[MeeGo-community] MeeGo Marketing: branding issues and proposals

[Randall Arnold]

Sorry to add to the pile, but someone else brought up a very good point
in the forum: whatever official font is used for MeeGo, it should be part
of the core distribution (I would add Liberation family as well).


Randy


  ----- Original message -----
  From: "Ibrahim Haddad‎" <ibrahim at linuxfoundation.org>
  To: "Randall Arnold‎" <texrat at ovi.com>
  cc: "Dave Neary‎" <dneary at maemo.org>, "MeeGo community‎"
  <meego-community at meego.com>
  Subject: Re: [MeeGo-community] MeeGo Marketing: branding issues and
  proposals
  Date: Fri, 3 Dec 2010 12:35:09 -0800

  Hi all,
  these are some good points here. please let me go back and figure out
  what we can do on this and get back to you.
  thanks,Ibrahim

  On Fri, Dec 3, 2010 at 8:55 AM, Randall Arnold <texrat at ovi.com>
  wrote:




    > ----- Original message -----
    > From: "Dave Neary‎" <dneary at maemo.org>
    > To: "Randall Arnold‎" <texrat at ovi.com>
    > cc: "MeeGo community‎" <meego-community at meego.com>
    > Subject: Re: [MeeGo-community] MeeGo Marketing: branding issues
    and proposals
    > Date: Fri, 03 Dec 2010 17:29:21 +0100
    >
    >
    >Hi,
    >
    > For the most part I was unaware of these issues - so please
    excuse me if
    > these remarks are silly.
    >
    > Randall Arnold wrote:
    > > Problem: Official MeeGo font is commercial, closed source.
    > > Solution: Use a similar rendition fo the typeface that is
    open (creative
    > > commons) [2]. Replace current logo with this font asap
    >
    > What's the official MeeGo font? And why should we care what it
    is?
    > What's important is that we have an SVG & PNG version of the
    logo which
    > we are free to reuse (withing the bounds of acceptable
    guidelines). As I
    > understand it (which may be wrong, of course) a free typeface
    only
    > matters if we're creating text other than the MeeGo logo using
    the same
    > typeface.

      The official MeeGo font is an Alte DIN 1451 typeface as
    indicated in the link I provided.  We care because that font is
    not only used to create the official logo, it is also intended
    for body text in promotional items.  I don't believe a closed
    source version is appropriate.

    >
    > > Problem: Official MeeGo logo spec demands excessive white
    space around
    > > logo for all uses
    > > Solution: Develop broad array of white space requirements
    based on use
    > > context. Current space requirement [3] is too restrictive
    (and in fact
    > > was violated by MeeGo Conference 2010 badge!)
    >
    > What would you suggest? It definitely seems reasonable to
    define a
    > whitespace clearing area around a logo. GNOME defines a
    clearing space
    > of 1/10 x around the logo, where x is the horizontal width of
    the GNOME
    > foot, and also shows some acceptable examples of "hacked"
    logos:
    > http://live.gnome.org/BrandGuidelines
    >

      I suggest 1 of 2 approaches:

    a) reduce the current white space for all uses.  Again, as a
    designer I find the current gap far too wide.
    or-
    b) create various white space spans on a per-use basis
    (context-driven).  Granted that's vague, and will likely need to
    be defined on a case-by-case basis as we go (example: the
    conference badge).  As these cases emerge and are approved, they
    need to be plugged into policy on the wiki page so that everyone
    is informed.

    > > Problem: MeeGo secondary color pallette [4] is too
    restrictive.
    > > Solution: add a few more shades. I recommend a Light Magenta,
    a Dark
    > > Cyan, Dark Green, Orange and one or two Brown shades (note:
    at least one
    > > brown shade is used on some MeeGo characters... that should
    be made
    > > official)
    >
    > I don't think that it's necessarily true that only MeeGo
    palette colours
    > can be used for elements outside the MeeGo logo - perhaps it'd
    be
    > useful to define a 16 or 32 colour palette for general use, and
    a
    > smaller palette for use specifically in the wordmark (and I'd
    definitely
    > like to see a graphic designer propose one).
    >

      I'm not talking about allowance as much as I am preference.  I
    don't suggest a completely restrictive pallette; I would just
    like the official default pallette expanded.

    > > Problem: no clear usage policy on MeeGo characters and
    derivatives
    > > Solution: craft one! I have been creating derivatives for
    some time [5]
    > > and we have just now run into issues about use. I would like
    clear
    > > guidelines on what shall, should and/or may be done with
    originals and
    > > derivatives.
    >
    > If it was up to me, I'd say "Anything goes" (within reason for
    things
    > like obscenity).
    >
    > I don't see any trademarking of ameegos happening and the brand
    value is
    > more for community identity than it is for the project. I don't
    see any
    > need to regulate this.

      I'm not looking for regulation, either, rather the opposite.
     My goal would be to start with "anything goes" and have the
    Linux Foundation make strong cases for why certain uses could not
    be allowed.

    >
    > Like you, I'd be interested in Ibrahim's comments.
    >

      I should have specifically added him at the start.  Remedied.

    -Randy

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