Arch Linux logo concept

thayer · 2007-10-06 23:00:04

See my original post for updated info and links... Cheers!

fwojciec · 2007-10-06 23:38:38

Thanks for the Slim theme - looks great on my laptop
If I may have a suggestion for the future Slim/GDM releases... I think a version with a regular/dark logo and lighter cold/pastel colored background (greenish, beige, light pink(?) or something like that) would be particularly cool.
Thanks again.

Last edited by fwojciec (2007-10-06 23:39:01)

thayer · 2007-10-08 02:48:24

I moved all download links to my original post

iluvdrbonner · 2007-10-08 15:14:17

Love the logo! +1 for your avatar. Thanks for the slim themes as well. these are among the best I've seen.

ralvez · 2007-10-08 15:24:27

I really like the "Ready for Arch Linux" sticker and the Alfa 3. They look very pro.
The log-in is nice (I think ... it's soooooo small ) but hard to see.

R

fwojciec · 2007-10-08 15:27:34

iluvdrbonner wrote:

Love the logo! +1 for your avatar. Thanks for the slim themes as well. these are among the best I've seen.

I agree - the new Slim themes are very stylish...

Thrillhouse · 2007-10-08 15:47:27

Those SLiM themes are awesome! Can't wait for the GDM's. Good work, thayer.w.

Any chance you'll release the wallpaper of the screenshot you posted in the October screenshots thread?

thayer · 2007-10-08 18:29:11

Added a couple of quick GDM themes... the source SVG files are included in all tarballs, so feel free to make mashups.

Cilyan · 2007-10-08 20:26:49

Hello !

There is surely a lot of work left in my version, but I just wanted to note that the Arch logo should follow the Tango Guidelines.

So here is a little example of how I think the logo should look :

http://www.cilyan.org/misc/archlogo/arc … go_512.png

http://www.cilyan.org/misc/archlogo/arc … o_1024.png

http://www.cilyan.org/misc/archlogo/arch_new_logo.svg

Cilyan

Sigi · 2007-10-08 20:41:09

Cilyan wrote:

Hello !
There is surely a lot of work left in my version, but I just wanted to note that the Arch logo should follow the Tango Guidelines.
Cilyan

Nice! I prefer it over thayer.w's version. (This doesn't imply that I don't appreciate his work!)

Jessehk · 2007-10-08 21:07:00

Sigi wrote:

Cilyan wrote:
Hello !
There is surely a lot of work left in my version, but I just wanted to note that the Arch logo should follow the Tango Guidelines.
Cilyan
Nice! I prefer it over thayer.w's version. (This doesn't imply that I don't appreciate his work!)

I agree on both points.

nesl247 · 2007-10-08 21:33:43

I'm sorry Cilyan, but I have to disagree. The tango style icons are the worst icons I've ever seen. So I'll have to choose thayers version over yours. (No disrespect, I just hate tango, it's like going back to windows 95)

stonecrest · 2007-10-09 01:46:19

Cilyan wrote:

the Arch logo should follow the Tango Guidelines.

Huh? Why is that? It's not going to be a part of the Tango theme...

thayer · 2007-10-09 02:33:21

The Tango project was designed a general guide for icon design, not company logo/branding design. Tango was a proof of concept that user interfaces and applications would benefit in usability by having the same consistent appearance (e.g. toolbars and MIME icons). This concept is far outside the realm of corporate branding and identity.

That being said, the logo is licensed under Creative Commons (Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike-Canada-2.5), so anyone should feel free to do whatever they like with it. I figure that if enough people use it, in some form or another, the more likely we will be to adopt a new official logo

Last edited by thayer.w (2007-10-09 14:45:50)

iphitus · 2007-10-09 08:50:45

I think the current logo is great... and none of the others really come close to it. The tango version of the current logo has done a great job of "modernising" it, and will last for a long while.

thayer.w: Your logo looks nice, but I don't think it really suits Arch. It's been mentioned above that it just removes the whole visual "arch" from the logo which ought be kept as a feature in any future incarnations to help retain visual familiarity. I see that the arrow is curved, but it's too small a feature to be noticable.

I quickly inkscaped some changes, they're not great nor accurate, but more ideas:
http://share.iphitus.org/arch_new_logo-2.svg
http://share.iphitus.org/arch_new_logo-3.svg
http://share.iphitus.org/arch_new_logo-4.svg

I didn't export PNG's, but modern browsers (opera, firefox, probably konqi) render the svg's fine.

James

PJ · 2007-10-09 10:31:55

iphitus wrote:

I quickly inkscaped some changes, they're not great nor accurate, but more ideas:
http://share.iphitus.org/arch_new_logo-2.svg
http://share.iphitus.org/arch_new_logo-3.svg
http://share.iphitus.org/arch_new_logo-4.svg

Some of my impressions:

* The rounded top of the A is definitely an improvment IMO.
* The arrow in logo-2 reminds me of something else than an arrow. It might as well be my imagination that makes some unintended assumptions.
* Seems like somthing is missing in 3 and 4 when the arrow is removed. I don't know of any better way to finish it either and I don't believe an arrow is the best solution anyway. Might as well require a different approach.

thayer · 2007-10-09 15:01:40

Am I really the only one that sees a futuristic arch in the /\ shape? I think that by rounding the top and removing the arrowhead, the entire design falls apart...to each their own, I guess

stonecrest · 2007-10-09 15:41:57

I definitely prefer the hard-edged shape. I like the one in your avatar best by far (although I'd go with a darker blue that fits better with the arch website). But I doubt that the current logo is going to change anytime soon, as much as I wish it would. It's definitely showing its age.

peart · 2007-10-09 15:45:24

In my opinion, a logo should represent a product, and by extension, it's community. I don't think Arch's friendly community can be represented by a logo with harsh angles, pointy edges, and a steel-toe boot on it's right foot.

Please consider rounding it off and thus, making it friendlier.

fwojciec · 2007-10-09 15:58:34

peart wrote:

In my opinion, a logo should represent a product, and by extension, it's community. I don't think Arch's friendly community can be represented by a logo with harsh angles, pointy edges, and a steel-toe boot on it's right foot.
Please consider rounding it off and thus, making it friendlier.

From thayer.w description of his logo:

Unlike my previous concept, this logo is meant to be easily recognizable as both an "A" and an arch. Consistent with the existing Karat typeface, the shapes are crisp and the edges sharp. The arrow symbolizes the Arch community, often referred to as archers.

So the community is the arrow, which is not harsh and edgy (though it is pointy, I admit, but "pointy", "pointed", "to the point" can be good, no?) - in either case, it is dynamic, moving forwards and upwards! Sounds good to me.

I also think that the description of Arch itself as "crisp" and "sharp" is appropriate. And what if it has a "steel-toe boot on it's right foot"... It can "kick ass" much better that way

The semantics of graphic design...

Last edited by fwojciec (2007-10-09 15:59:20)

thayer · 2007-10-09 16:58:33

LOL fwojciec, yes it's all about interpretation.

As for myself, I see the Alpha series logo as futuristic, its sharp angles synonymous with Arch's "cutting edge" approach to rolling releases. The arrow, as explained previously, represents the community of archers moving forward and up in motion. The large base (or bases, in the case of the alpha3 version) symbolizes the stability and robustness of Arch Linux as a whole. The "A" stands for Arch of course, but can also be seen as an arch shape ( /\ ) itself. The lack of shadows, gradients, and strokes is also synonymous with the KISS approach--it is simple by design.

It also reminds me of a spaceship leaving a hangar... but maybe that's just my sci-fi side

Last edited by thayer.w (2007-10-09 17:21:31)

gummibaerchen · 2007-10-09 21:06:31

I like the first version the best, because it is as simple as archlinux itself is.

But I don't like it better than the actual one, when it is printen on white backgrounds, so I would stick with the actual one or try a different approach, even though I really like the first one

Cool idea!

Sigi · 2007-10-09 21:29:23

I thought instead of just throwing my 2 cents into this thread I could post a few of my sketches. (Please threat them that way and not as final concepts ):

(click on the image for a larger version of the png. svg link on the right side of the image...)
Feel free to do with them whatever you want.

Cheers Sigi

Mikko777 · 2007-10-09 21:47:59

Sigi wrote:

I thought instead of just throwing my 2 cents into this thread I could post a few of my sketches. (Please threat them that way and not as final concepts ):
Cheers Sigi

This is one great thread

1st off: Why do people like the current logo? When I look at it i see star trek and old dated lookin bland logo
Not technical not simple not kiss... Theres pretty much nothing good in it Although i have seen some modernizations of it that are better more professional looking.

Thayer nice logo, altho the booremang one is still my fav gdm theme

Sigi great! that gives more oriental look could you like combine 2nd and 3rd draft with some polish simplify while keeping the oriental look and you'd have a winner. (and then ofc make background and loginmanager themes ^^ )

Edit: colors from 1st one and mabbe stylize the arrow too with second and 3rd draft ^^

Last edited by Mikko777 (2007-10-09 21:49:40)

Sigi · 2007-10-09 23:27:58

I wanted to make something less 2D:

[svg6]

What do you think?

Thanks for the feedback so far, Mikko777.
Feel free to mess around with the svg's yourself. I worked for the first time with inkscape to make these logos (it isn't necessary that anyone replies with something along the lines of "that was obvious!" ) You see, it isn't that difficult!

Cheers Sigi

Arch Linux

#76 2007-10-06 23:00:04

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#77 2007-10-06 23:38:38

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#78 2007-10-08 02:48:24

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#79 2007-10-08 15:14:17

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#80 2007-10-08 15:24:27

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#81 2007-10-08 15:27:34

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#82 2007-10-08 15:47:27

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#83 2007-10-08 18:29:11

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#84 2007-10-08 20:26:49

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#85 2007-10-08 20:41:09

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#86 2007-10-08 21:07:00

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#87 2007-10-08 21:33:43

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#88 2007-10-09 01:46:19

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#89 2007-10-09 02:33:21

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#90 2007-10-09 08:50:45

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#91 2007-10-09 10:31:55

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#92 2007-10-09 15:01:40

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#93 2007-10-09 15:41:57

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#94 2007-10-09 15:45:24

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#95 2007-10-09 15:58:34

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#96 2007-10-09 16:58:33

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#97 2007-10-09 21:06:31

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#98 2007-10-09 21:29:23

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#99 2007-10-09 21:47:59

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

#100 2007-10-09 23:27:58

Re: Arch Linux logo concept

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