about my business to appear in the paper’s business section on Monday morning. At the end of the interview the reporter asked if I had a website. I told him yes. In panic-mode, my partner Ed, friend designer Jason Holland and Jason’s employer at the time, Scott Randall, and I spent the next three days creating a web presence for Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. It was completed by Sunday evening. When the article came out in the newspaper on Monday morning, the first thing I noticed is that editors had cut out all contact information for my business – including my web address.

These days I am most often involved in the “making things pretty” aspect of web design. I will design the initial “look” of the site to compliment the rest of a business brand I have established. Web-specific designers and developers will then expand on my concept in creating an effective, working website for the client.

12. Is there any advice you would give our readers?

Enjoy what you are doing in your chosen profession. If you aren’t having fun in the field of design, it’s time for a career change. Life is too short to be unhappy.

13. What has been the most fun project to work on so far?

In the early 1990′s I was given the opportunity to create the identity and complete brand for the Governor Hotel in Portland, OR. It was an incredible collaborative experience in working with hospitality experts, interior designers, a marketing specialist, the restaurant chef, contractors, a large assortment of vendors and others. Over the course of five months, I designed every piece of printed material for the hotel; including the hotel and restaurant logos, stationery package, direct-mail pieces, print ads for magazines and newspapers, a commemorative poster, computer paper and even the little “please don’t steal our bathrobes” card slipped into the pockets of room robes. It was a very gratifying design effort that I would hope to experience again.

A close second, would be designing all marketing, promotional and advertising materials for the Seattle Seahawks football team over a period of two years.

14. Imagine yourself in 15 years… what do you see yourself doing?

Yikes, I’ll be 68 years old! Hopefully, I’ll still be designing, sharing what I’ve learned, writing, creating art and learning. I would like to be traveling the world even more than I do now.

15. Please tell us 3 people who we should do this interview with (why them? :-) ).

Von Glitschka – Glitschka Studio (http://www.vonglitschka.com/): One of the hardest-working, most talented and most interesting Illustrative designers I’ve ever met.

Steve Gordon, Jr – RDQLUS Creative (http://www.rdqlus.com/): A member of the almost infamous HOW Design Conference “Speakers Gone Wild” gang, I’m privileged to call Steve a friend. He’s a tornado of energy, inspiration, entertainment, creativity and entrepreneurship.

Justin Ahrens – Rule29 (http://www.rule29.com/): I have a great deal of respect for the manner in which Justin works and lives his life as the creative force behind Rule29 and Designer Sobriety (http://designersobriety.com/).

Jeff…thank you very much for answering our questions :-)

So if you want to visit Jeff you should do that now: Visit http://www.jfisherlogomotives.com or leave him a comment here! :)