New Xaraya logo proposal

Here I present to the community a new logo as a candidate to
replace the 
existing one Xaraya has used for several years now.

The design considerations behind this new logo are:

* Manta:  the Xaraya logo has always been a manta ray, and
this should 
be maintained
* Evolutionary:  elements of the current logo should be
maintained where 
possible
* Active: the logo should express action
* Flexibility:  the logo should convey that Xaraya itself is
flexible
* Organic: the logo should be comprised of fluid lines
representing a 
living creature
* Modern:  the logo should incorporate current design
thinking without 
being too trendy

Some of these items may seem to be related directly to the
manta itself, 
but they also have symbolic importance.  "Action"
characterizes the 
bustling community.  "Flexibility" denotes the
adaptability of the 
Xaraya product.  "Organic" indicates that the
product and the community 
grow and evolve.

The colors were chosen to meet the above crteria, and also
to lend a 
bright, inviting, fun feel.  In a word, tropical, to
represent that the 
manta inhabits such climes.

The images can be viewed at http://ww
w.xaraya.com/~dracos/new_logo.html

Please reply in this thread with comments.


~ Dracos
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On 17 dec 2007, at 03:19, Marty Vance wrote:

> <snip/>
>
> Please reply in this thread with comments.
>

I'm personally quite happy with the existing logo and dont
see a need  
for a new one.
We havent had much change to use/deploy the current logo in
my opinion.

marcel

-- 
Marcel van der Boom -- http://hsdev.com/mvdb.vcf
HS-Development BV   -- http://www.hsdev.com
So! webapplicaties  -- http://make-it-so.info



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"Marty Vance" <marty.vancegmail.com> wrote in message
news:fk4mav$7sr$1newton.xaraya.com...
> Here I present to the community a new logo as a
candidate to replace the
> existing one Xaraya has used for several years now.

....

> The images can be viewed at http://ww
w.xaraya.com/~dracos/new_logo.html
>
> Please reply in this thread with comments.
>

The current logo is still seems 'new' to me, as it has not
really
be used as well as it could be since it was put on the
website post 1.0 
release.
It is probably a matter of personal preference, but I prefer
a more
abstract concept for a logo, and so still quite like the one
we currently 
have.

Jo




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I like its framing, how the Manta comes out of it, etc. I am
neutral about 
the Manta, though. It's OK, but I was wondering how it would
look like if it 
was a little bit more abstract like Jo said...

Regards,
P.

"jojodee" <jojodeeathomeandabout.com>
wrote in message 
news:fk5hlk$odt$1newton.xaraya.com...
> "Marty Vance" <marty.vancegmail.com> wrote in message
> news:fk4mav$7sr$1newton.xaraya.com...
>> Here I present to the community a new logo as a
candidate to replace the
>> existing one Xaraya has used for several years
now.
>
> ....
>
>> The images can be viewed at http://ww
w.xaraya.com/~dracos/new_logo.html
>>
>> Please reply in this thread with comments.
>>
>
> The current logo is still seems 'new' to me, as it has
not really
> be used as well as it could be since it was put on the
website post 1.0 
> release.
> It is probably a matter of personal preference, but I
prefer a more
> abstract concept for a logo, and so still quite like
the one we currently 
> have.
>
> Jo
>
>
>
> 
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After several years any change is good I think,
Marc
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I had access to Dracos' new theme based on the logo. The
logo looks great
for me and the theme using those colors brings a lot of
fresh aire to the
xar.com site.

Dracos: this might be a good moment to show your whole
draft.

Regards
Rodulfo


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I like the new logo... it does look more active, and more
friendly.  I 
like having a logo that is less abstract, more like a real
animal.  It 
makes the project look less forbidding and stodgy.  Animals
have 
personality... people like animals.  This manta looks like
it's having a 
better time, vs. the old manta.

I wasn't sure about the logo colors at first, but I like the
colors more 
the longer I look at this logo.  Anyways, color is something
that can be 
adjusted over time without changing the shape of the logo
itself.  I 
like that the color doesn't look too conservative. 

I like where the new theme seems to be headed... the one at

http://www.xa
raya.com/?theme=xartropics
The colors and layout are more inviting and friendly-looking
than the 
existing theme at xaraya.com.  I'm a little unsure whether
this theme is 
supposed to be a replacement for XarayaClassic, or a
re-design of 
xaraya.com.  I guess it's the latter.

The horizontal menu in the tropics theme is more
conventional, vs. the 
existing xaraya.com menu, and I think that's a very good
thing.  People 
won't have to take time to learn how to use this menu, as
they do with 
the existing menu... great!  Instead, they can spend that
same time and 
energy exploring the site.  You can get to the extensions
search in one 
click with this new theme.  Everything seems much easier to
find.

-Ryan





Marty Vance wrote:
> Here I present to the community a new logo as a
candidate to replace the 
> existing one Xaraya has used for several years now.
>
> The design considerations behind this new logo are:
>
> * Manta:  the Xaraya logo has always been a manta ray,
and this should 
> be maintained
> * Evolutionary:  elements of the current logo should be
maintained where 
> possible
> * Active: the logo should express action
> * Flexibility:  the logo should convey that Xaraya
itself is flexible
> * Organic: the logo should be comprised of fluid lines
representing a 
> living creature
> * Modern:  the logo should incorporate current design
thinking without 
> being too trendy
>
> Some of these items may seem to be related directly to
the manta itself, 
> but they also have symbolic importance. 
"Action" characterizes the 
> bustling community.  "Flexibility" denotes
the adaptability of the 
> Xaraya product.  "Organic" indicates that the
product and the community 
> grow and evolve.
>
> The colors were chosen to meet the above crteria, and
also to lend a 
> bright, inviting, fun feel.  In a word, tropical, to
represent that the 
> manta inhabits such climes.
>
> The images can be viewed at http://ww
w.xaraya.com/~dracos/new_logo.html
>
> Please reply in this thread with comments.
>
>
> ~ Dracos
> _______________________________________________
> Xaraya_devel mailing list
> Xaraya_develxaraya.com
> http:
//xaraya.com/mailman/listinfo/xaraya_devel
>
>   


-- 
Ryan Walker
www.WebCommunicate.net:
Insights and resources for effective websites.

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Ryan Walker wrote:
> I like the new logo... it does look more active, and
more friendly.  I 
> like having a logo that is less abstract, more like a
real animal.  It 
> makes the project look less forbidding and stodgy. 
Animals have 
> personality... people like animals.  This manta looks
like it's having a 
> better time, vs. the old manta.

Friendliness is another goal which goes hand in hand with
inviting.

It's difficult to express the ideas I outlined in an
abstract shape. 
Sometimes I have to look at the current logo twice to see it
for what it 
was meant to be, and others have expressed the same to me. 
Other times 
I have to consciously remind myself what it is.

I find the choice of the words "forbidding" and
"stodgy" interesting, as 
they are the opposite of what this new logo tries to be.  If
Ryan has 
gotten this impression from the current logo, then surely
other have 
gotten similar impressions. With this new logo, I attempted
to quash any 
possible negative connotation.

> 
> I wasn't sure about the logo colors at first, but I
like the colors more 
> the longer I look at this logo.  Anyways, color is
something that can be 
> adjusted over time without changing the shape of the
logo itself.  I 
> like that the color doesn't look too conservative.

Color is a secondary concern in logo design, as the shape
itself must 
work in monotone (which is why I posted the monotone
versions first). 
However, color can bolster the ideas expressed in the shape,
which is a 
part of what the colors were chosen to do.

> I like where the new theme seems to be headed... the
one at 
> http://www.xa
raya.com/?theme=xartropics
> The colors and layout are more inviting and
friendly-looking than the 
> existing theme at xaraya.com.  I'm a little unsure
whether this theme is 
> supposed to be a replacement for XarayaClassic, or a
re-design of 
> xaraya.com.  I guess it's the latter.

That theme is meant to be as a redesign for xar.com, not a
replacement 
for Xaraya Classic.

> 
> The horizontal menu in the tropics theme is more
conventional, vs. the 
> existing xaraya.com menu, and I think that's a very
good thing.  People 
> won't have to take time to learn how to use this menu,
as they do with 
> the existing menu... great!  Instead, they can spend
that same time and 
> energy exploring the site.  You can get to the
extensions search in one 
> click with this new theme.  Everything seems much
easier to find.
> 
> -Ryan
> 

Let's not get ahead of ourselves by discussing that theme
just yet 

The real question is this: what do we want to express about
Xaraya via a 
logo?  A logo is literally a symbol, so what aspects of the
product, and 
the community do we want to emphasize with it?


> 
> 
> 
> 
> Marty Vance wrote:
> 
>> Here I present to the community a new logo as a
candidate to replace 
>> the existing one Xaraya has used for several years
now.
>>
>> The design considerations behind this new logo
are:
>>
>> * Manta:  the Xaraya logo has always been a manta
ray, and this should 
>> be maintained
>> * Evolutionary:  elements of the current logo
should be maintained 
>> where possible
>> * Active: the logo should express action
>> * Flexibility:  the logo should convey that Xaraya
itself is flexible
>> * Organic: the logo should be comprised of fluid
lines representing a 
>> living creature
>> * Modern:  the logo should incorporate current
design thinking without 
>> being too trendy
>>
>> Some of these items may seem to be related directly
to the manta 
>> itself, but they also have symbolic importance. 
"Action" 
>> characterizes the bustling community. 
"Flexibility" denotes the 
>> adaptability of the Xaraya product. 
"Organic" indicates that the 
>> product and the community grow and evolve.
>>
>> The colors were chosen to meet the above crteria,
and also to lend a 
>> bright, inviting, fun feel.  In a word, tropical,
to represent that 
>> the manta inhabits such climes.
>>
>> The images can be viewed at http://ww
w.xaraya.com/~dracos/new_logo.html
>>
>> Please reply in this thread with comments.
>>
>>
>> ~ Dracos
>> _______________________________________________
>> Xaraya_devel mailing list
>> Xaraya_develxaraya.com
>> http:
//xaraya.com/mailman/listinfo/xaraya_devel
>>
>>   
> 
> 
> 
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Pedro Innecco wrote:

> I like its framing, how the Manta comes out of it, etc.
I am neutral 
> about the Manta, though. It's OK, but I was wondering
how it would look 
> like if it was a little bit more abstract like Jo
said...

The framing was done mathematically.  The frame itself is a
square, 
while the open part the manta occupies is a golden rectangle
(or very 
close to one): 1:1.6.

The manta expands beyond the frame for a couple reasons. 
From a design 
standopint, it allows the manta to be bigger relative to the
frame. 
Conceptually, it symbolizes "thinking outside the
box" and "no limitations".

Granted, this logo is less abstract than the current one. 
It is much 
less abtract than the original logo (still visible in the
header 
graphics on xar.com), which was made from a ventral view
photograph of 
an atlantic manta, species manta birostris.  The goals of
"active", 
"flexibility", and "organic" are
expressed in the pose, and would get 
lost if the shape was more abstract.  As a concession to
abstraction 
(and for simplicity), I left off the manta's mandible fins.

> 
> Regards,
> P.
> 
> "jojodee" <jojodeeathomeandabout.com>
wrote in message 
> news:fk5hlk$odt$1newton.xaraya.com...
> 
>> "Marty Vance" <marty.vancegmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:fk4mav$7sr$1newton.xaraya.com...
>>
>>> Here I present to the community a new logo as a
candidate to replace the
>>> existing one Xaraya has used for several years
now.
>>
>>
>> ....
>>
>>> The images can be viewed at http://ww
w.xaraya.com/~dracos/new_logo.html
>>>
>>> Please reply in this thread with comments.
>>>
>>
>> The current logo is still seems 'new' to me, as it
has not really
>> be used as well as it could be since it was put on
the website post 
>> 1.0 release.
>> It is probably a matter of personal preference, but
I prefer a more
>> abstract concept for a logo, and so still quite
like the one we 
>> currently have.
>>
>> Jo
>>
>>
>>
>>
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Marty Vance wrote:

> Here I present to the community a new logo as a
candidate to replace the 
> existing one Xaraya has used for several years now.
> 
> The design considerations behind this new logo are:
> 
> * Manta:  the Xaraya logo has always been a manta ray,
and this should 
> be maintained
> * Evolutionary:  elements of the current logo should be
maintained where 
> possible
> * Active: the logo should express action
> * Flexibility:  the logo should convey that Xaraya
itself is flexible
> * Organic: the logo should be comprised of fluid lines
representing a 
> living creature
> * Modern:  the logo should incorporate current design
thinking without 
> being too trendy
> 

I should also note that the lettering is not a font, I made
the letters 
by hand.  The goal here was a clean, simple typeface which
minimized 
sharp corners.  It is all lowercase for simplicity and to
maintain the 
modern feel in the rest of the logo.
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