Freecad Logo design suggestion

[Mikeo]

Mikeo, are you into webdesign too, by chance?

Yes, I do graphic/web design and front-end development as a daily job (for more then 10 years already)
I also teach web design in my school in London http://opendesignschool.co.uk/web-course/

I'm trying to motivate my students to contribute to the open source projects as an exercise, I think it might be very beneficial to everyone. Although it is not easy to work on the design for open source products, as big community has always diverse views and resistant to changes sometimes. It's very interesting nevertheless

I'm not trying to 'glorify myself' by changing FreeCad visual appearance. I did the first few versions of the logo for fun, an to get experience of working with open source community, so I can present it better to my students. I won't be disappointed if non of this will go anywhere. But i think with a constructive criticism from community we can improve it, the second logo in the last set is not redesign, but really just a natural evolution of the current one. If compare it to google logo evolution
http://gizmodo.com/the-evolution-of-goo ... 1582297667 then current FreeCad logo is somewhere in 1999 from my subjective opinion.

Regarding web design:
I'd suggest redesigning splash page as the main touch point with potential users and then take on the style and gradually implement in in Wiki pages and Forum etc. The current splash page is structured very well, so just needs a bit of typography improvements and spacing and perhaps being responsive would be useful.

And please point me to the right topic or discussion or perhaps other smaller design jobs that FreeCad needs.

Thank you for feedback again!

[yorik]

Ok, my opinion is this: I liked the "flat" version of our current logo much (second one). I think it's a nice improvement, without really breaking the paradigm for now. The last of Mikeo's tests makes me think to Spiderman, I cannot remove that association from my mind

Reading all the comments here, I also think it is a good compromise between those who want a change, and those who don't.

For the text below, I don't like much the "THE parametric modeler", it looks a bit too commercial to me ("The file-sharing solution", "The friendly web browser" , "The best burger in town" etc...), and I also find "software" redundant... But indeed we could remove open source, before we needed to explain that to windows users, now it's less and less necessary I think.

Fr the splashscreen, the idea we have is at some point to do a contest between users to choose the next splash screen image (talking about that, we could do it soon). A nice thing might be to build a kind of template for ex. for gimp, where we can simply insert the image when it changes...

For the website, I'd really like to give a good facelift to the landing page at http://www.freecadweb.org/ some day... If someone fancies working a bit on it...

[bejant]

Which one someone thinks is the prettiest or artistically the best is subjective.

Agreed!

We should not be driven to wasting our time on this matter

Well, isn't that statement subjective itself?...

And the idea that some contributions are more contributions than other contributions is in my oppinion not worty of the FreeCAD comunity.

+ 1

The last of Mikeo's tests makes me think to Spiderman, I cannot remove that association from my mind

Maybe, but I very much like that Mikeo was able to incorporate the 3D aspect of FreeCAD into his last 2 designs. Maybe somehow adding a simple shadow like that to the gear (see below) would get that idea across?

=======

Anyway, the main reason I wanted to post is to say that after looking several times at the second image Mikeo posted here, I'm liking it more and more. I also think the extra space between the F and the gear makes the design easier to recognize at a smaller scale, like in a tab...

Edit: minor edit; fixed bad url

[Mikeo]

For the website, I'd really like to give a good facelift to the landing page at http://www.freecadweb.org/ some day... If someone fancies working a bit on it...

when I wrote 'splash page' I meant home page. I'm fancy giving it a go, so if you have any requirements or guidelines let me know.

Ok, my opinion is this: I liked the "flat" version of our current logo much (second one). I think it's a nice improvement, without really breaking the paradigm for now.
... I also think it is a good compromise between those who want a change, and those who don't.

I totally agree. Nice improvement without doing any harm.

[triplus]

Hi.

My vision of FreeCAD logo is completed! I will present it in about an hour. There will be additional pack provided with 4 sample (64x64) icons in it. The pack can be downloaded and the icons can be placed on the desktop to be observed.

About the additional description line (subtitle) we talked about. In my opinion not only is this task for separate debate in my opinion it does not belong on FreeCAD Logo with text. FreeCAD is sufficient by itself and it provides all the initial information that is needed.

About the logo itself here are the basic guidelines. I went after the symbol in its purest form that could stand by its own over time. I tried to avoid putting emphasize on any individual feature or interest one would like to use FreeCAD for. There are two main criteria FreeCAD is built on. First one is Free and the second one is CAD. There are no limits implied up front to Free or to the CAD aspect of FreeCAD. This two foundations are represented in my vision of FreeCAD logo. Everything else is just direct or indirect consequence of the foundation FreeCAD is built on. I could say more but my task ends here.

Cheers!

[triplus]

FreeCAD-info.png (34.67 KiB) Viewed 3162 times

[rockn]

wanted to post is to say that after looking several times at the second image Mikeo posted here, I'm liking it more and more.

I like it too.

Maybe somehow adding a simple shadow like that to the gear (see below) would get that idea across?

Some shade or something that reminds 3D would be very interesting.

@triplus, you vision is interesting, but It makes me think of a ski resort logo

[triplus]

@triplus, you vision is interesting, but It makes me think of a ski resort logo

Thanks for commenting and as you were the only one to give opinion you deserve direct reply.

Well great and i was thinking on how will different people react to it. I am quite pleased with your observation. You didn't see mechanical engineering and parametric precision in it for example. That is actually great in my opinion, knowing from your past forum involvement you are more into structural engineering. To brake it down you see peak (one of the intended suggestions indeed) and ski resort (structural engineering as one of the intended suggestions in contrary to mechanical engineering) in it.



I would say perfect match indeed. Anyway i made it and i believe in this symbol but it has to stand on its own. I won't force it but will stand behind it now and in future. From my point of view at least in foreseeable future i don't see anything i would change on it. It made variety of samples in every direction i could think of. This was the one i always came back to in the end.

Cheers!

[ian.rees]

FWIW, I quite like the look of the second one here, maybe it could go in with version 0.16 which should include a bunch of UI improvements . -Ian-

[yorik]

Yes, of all proposals, the number 2 is my favorite too. I'm all for it.
I wish someone would want to redesign the FreeCAD homepage too