Re: Cygwin visual brand

[Rance Hall <ranceh at gmail dot com>]

On Sat, May 8, 2010 at 3:39 AM, Berthold Barth
<berthold.barth@googlemail.com> wrote:
> Hello list,
>
> I've used Cygwin on and off for a few years now, and today while I was
> on the site I thought how much a good, recognisable logo and graphic
> design could do for Cygwin exposure. For one, more users also mean
> more potential contributors, to the project itself and to compatible
> software alike (hopefully swaying some devs towards native linux +
> cygwin instead of native win + wine). In addition, concise design
> helps first time users find answers to their most troubling questions
> faster and with less help, reducing support load.
>
> I'm a graphic and web designer in training and want to support the
> open source movement in a way I know can make a difference (my
> programming days in BASIC and Delphi are what seems a lifetime away).
> I don't mind my designs being under a GPL license either.
>

First let me say congratulations on the attitude.

Giving what you can.

Except for this post, no one may ever know what I've given to the
projects I support since I'm a professor and I try to use open source
projects as baselines for examples, homework assignments and the like.
 A number of people have been exposed to projects like this one who
would not have seen it otherwise.  That's what I can do, hopefully
those others can do something different.

> Any thoughts from the community are greatly appreciated, although I
> will have to work with the core maintainers to decide on what needs
> doing and how.
>

While I agree that a nice logo and a coherent marketing approach are
essential items for businesses, and organizations, I'm not convinced
it would have the impact you suggest.

Don't misunderstand, I would like to see you or someone else with
similar talents, come up with an attractive marketing pack for the
project.  It should include main logos for the web site, and small
logo buttons for the web sites of the various users who like to
advertise the products they use.  Back and while art and color for
various media types should be included as well.

In my experience developers are attracted to projects they personally
like and use.  Some of the best backed projects have the worst art.  I
do think new users would benefit from art that could be copyrighted by
the cygwin project so that they would be able to recognize "official"
when they saw it.

Good luck in the rest of your training.  Thanks for giving back to the
community.

> Cheers,
> Berthold Barth

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