[Qgis-developer] [Qgis-user] [Qgis-psc] Logo

[Barry Rowlingson]

On Thu, Apr 18, 2013 at 12:45 AM, MORREALE Jean Roc
<jr.morreale at enoreth.net> wrote:
> Andyzendy (#50) for me : simple, easily downscalable to 16x16 (great for
> taskbar/favicon), can be converted to greyscale (good for print)

I really don't understand the love for #50. It either reads as
GIS-uantum, or QGIS-uantum or on third inspection QGIS-Quantum. Its
impossible to read it as "Quantum GIS". I can't think of any other
corporate logo that is that unreadable - except maybe CNN which I
sometimes parse as CMI :). #64 from the same designer at least gets it
in the right order, but the skinny 'uantum' looks uneasily perched on
the 'GIS'. Take that away and all you have is a circle with a triangle
trying hard to be either a very fat map pin or a Q.

 Have a quick google for something like "best product logos" and you
should see that ease of readability of the product name is paramount.
If you can't look at a proposed logo and instantly see either "QGIS"
or "Quantum GIS" then that logo fails. Anything that typesets the Q of
Quantum radically different from the "uantum" such that they just
don't work together, fails. Of course a very clever designer can bend
or break these rules, and especially with an already-recognised brand
(eg CNN again) where the logo (word) part of the design is less
important than it's visual recognition as a wordless symbol. Any
squiggle of parallel lines with that same curvature and style looks
like CNN.

  I think the problem overall is the tension between getting "qgis"
and "quantum gis" in the same logo. I think I would prefer to see a
logo that uses the full name (Quantum GIS) but with a stylized Q
device that isn't part of the readable part of the text, e.g.

http://99designs.co.uk/logo-design/contests/qgis-needs-logo-210397/entries/233
http://99designs.co.uk/logo-design/contests/qgis-needs-logo-210397/entries/238
http://99designs.co.uk/logo-design/contests/qgis-needs-logo-210397/entries/165
http://99designs.co.uk/logo-design/contests/qgis-needs-logo-210397/entries/155
http://99designs.co.uk/logo-design/contests/qgis-needs-logo-210397/entries/142
http://99designs.co.uk/logo-design/contests/qgis-needs-logo-210397/entries/43

Now I'm not saying any of these are good/bad/indifferent, but they all
show the style I prefer - instantly readable 'Quantum GIS' with a
separate "Q" that can be stylised as a recongisable mark.

Ah, the joy of aesthetics... Feel free to ignore any of the thoughts
above, its just the way my synapses are responding!

Barry