I think the icons of freecad need to be redesigned

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easyw-fc
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Re: I think the icons of freecad need to be redesigned

Post by easyw-fc »

cox wrote:
DeepSOIC wrote:I like Pablo's icon!!
me to
+1
both are really impressive IMO :D Nice, clean, original and easy to remember!
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Re: I think the icons of freecad need to be redesigned

Post by saso »

ready for the revolution ;)
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NormandC
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Re: I think the icons of freecad need to be redesigned

Post by NormandC »

pablogil wrote:I really think your post is out place and tone
(...)
If we here are talking about the logo, is because we love FreeCAD and feel like it can be much better (as always, it's just a single opinion)
You think I was harsh?

Have you thought about the feelings of the author of the current logo, who's done a tremendous job for the FreeCAD project, and who's logo is still better than any of yours or others I've seen here? You say it can be "much better"? If you're allowed your opinion, don't I have the right to mine?

And one other thing: what do you have to say to the fact that your C gear shape is a direct copy of the Open Source Hardware logo, as it's already been pointed out? Whatever license it was published to, even if public domain, I still find its reuse questionable.
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bejant
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Re: I think the icons of freecad need to be redesigned

Post by bejant »

I think it would helpful if, when someone feels that the FreeCAD icon should be redesigned, that person should offer for each proposed new icon answers to a couple of simple questions:
  • What seems to be lacking in the existing FreeCAD icon?
  • How does this new proposal convey, suggest, or improve upon that which seems to be lacking in the existing icon?
This comes to mind because one of the few things that made sense to me regarding the icon redesign was when someone wrote in the forum that the "F" in the icon appears to stop the gear from rotating, conflicting with a meaning of "free".
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Re: I think the icons of freecad need to be redesigned

Post by pablogil »

NormandC wrote: You think I was harsh?
I'm very sorry, but yes, I do think so
NormandC wrote:Have you thought about the feelings of the author of the current logo, who's done a tremendous job for the FreeCAD project, and who's logo is still better than any of yours or others I've seen here?
Of course I did, that's why I never said my logo are better or worse than the official one. As a professional designer I'm totally aware perceptions, opinions, etc never meet at the same point, that means each person will weight designs parameter differently and, because of that, will decide that the "best design" is one that no other choose. So, there is no better or worse designs, they all are the best ones and the worst ones, it depends on opinions...
When sharing my opinion and sharing new sketches and designs I'm just offering alternative options for the logo, if you want to use it it's fine, if you don't want to use it it's also fine and if you feel like it could become the new default icon of FreeCAD then you will spread the word or start a debate about it. I just offered my personal opinion and shared alternative designs. These actions may not hurt anyone feelings.
NormandC wrote:You say it can be "much better"?
Here you misunderstood me, but it's my fault, I shortened it and should have been: "it could be selected a much better design, paying attention to a lot of people opinions all over the last years...".
If people open threads offering new designs, sharing their opinion and, overall, wondering if the logo could evolve to a new design, that means a lot of people would like the logo to be changed. And that's not bad, it's a community voice to "improve/change" what "could be better for the majority of users"
NormandC wrote:If you're allowed your opinion, don't I have the right to mine?
Of course you are on your right of sharing your opinion as I have done, but the tone of mine was more polite than yours (and once again, this is an opinion about my perception... I could be wrong...)
NormandC wrote:And one other thing: what do you have to say to the fact that your C gear shape is a direct copy of the Open Source Hardware logo, as it's already been pointed out? Whatever license it was published to, even if public domain, I still find its reuse questionable.
This "copy" was totally intended, I pretended to include the OSH logo into the design because the logo itself is open source and you are not only allowed to freely use/modify/sell/... it but you are also welcomed to do it, so I did because FreeCAD is free, open source, etc and the community feels and is proud of being that way... then, why not to include it as a part of the logo?
Anyway, it was a sketch, it could improve, change, be refined, etc... I think you have started to criticise it too soon, it would be a better approach to suggest modifications if you don't like this part...

Finally, I don't know how my words, expressions and how you are going to perceive it, but I would like to be clear about the following:
  • I just wanted to share with you designs I have done in my spare time without any intention that they are taken as icon replacement proposals
  • I wanted to let you know we were talking and debating with a neutral tone while yours seemed to be too harsh
  • apart from the fact that I find my design "better" than the official one, I didn't want to say the official one is a bad design, it's just a single personal opinion that was said with all the good intention without any acrimony
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pablogil
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Re: I think the icons of freecad need to be redesigned

Post by pablogil »

bejant wrote:I think it would helpful if, when someone feels that the FreeCAD icon should be redesigned, that person should offer for each proposed new icon answers to a couple of simple questions:
  • What seems to be lacking in the existing FreeCAD icon?
  • How does this new proposal convey, suggest, or improve upon that which seems to be lacking in the existing icon?
Once again, I never said FreeCAD icon should be redesigned, I just offered you my alternative logo designs because I love designing and I found it was something that could be improved.
Anyway, I'm able to fulfil your questions:
  • What seems to be lacking in the existing FreeCAD icon?: IMHO I think the chosen colors are too basic (pure colors), there are other toned primary colors that match better when combined together. While I find the shape of the gear well balanced, I don't find the "F" well balanced... and here is why I started my quest for a better balanced logo
  • How does this new proposal convey, suggest, or improve upon that which seems to be lacking in the existing icon?: apart from the fact that my designs are just sketches (not final designs: they could improve/refine colors, shapes, corners, ...) I find them more balanced, the "F" now doesn't "fall" from the logo layout, it is somehow simetrycal, it houses another well known logo (Open Source Hardware logo) which I think is not good or bad
[/quote]
bejant wrote:This comes to mind because one of the few things that made sense to me regarding the icon redesign was when someone wrote in the forum that the "F" in the icon appears to stop the gear from rotating, conflicting with a meaning of "free".
Curious comment, hehehe, you are right, if we have a deep look at it, it could be understood as you say.
Anyway, sometimes there's no need to turn crazy about what a logo could say, they are just designs that have to be unique and represent a company/software/etc... but they have not to embed the full philosophy of the company/software/etc... Actually while doing my sketches I wondered if the "F" was necessary to be included into the logo and that's why I arrived to this "circled F" which is not an F nor a gear nor a circle... it's just an unique shape (that doesn't allow the gear to be rotated ;) )

Finally, @triplus call it "challenge" but the truth is that this is not challenge, just some users having fun around how to propose alternative logo designs.
If a real challenge could take place in the future, I guess official developers will launch it and will encourage designers all over the Internet to join it... don't you think? At the end, we here are "kids" making sand castles at the beach :)
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Mika38
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Re: I think the icons of freecad need to be redesigned

Post by Mika38 »

saso wrote:ready for the revolution ;)
I liked your second logo. If we put in side the communist interpretation, the shape is well balanced.
easyw-fc wrote:
cox wrote:
DeepSOIC wrote:I like Pablo's icon!!
me to
+1
I like the first Pablo logo. I like the fact that, it looks like the copyright logo with the open hardware logo inside.
Just an idea would it be possible to have more teeth to lock the gear down? Like 3 locations, it seems more logical in my mind.
Last edited by Mika38 on Thu Mar 23, 2017 1:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
;) Le chemin est long, mais la voie est libre :D The journey is long but the way is free 8-)
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easyw-fc
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Re: I think the icons of freecad need to be redesigned

Post by easyw-fc »

Mika38 wrote:I like the first Pablo logo. I like the fact that, it looks like the copyright logo with the open hardware logo inside.
Just an idea would it be possible to have more teeth to lock the gear down? Like 3 locations, it seems more logical in my mind.
I think 2 teeth are meant to be like in the 'F'
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Re: I think the icons of freecad need to be redesigned

Post by triplus »

pablogil wrote:Finally, @triplus call it "challenge" but the truth is that this is not challenge...
Believe me when i tell you it is a challenge and it has been for years and it will be for years to come. ;)

I don't have any plans in this area on my FreeCAD todo list anymore (don't worry as finishing the IconThemes module is still on the list). I mainly participate in the logo challenge 2017 as i feel that next generation should get realistic point of view on what to expect for the next challenges. And mainly as i do honestly believe for FreeCAD 0.17 you should have the honour to get to play with logo geometry slightly. And for Alexander to align the result.

It's not much in the end i know and there is little freedom involved. Or is it? But note that likely nobody else will get such offer. And if the work is done there is still no guarantee it will go through. What i do know is if the work won't be done it won't go through.
saso wrote:ready for the revolution ;)
It takes effort to create such result. Thanks for doing it. First and third proposal do likely have some political hang to it. Second one is interesting. Lack of Assembly workbench is likely at play here. Pun intended.

@Mika38

Animal names could i guess be used for individual FreeCAD releases if they would have such codename. For such purposes it would be easier to propose artwork like that as it would need to be made for each release.
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Re: I think the icons of freecad need to be redesigned

Post by cox »

triplus wrote:Animal names could i guess be used for individual FreeCAD releases if they would have such codename.
Oh, no please, no release names. :evil:
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