[CentOS-devel] CentOS logo and brand update on the next board meeting agenda

Thu Mar 26 15:32:16 UTC 2020
Johnny Hughes <johnny at centos.org>

On 3/20/20 2:46 PM, Karsten Wade wrote:
> Hi everyone,
> 
> I hope this email finds you well and at some ease, in the midst of all
> things.
> 
> Thanks Tuomas for keeping this conversation going, as we all work on
> improving how the CentOS Project makes decisions in the open as a
> community. In this long-ish email I am going to describe the open
> decision process the Board of Directors wants to see followed for this
> logo work. The same process can be applied to the website redesign, too.
> 
> = Context
> 
> With apologies for any confusion I caused for Tuomas, Alain, and
> Simas--who have held an excellent open design discussion (
> https://git.centos.org/centos/Artwork/issue/1 )--I am making a few minor
> adjustments in the plan to slow things down a bit. To make sure that
> people across the CentOS community are at least aware of what is being
> worked on.
> 
> I think some people with a stake in this project are not fully aware of
> the proposed changes, and need an opportunity especially as participants
> and contributors to give input, feedback, and design thinking toward the
> final logo.
> 
> It hasn't been clear so far where decisions should be made, who chooses
> what goes into the final design, and who says that design should be the
> new logo. Or even if there should be a new logo at all!
> 
> The unclear part is largely because the CentOS Board hasn't communicated
> our intentions clearly, I'm sorry about that, and I'd like to fix that here.
> 
> The process the CentOS Board wants should look like the one below. We're
> asking the three designers who have done the work so far (areguera,
> brokenkeyframe, tigert) to lead this discussion. I am the Director
> responsible for supporting that discussion and helping it get to a
> conclusion.
> 
> The goal is to have a design that the community likes, understands, and
> accepts, which the Board of Directors can basically rubber-stamp, i.e.,
> approve without further discussion/argument. (Expect some Directors to
> provide input as community members, that is how we get our voices heard
> in the design decision process.)
> 
> = Open design decision process
> 
> 0. I have taken the logo off the Board agenda for the next meeting, and
> won't put it back on until after this community has concluded its process.
> 
> 1. For the next $time_period (perhaps until 08 April?) is the
> second-to-last window for input on the design, and suggestions for any
> new designs are also considered.
> 
> 2. For two (or three?) weeks after that ~08 April date, the current and
> new designs undergo iterations between the designers. This includes the
> designers involved so far plus anyone else who comes along willing to do
> the work.
> 
> 3. During those design iteration weeks, the process includes a robust
> back-and-forth between the designers that the rest of the community can
> observe. Designers set their own tolerance for how much feedback they
> want during this time window. They may choose, for example, to do a
> daily survey of design iterations using a survey tool to help them track
> the sentiment without wading through comments.
> 
> 4. At the end of the design iteration weeks, the designers send back to
> the community the design(s) they feel are worthy of further
> consideration or decision. These may be the final design suggestions,
> depending on how the collective designers feel.
> 
> 5. For two weeks following, interested community members are involved in
> helping choose the final design. Or those are two weeks of feedback,
> followed by another design iteration window, depending on the consensus
> of the designers and the interested community. I recommend we only
> schedule up to two iterations, and welcome the insight of the waaaaay
> more experienced designers as to what they want.
> 
> 6. The final decision is approved (rubber-stamped) by the Board; I
> conclude the trademark work in parallel.
> 
> The above can be slowed down even further -- it might be too fast with
> the way things are right now in the world; there is no need to rush, we
> just don't want an open-ended process. It's better to set a deadline and
> adjust it outward, at this point.
> 
> What do you all think about this?
> 
> Best - Karsten

I think CentOS Linux and the CentOS Project has developed a brand ..
people know what it is, and I, for one, do not want it to change.

I am fine with approving a new, Single color Logo with a more standard
font as an additive brand, but I like the logo that we have had for the
last 17 years  ..   well, once we go rid of the pink text :).

I don't want to prevent all change .. but I do think legacy is also
important.

> 
> On 3/18/20 5:27 AM, Tuomas Kuosmanen wrote:
> 
>> Hello everyone. I hope everyone is coping as well as possible in the
>> current events.
>>
>> There has been a collaborative design effort to update the CentOS logo
>> and brand, and 
>> we are on the agenda of the next CentOS board meeting (in a week)
>> to present an update to the current CentOS branding for approval. We
>> are excited to be at this point.
>>
>> In the spirit of openness, and because we are human, it could be that
>> some of us have missed the earlier mail about this
>> [https://lists.centos.org/pipermail/centos-devel/2020-January/036517.html]
>> So, I am announcing this yet once more, to make sure everyone is aware
>> of our progress, the upcoming decision, and has a final chance to
>> voice possible concerns and give feedback.
>>
>> I want to avoid sending attachments to the mailing list, so please see
>> the blog post i wrote on January which summarizes the process and
>> features the proposed logo and brand
>> updates: https://blog.centos.org/2020/01/updating-the-centos-logo-and-visual-style/
>>
>> Also, the issue on git.centos.org <http://git.centos.org> can be
>> interesting reading for anyone interested in how we have reached this
>> point: https://git.centos.org/centos/Artwork/issue/1
>>
>> The feedback we have received so far has been positive and
>> constructive, so let us know of any concerns you might have.
>>
>> Best regards,
>> Tuomas Kuosmanen
>>
>>
>>
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> 
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