Method to the Mayhem

These days I do a lot of my networking and marketing on-line. The web reaches more people than any brochure or media kit, with less time and money. The two that really helped me are: On-line networking/directory web sites and posting in forums.

Having a profile/account/portfolio on any free networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, or Creative Hotlist will get your name out there. Posting on forums will also help to build relations and trust that may bring you new clients and projects.

That's how Create Magazine contacted me to design their 5 page featured article. I have a portfolio on their site. After looking at my work. They thought I might be a good fit for the magazine.

I post on design forums pretty often and have built many relations. As a result, Jeff Fisher, Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, asked me to submit some of my work for his new book, Identity Crisis! 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands.

Another example, Steve Gordon, Jr., RDQLUS Creative. Asked me to submit my work for his book, 100 Habits of Successful Freelance Designers: Insider Secrets for Working Smart & Staying Creative.

Labels: 100 Habits, Alltop, Chris Brogan, Design Tips, Freelance, Graphic Design, Guy Kawasaki, Jeff Fisher, LogoMotives, Marketing, Networking, Promotion, RDQLUS, Self-Promotion, Steve Gordon Jr, Successful

Posted by Calvin Lee at Sunday, November 08, 2009 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Niki Brown of Design O'Blog asked Calvin Lee of Mayhem Studios along with seven other top designers in the design field, what their favorite fonts are and why?

Among these top design professionals that contributed to the article included: Jeff Fisher, Jeff Fisher Logomotives, David Airey, Logodesignlove.com, Steph Adamo, StephAdamo.com, Liz Andrade, Cmd+Shift Design , Renee Rist, Ribbons of Red, Chris Coyier, CSS Tricks, and Adelle Charles, Fuel Your Creativity.

You can read the full article and discussion at Design O'Blog.

Calvin Lee, of Mayhem Studios, gives us a little preview of his thoughts on what his favorite font is and why?

"One of my favorite headline/sub headline fonts is Rosewood, which I used on a five-page article design for Create Magazine. I also used the font Imago, a san serif to balance and compliment Rosewood, a wilder font."

About Niki Brown
Niki Brown is the owner of the wildly popular Design O'Blog. Niki has be designing since she was a little kid - drawing cartoons, making fake newspapers, and planning a plot to take over the world. OK, maybe not. Niki's early interests in design were heightened when she got her first computer, it was love at first sight!

She made her first website in 1996, with the help of geocities and word-art. Now the rest is history. Fast forward to today - Niki is all grown up with a nifty degree that says "I know what I'm doing."

When Niki is not designing, eating, or sleeping you can usually find her blogging or running. She's been known to dress up in red flannel and run when its really cold outside. Niki's most recent accomplishment was completing the Dam to Dam 20k (half marathon).

Labels: Adelle Charles, Branding, Design, Design O'Blog, Fonts, Fuel Your Creativity, Jeff Fisher, Mayhem Studios, Niki Brown, Promotion

Posted by Calvin Lee at Tuesday, September 30, 2008 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Calvin Lee, Principal and Creative Director of Mayhem Studios, a small award-winning design studio located in Los Angeles, was interviewed by the FreelanceSwitch website written by Kristen Fischer, Self-Promotion Made Easy: An Interview With Calvin Lee. The interview discusses self-promotion and spec work with the designer.

The Studio would like to also thank Jeff Fisher, Jeff Fisher LogoMotives for writing about the Studios FreelanceSwitch interview on his blog, Identity Crisis. It's very much appreciated!

About FreelanceSwitch
FreelanceSwitch is a site for freelancers. Whether you’ve been freelancing for years, have just started or are considering making the switch, this is the place to get all the information and support you need.

About Kristen Fischer
Kristen Fischer is a freelance writer living at the Jersey Shore. She began writing Creatively Self-Employed: How Writers and Artists Deal with Career Ups and Downs during 2004, after experiencing many trials and triumphs while forming her copywriting business. She released her second book, Ramen Noodles, Rent and Resumes: An After-College Guide to Life in Spring 2007.

Labels: Calvin Lee, Design, Design Competition, Design-Awards, Freelance, FreelanceSwitch, Interview, Jeff Fisher, Kristen Fischer, Marketing, Mayhem Studios, Self-Promotion, Spec Work

Posted by Calvin Lee at Monday, May 12, 2008 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Jeff Fisher's latest book, Identity Crisis! 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands, featuring two case studies by the Studio, is now available at your local Borders book stores, Barnes and Noble or online at Amazon.com.

For more information, please visit Identity Crisis Book

About Jeff Fisher
Jeff Fisher, author of the "Savvy Designer's Guide to Success" is the Engineer of Creative Identity for Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. He has received over 550 regional, national and international design awards for his logo design efforts. His work is featured in over 85 books about logos, the business of design, and small business marketing. Fisher serves on the HOW Magazine Editorial Advisory Board, the UCDA Designer Magazine Editorial Advisory Board, and the HOW Design Conference Advisory Council. In addition, Fisher also writes for CreativeLatitude.com and HOW Magazine.

Labels: Case Studies, Design, Identity Crisis, Inspiration, Jeff Fisher, LogoMotives, Marketing

Posted by Calvin Lee at Tuesday, October 30, 2007 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

I would like to give Jeff Fisher a big Thank You for dedicating a blog post to me and my press release, Identity Crisis! Contributor 'Toots' His Horn. On his blog, Identity Crisis Book. Regarding using press releases to promote yourself.

Jeff's Fisher's blog, Identity Crisis Book is promotion for his next book, Identity Crisis! 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands, will be released in September 2007, by HOW Design Books.

Identity Crisis!' takes a fresh look at 50 before and after case studies by exploring the process of redesigning existing identities to help businesses refine their image, communicate with customers, and find success.

Readers will get an inside look at the challenges of redesigning identities. They'll see the creative and strategic thinking behind fresh design work as well as have a powerful tool to show clients what a difference a professional can make to their image.

For more information, please visit Identity Crisis Book.

Jeff Fisher, author of the "Savvy Designer's Guide to Success" is the Engineer of Creative Identity for Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. He has received over 550 regional, national and international design awards for his logo design efforts. His work is featured in over 85 books about logos, the business of design, and small business marketing. Fisher serves on the HOW Magazine Editorial Advisory Board, the UCDA Designer Magazine Editorial Advisory Board, and the HOW Design Conference Advisory Council. In addition, Fisher also writes for CreativeLatitude.com and HOW Magazine.

Labels: Design, Identity Crisis, Jeff Fisher, Marketing, Promotion, Redesign

Posted by Calvin Lee at Monday, August 06, 2007 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Los Angeles, Calif. July 2, 2007 - Mayhem Studios, Award-Winning Los Angeles based design firm client, Fagerholm & Jefferson Law Corporation and the Studios' own identity will be featured in Jeff Fisher's next book Identity Crisis! 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands. Identity Crisis will be released by HOW Design Books in 2007.

Identity Crisis takes a fresh look at 50 before and after case studies by exploring the process of redesigning existing identities to help businesses refine their image, communicate with customers, and find success.

Readers will get an inside look at the challenges of redesigning identities. They'll see the creative and strategic thinking behind fresh design work as well as have a powerful tool to show clients what a difference a professional can make to their image.

For more information, please visit Identity Crisis Book

"It's a pleasure to include the crisp, contemporary design work of Mayhem Studios in 'Identity Crisis!' Calvin Lee's efforts are a great example of a one-person design firm being able to compete successfully with much larger design entities on the international creative playing field."

Jeff Fisher, LogoMotives, author of Identity Crisis! 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands.

Jeff Fisher, author of the "Savvy Designer's Guide to Success" is the Engineer of Creative Identity for Jeff Fisher LogoMotives. He has received over 550 regional, national and international design awards for his logo design efforts. His work is featured in over 85 books about logos, the business of design, and small business marketing. Fisher serves on the HOW Magazine Editorial Advisory Board, the UCDA Designer Magazine Editorial Advisory Board, and the HOW Design Conference Advisory Council. In addition, Fisher also writes for CreativeLatitude.com and HOW Magazine.

Labels: Award-Winning, Book, Branding, Corporate Identity, Graphic Design, HOW Design Books, Identity Crisis, Jeff Fisher, Marketing, Mayhems Studios, Promotion, Redesign

Posted by Calvin Lee at Monday, July 02, 2007 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

I was at Barnes & Noble book store this past weekend, browsing through the new design books and magazines. While flipping through the Jan/Feb west coast edition of Create Magazine. To my surprise, I received a little mention in the Scoop section.

It also mentions an article I contributed to for "Creative Latitude, Logo Notions" written by designer Jeff Fisher, Logomotives.

Labels: Big Book of Layouts, Create Magazine, Creative Latitude, Jeff Fisher, Marketing, Promotion

Posted by Calvin Lee at Sunday, January 28, 2007 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Here is something fun! I just got tagged by my friend Jeff Fisher over at bLog-oMotives.

Four jobs I've had:
1. Senior Designer at a small hispanic marketing firm. The funny thing is I don't read, write or speak Spanish. A fun place to work at. Duties included Art Direction, Designing, Production, Furniture Mover, Rodent Exterminator, Trashman and finally, Mr. Arrowhead Water Pourer.

2. Jack of all trades and master of none for the City of Los Angeles. I basically did a little of everything from designing, updating websites to delivery, clerical and payroll. Another fun place to work for.

3. Technician at a one hour photo. Boy, people don't realize that we can see everyones photos, like bachelor parties, nudists, sexy self portraits and sex acts. Good times!

4. Cook at a Kentury Fried Chicken. Talk about slave labor. One up side, all the free chicken and biscuits you want. YUM!

Four movies I can watch over and over:
1. Back To The Future
2. Enter The Dragon
3. The Bourne Identity
4. The Incredibles

Four places I have lived:
1. Los Angeles
2. Los Angeles
3. Los Angeles
4. Los Angeles

OK, so I never go anywhere.

Four TV shows I love(d):
1. Seinfeld
2. Curb Your Enthusiasm
3. MacGyver
4. The Greatest American Hero

Four places I've vacationed:
1. Hawaii
2. San Francisco
3. Las Vegas
4. Big Bear Lake

Four of my favorite dishes:
1. Chicken Diane
2. Spaghetti with Meat Balls
3. Chardonnay Shrip Pasta
4. Rib Eye Steak

Four sites I visit daily:
1. HOW Design Forum
2. About.com Graphic Design Forum
3. Myspace
4. DSLReports Mac forum

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Italy
2. Miami
3. At the gym getting huge!
4. Eating mass quantities

Four people I am tagging:
1. James
2. Jeana
3. Jenny
4. Elisabetta

Labels: Jeff Fisher, Tagged

Posted by Calvin Lee at Monday, February 06, 2006 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Mayhem Studios was honored to be asked to contribute to an article written by Jeff Fisher for Creative Latitude. Since we are so close to the Christmas season. The article would be focused on, "These are a few of my favorite things – from the world of identity design."

Some of the queston we were asked to think about.

• Catching the attention of future logo designers
• Favorite logos of large corporations
• Favorites with a local perspective
• Picking favorites in one’s own work
• A designer wish list

Jeff Fisher, the Engineer of Creative Identity for Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, has received over 475 regional, national and international graphic design awards for his logo and corporate identity efforts. His work is featured in more than 75 publications on the design of logos, the business of graphic design, and small business marketing. He shares his observations about the design industry on his blog, bLog-oMotives.

Fisher is a member of the HOW Magazine Editorial Advisory Board and is also on the 2006 HOW Design Conference Advisory Council. His own book, “The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success,” was released by HOW Design Books in late 2004. An excerpt from the book may be found at CreativeLatitude.com. More information about Jeff Fisher LogoMotives is available at www.jfisherlogomotives.com.

Labels: Business of Design, Creative Latitude, Jeff Fisher, Logo Design, Logo Nations, Promotion

Posted by Calvin Lee at Tuesday, December 27, 2005 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post