Identity Crisis, by Jeff Fisher (Book Review)
Originally Written for Designer Today…
Designers, business owners and even individuals not associated with the world of design itself, have come to see the evolution of many well known identities. Jeff Fisher’s 2nd book, Identity Crisis, tackles this ever changing world of business identity design. As an identity designer himself, Jeff has a wealth of knowledge on the subject and recognition in the form of more than 575 awards on a regional, national and and international level. With over thirty years of experience in working with small businesses, non-profit organizations and educational groups; Jeff is no stranger to the challenges of identity design and has an excitement about identity design that comes shining through in this eye catching book published in 2007 by HOW books.
Identity Crisis: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands, starts off with some very well known identities such as Kodak, UPS, AT&T and VISA. Jeff gives some very well thought out (and widely shared) opinions about these big business identities. He touches on some of the basic concerns such as the K.I.S.S. (keep it simple, stupid) when it comes to identity design and this kicks the book off to a great start.
The book then jumps right into the first of the 50 redesigns by P.E.O. International Sisterhood. The layout of each redesign is well done giving the reader a clear look at the new identity as a stand alone and in practical application in the form of stationery, clothing, packaging and on the internet. Credits for the redesigns are clearly shown in the upper right corner of each project making it easy to find out who is responsible for the wonderful, new designs. Ample space is allowed for the previous designs so readers can make a clear comparison to of the new identity to the identity or identities of the past. I found the layout of the whole book to be easy on the eyes and yet compelling. As you get done with one redesign project you will find yourself itching to see what the next one is.
Jeff does a great job of covering a wide range of businesses from restaurant such as Pier 39 Steakhouse an Winery to government organizations such as Oregon Department of Forestry to other design firms such as Glitschka Studios. With original hopes to feature 100 redesigns, I can not imagine the pain staking task of narrowing down the field to only 50 projects. There is no shortage of talent shown in the 50 redesigns that were chosen and I am sure there are 100s more out there. I hope this is just the start of what will be a refreshing series on identity design projects.
This book is a wonderful source of inspiration and I think it is a must have for any designer interested or currently working in the field of identity design.
Product Details
* Hardcover: 216 pages
* Author: Jeff Fisher
* Publisher: HOW Books, an imprint of F+W Publications (October 27, 2007)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 1581809395
* ISBN-13: 978-1581809398
* Price: $35.00
Copyright (c) 2008, Jake Van Ness, All Rights Reserved
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