Textpattern Resources Logo & Icons Design Contest

zero · 2005-10-13 17:51:48

As ian_ep said, a logo is immediately identifiable and can say much more than the word ‘textpattern’ for example. What do you want to communicate? Do you want to get across a unity, community feeling? I kind of thought the main txp sites did, so a logo with similarities could assist this communication. Do you want to say that all the main txp sites concur on similar values of energy, work, reliability and simplicity etc? If so then following the style of the original txp logo can help this, imho.

Each individual site will have its own characteristics and there is about 99% of the web page left to express this even if the logos share similarities. So I don’t think ‘branding’, if you want to call it that, limits, but instead could reinforce and strengthen core values, as well as making them more readily identifiable. But I am speaking as someone who did a course on communication which did not have any theory or practice on logos, branding or style. I would be interested to hear more from people who have studied these about why ‘branding’ might limit the txp sites.

ian_ep · 2005-10-14 05:43:07

As ian_ep said, a logo is immediately identifiable and can say much more than the word ‘textpattern’ for example.

Umm, no. I said pretty much the opposite actually. At least I thought I did.

The elements of visual branding – using a consistent logo, colour scheme, typography, layout, writing style etc. – are all useful communication tools. However, they are only useful if you have a consistent, well-defined and limited set of values to communicate — and some clearly defined, and preferably quantifiable, goals to achieve. I don’t think Texpattern has – or has need of – any of these things. In fact I think much of its popularity is due it not having any clear identity. Every user has to make their mind up as to what TP is and how they will use it. Branding is basically about making people’s minds up for them, so they will Buy More Stuff. Consequently, it can (IMHO) do little to help the Texpattern community and much to harm it.

zero · 2005-10-14 18:07:42

When you wrote “only one point of view can be allowed to dominate: ‘Kind Father’ for example. This undoubtedly simplifies communication and accelerates recognition and identification, but at a cost—the loss of diversity and nuance”, I thought you were referring to the logo. But on re-reading it and reading your last post I see that ‘consistent theme’ and ‘branding’ also refers to colour scheme, typography, layout, writing style etc.

When I said ‘branding’ I was just talking about logo so perhaps our views are not so dissimilar. Do you think a consistent theme of <strong>logos only</strong> would harm the txp community?

ian_ep · 2005-10-14 18:23:48

Do you think a consistent theme of logos only would harm the txp community?

No, probably not as such. But I still think it an unnecessary and ultimately uninteresting excercise.

zero · 2005-11-03 00:21:17

Thank you very much for all the positive comments about the spade and the digging guy. Yes folks, it was me who did it! I am unaccustomed to receiving any feedback or praise, never mind winning anything, so you might well imagine how good I felt when the comments started appearing!

I held back revealing my identity till now so that if you <a href=“http://4-ever.org/”>click this link to 4-Ever</a> you will see my redesign and some articles that may be more relevant to you than the heavy stuff of version 1.

And, milking this for all it’s worth, there is an article on there about the logo and how I did it. Hopefully, it will dispel any notions of the logo being sexist. I could not have done it any other way, Alexandra!

Thanks again for the positive comments, especially from all you talented artists who submitted entries. As I commented earlier in this thread, the TXR crew must have had great difficulty choosing. It’s been my lucky day (now stretched to a month:) Yippeeeee!!!!!

alexandra · 2005-11-03 10:11:04

Ahrgg.. that was you, Peter :)…you ba… ;) … no worries, i do not consider you being a sexist. i just know that symbols, especially on the web, are very important and have a great impact. As TXP´s logo is a guy i did not like the idea textpattern.org´s logo to be a guy again. why not taking a digging woman?

but i am happy, you are so happy. makes everything a bit better for me.

Here is a working link to Peter´s article on the logo: 4-ever.org/logos-r-us.

(Wonder when Rob & Alicson go live with the new design… i am so curious)

Last edited by alexandra (2005-11-03 10:16:28)

jdueck · 2005-11-04 21:08:16

HEY!

The reboot was 3 days ago. what happened?

els · 2005-11-05 18:31:15

alexandra wrote:

why not taking a digging woman?

If you read Peter’s article you’ll know why ;)

alexandra · 2005-11-05 18:43:40

@ are you talking about the photograph he took from himself? he could have taken one, wearing a skirt ;)

els · 2005-11-05 20:06:22

Sure. Mini, of course. And high heels. Now who’s being sexist? ;)

zero · 2005-11-06 15:28:34

It was the concept of the logo that won, not the execution of it. Every other logo was better executed. I tried to make it in the same style as the original txp logo. But I am not skillful enough to do that. I have tried.

If you look at the original txp logo, it is fairly androgynous, although to me it looks more male than female. Look at the digger and it <em>might</em> be a female but most would say it was male. Ideally digger would be androgynous. I have tried to make it so but I am not that skillful and my attempts just do not look right.

A good artist could draw it with the same flowing lines of the carver and make it androgynous too. If anyone could do this, I bet that the TXR crew wouldn’t mind replacing it. I certainly wouldn’t mind.

alicson · 2005-11-08 19:32:30

i am really really sorry about the complete lack of rebooting for the Textpattern Resources site. what with moving house over the past month, and my computer — a machine very near and dear to me — burning out its harddrive (after having already broken its brackets so that it can’t sit up on its own, and no matter the cd drive coughing and the touchpad not reaching its potential..), i have been without a “real computer” for well over a month now. i am currently on a “little” Satellite A45 that is doing its best but barely keeping up.. my new comp won’t be in til the end of this week..

so i have been AFK and MIA, and feeling very guilty and sorry about the textpattern.org not getting taken care of when i had intended.
at the moment i’m still inundated with house stuff (the moving into the new, but also the selling of the old), and my other big headache is another site that i must finish for someone — their funding depends on it.. and that has also been delayed, so i really must work on getting that taken care of before i can return my attention to the textpattern resources site, which is what i’d really like to be doing.

anyway, that’s what’s happened.. i’m sorry :( i’ve not abandoned it whatsoever.. i just have not been properly equipped, nor have the free time lately to concentrate on it.

thank you for whatever patience you have for me..
‘hope everyone and their computers have been happy and healthy.

alexandra · 2005-11-08 21:06:45

oh my dear that sounds pretty bad… i went through a hd crash recently and had to buy a new notebook, transferr the data and so on… thats no fun at all. do not worry about textpattern.org´s update… we can live with the current desing for some more month i guess :)

i press my thumb everything works out fine for you, ali. heads up!

jdueck · 2005-12-29 16:56:05

Well? :)

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#91 2005-10-13 17:51:48

Re: Textpattern Resources Logo & Icons Design Contest

#92 2005-10-14 05:43:07

Re: Textpattern Resources Logo & Icons Design Contest

#93 2005-10-14 18:07:42

Re: Textpattern Resources Logo & Icons Design Contest

#94 2005-10-14 18:23:48

Re: Textpattern Resources Logo & Icons Design Contest

#95 2005-11-03 00:21:17

Re: Textpattern Resources Logo & Icons Design Contest

#96 2005-11-03 10:11:04

Re: Textpattern Resources Logo & Icons Design Contest

#97 2005-11-04 21:08:16

Re: Textpattern Resources Logo & Icons Design Contest

#98 2005-11-05 18:31:15

Re: Textpattern Resources Logo & Icons Design Contest

#99 2005-11-05 18:43:40

Re: Textpattern Resources Logo & Icons Design Contest

#100 2005-11-05 20:06:22

Re: Textpattern Resources Logo & Icons Design Contest

#101 2005-11-06 15:28:34

Re: Textpattern Resources Logo & Icons Design Contest

#102 2005-11-08 19:32:30

Re: Textpattern Resources Logo & Icons Design Contest

#103 2005-11-08 21:06:45

Re: Textpattern Resources Logo & Icons Design Contest

#104 2005-12-29 16:56:05

Re: Textpattern Resources Logo & Icons Design Contest

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