The CentOS symbol proposed recently is presenting poor levels of contrast for some use-cases the CentOS distribution demands. We are opening a new issue to provide visual evidence of the problems found and initiating a new design round for the community to discuss and find solutions.
The CentOS Symbol redesign was conceived to be applied on top of different backgrounds by changing the color of its lines. For example, black lines for light backgrounds and white lines for dark backgrounds. So, we had two different images that can be applied on two different situations to provide the best contrast possible. However, in CentOS distribution, we have a scenario where that approach doesn't apply. The CentOS distribution presents one single image (e.g., /usr/share/icons/hicolor/16x16/apps/system-logo-icon.png) on top of different background colors (e.g., near Activities for Gnome Desktops and near the page title for the default web browser tabs).
/usr/share/icons/hicolor/16x16/apps/system-logo-icon.png
Let's illustrate the problem.
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During implementation tests in CentOS distribution, it was found that the number of lines in the CentOS Symbol design still make it to loose its visual meaning when the image is reduced to small sizes like 16x16 pixels. Such is the case of the symbol near Activities in Gnome Desktops and the symbol (favicon) near the page titles in web browser tabs.
Figure 7.
The symbol near the Activities section in Gnome Desktop is always visible on the screen (unless you use an application full screen). Presenting an image there which doesn't express what it should express is a major problem for the visual identity and project recognition. The images used to present the CentOS Symbol must transmit with clarity the same information/feeling of what it is, no matter its size.
Addressing the two previous problems may require to entirely redesign the symbol as we know it. This represents a new challenge: preserving the CentOS Symbol meaning when you look at it, whatever the new form it takes be. The new form of the symbol must transmit the same chaos idea conceived in the very beginning of the CentOS Project in order to preserve our identity. We cannot end up having a symbol that doesn't transmit the chaos idea the CentOS Project founders wanted to transmit when they conceived the CentOS Symbol in first place. We want to improve that idea to make it stronger.
Metadata Update from @areguera: - Issue private status set to: False (was: True)
Let's try some shape simplification to break the ice. Here I tried to remove the excessive number of lines and remark the symbol shape instead.
Here is the SVG file in case you want play with colors and shapes.
Interesting reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygram_(geometry)#Regular_compound_polygons
Invert the arrow termination. The expansion occurs from the inside to the outside.
Test the "Attitude" palette in PANTONE 18-3838 ULTRA VIOLET.
SVG Updated:
Let's try a one color simplification, add a bit more of margin around the inner symbol, reduce the space between the symbol and the CentOS word, update the symbol inner 8-point-star for the arrows to fit on it:
Here is the related symbol construction:
If I may comment (personal pref), I prefer the one with the color variant (on the arrow) than the last one which, at very first sight, looks more like the kubernetes logo ;-)
Trying another CentOS symbol simplification side-by-side Kubernetes symbol (monochromatic):
The info-graphic describing CentOS relation with Fedora and Red Hat was designed using the yellow color in CentOS Symbol, so lets try it with previous simplification:
CentOS, Fedora and Red Hat in the color wheel context:
Combining CentOS Yellow and CentOS Purple in CentOS Symbol simplified design:
Another variant trying to remark the expanding arrows:
Tests in the distribution:
Some corrections to prevent the symbol from looking too much like a flower:
Thanks to gbraad for commenting on this.
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