[Mageia-dev] Art, Logo and Branding

[J.A. Magallón]

On Thu, 23 Sep 2010 23:58:30 +0200, Michael Scherer <misc at zarb.org> wrote:
> 
> How would you ensure that the community version will not be seen as a
> cheap version of the commercial one ? How would you prevent this idea
> from destroying again the community like it did by the past ?
> 
...
> All people who I asked the question said that the only solution is to
> have 2 different names and brandings.
> Redhat do it, and it work fine from them.
> Novell do it, and it work fine.
> Canonical do it ( to a lesser extend , since there was
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntuone-servers/+bug/375345 ), and it work
> fine.
> 
> Even debian based distro used a different name ( progeny, etc ).
> 
> We didn't for Mandriva, and so started the confusion between the
> company, the distribution and the community. And so people didn't
> contribute because it was a business, and the idea that "updates were
> not free" stick around for a long time because it was hard to explain to
> people the different concept
> 
> So if there is a business or commercial version, I think this would
> requires a different name and branding. Using the association name for
> that would not be right, in my opinion. 
> 

I (and this is a totally personal opinion, of course, even if I sound harsh)
really hate all this mess of editions/versions/variants of the same distro.
I have always installed both servers and desktops with the same Mandriva
edition. In fact (perhaps I'm ignorant on this point), what's the difference
between lets say a 'server' edition and a 'desktop' edition ? The default
set of installed packages ?
And what is the difference between the Commercial and the Free edition ?
The support from the company ?

It would be even a benefit for the distro: one suit to fit all markets.
You have a distro that works for everything.
Just:
- have a one and only DVD distro
- have several automatic setups for desktop and server (if you want to
  distinguish them, that I would not, I want to log in in Gnome in my
  samba server to admin it and I want firefox to google ldap problems)
  like mandriva does with KDE/Gnome/other.
- make very clear that you/someone sells a commercial support product,
  not DVD or distro product, even say "I can mail you also the dvd,
  but you could just donwload it, it is the same and what you pay for
  is SUPPORT from the people that builds and better knows it".
- dont use any different branding or logo, just find a logo that is
  serious enough to fit the commercial part.

And I have not finished reading all the threads, but having a look at
the logos, I see some clear problem: many are too complicated.
After choosing a logo for our research group at the University,
time after I realized we did it wrong, for some aspects:

- separate the logo from the name. A logo is a logo, and the full
  distro/whatever includes the logo and the distro name.
  So you are free to chose both the icon/logo and the typeface for
  the name, you can put only the logo in some places, you can
  arrange the logo+name in different setups (one above other for
  the top of a letter or side by side for a web title or banner)
  This rules out all that designs with interlaced letters and
  plants or fire and so on
- dont relay too much on colour. Suppose you want to put your logo
  on a black and white letter...a logo that can be printed both
  in colour and black would be perfect (as I wrote this, I found
  the artwork guidelines, so forget it ;) ).

I really like this idea:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/54167983@N08/5011126293/in/pool-1491252@N24/

You can print it in black and white, have a photo-realistic render,
or even a use video in this line

http://www.istockphoto.com/stock-video-10598162-blue-energy-ball.php

with the M turning into blue fire ;)

Just some ideas, no pun intended.

Great work, guys!! Lookin forward the day I could switch my mirror list
in urpmi...

-- 
J.A. Magallon <jamagallon()ono!com>     \               Software is like sex:
                                         \         It's better when it's free