An embarassment of riches
There have been so many entries to the logo contest that we're going to have to filter out most of them before we can hold a meaningful vote!Therefore, we are now hardening some of the previous guidelines into rules, and adding some new rules. Submissions that don't fit the rules will be put on a rejects page; they can serve as inspirations for logo composers but will not be eligible at voting time.
I've written comments on the submissions.
Rules for logos:
- When an entry is scaled to be 50 pixels tall, it may not exceed 100 pixels in width. That is, please make sure you have a version of your entry that is not more than twice as wide as it is tall.
- Reason: the logo must be useful as a web-page button. Accordingly, all text and graphic detail in entries must be readily readable at this size.
- All entries must use at most four colors
- Reason: reproducibility. The logo needs to render well on hardcopy media, cloth, etc. as well as a computer screen.
- Entries must not violate existing trademarks or copyrights
- Reason: the last thing we need is a lawsuit.
- Entries must not bring Open Source into disrepute
- We've seen Soviet flags and logos containing insects in the queue and removed them. Get serious, please.
- Entries must have a distinctive graphic element independent of the words "Open Source" or letter forms "OS"
- I've been reading up on the fine art of logo design. There's a heuristic graphic designers follow to the effect that logos that rely on letterforms are weaker than those that do not. Also, we wnt the logo to be suitable for international use by non-English speakers.
Rationale for the rules:
We need a logo that's simple and classy-looking, and will still look good in a small size suitable for use as a button on a web page.Therefore the thumbnails are a good way to judge logos. If the detail on a logo is too small to be seen easily at thumbnail size, it's too fancy. The design has to scale in the other direction, as well, for use on trade-show banners etc.
Try to stick with simple, bold designs using at most four colors (to make the logo inexpensive to print on paper). Three colors is better.
Also, remember the target audience. The purpose of this logo is to sell our way of doing things to businesspeople. We want something that's timeless, sober, dignified, and wouldn't look out of place on a bank letterhead.