Re: Semantic Web logos and technology buttons for your consideration

On Thu, 2007-09-13 at 18:24 +0200, Benjamin Nowack wrote:
> Dear Ian,
> 
> on behalf of the SWEO IG, I'd like to express the group's
> support for the proposed Semantic Web branding strategy
> and the visual elements we saw in the provided document.

Great! I'm glad to hear it.

> My personal feedback: I expect that people will like to use
> the SemWeb logo isolated, or in combination with other graphic
> elements. I myself for example would love to use the cube as a
> stand-alone, inline icon in html, e.g. as an indicator for 
> semantically enhanced links or fragments. 

Ok, we can chat with Fabrice about extracting the cube (in various
sizes).

> While I agree that
> we should encourage the use of non-modified logos, I think 
> it's worth considering a MAY for derived icons or other 
> colours. Not sure if that'd be practical or would contradict
> W3C comm guidelines, though.

The whole question of what colors we provide and whether we
license people to create their own is a hard question; I hope
to discuss that at the Comm Team's ftf meeting this week.

> 
> And thanks for the thanks; we thank *you*!

My pleasure. Marie and I will get back to Fabrice on next steps.
I anticipate the logos will become available soon (with usage
guidelines); I need to check schedules with Marie and Fabrice.

 _ Ian

> Benji
> 
> -- 
> Benjamin Nowack
> bnowack[at]semsol.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 06.09.2007 12:15:57, Ian B. Jacobs wrote:
> >Dear SWEO IG and W3C Comm Team,
> >
> >Starting in June 2007, a small group of people from the SWEO IG
> >and the W3C Comm Team met to work on a set of logos as part of
> >Semantic Web branding. Led by Benji Nowack, the SWEO IG had
> >developed some draft logo designs [1] earlier this year.  Joint
> >SWEO/Comm discussions led to refocus the project.  Benji, Susie
> >Stephens, Ivan Herman, Marie-Claire Forgue, Fabrice de Comarmond,
> >and I met several times over the past few months to develop a set
> >of logos to meet the goals identified below.
> >
> >I am pleased to share with you the results of those discussions:
> >  http://www.w3.org/2007/09/draft-swlogos.pdf
> >
> >On that page you will find:
> >
> > a) Two Semantic Web logos (one horizontally oriented, one
> >    vertically, to be used according to context).
> >
> > b) An initial set of technology buttons. We anticipate making
> >    each technology button available (initially) in five colors, 
> >    and to add technologies as needed.
> >
> >Please give us your feedback (including expressions of support!) on this
> >set of logos and buttons. Please send comments by 13 September (end of
> >business Boston time) to both the SWEO IG and the Comm Team mailing
> >lists.
> >
> >Although these logos will be public during this review, please do
> >not disseminate them more broadly at this time. I hope that we
> >can announce logos before the end of September.
> >
> >I would like to thank Benji for his initial efforts and
> >contributions that helped shape the current proposal. Marie-Claire has
> >kept us moving forward. Fabrice and his designers have helped us think
> >through options and design goals, and provided these attractive logos.
> >Susie and Ivan have helped us keep in mind the needs of various
> >communities. Thanks to everyone!
> >
> >Notes on the designs:
> >
> > 1) The designs prioritize the brands in this order: W3C,
> >    Semantic Web, individual technology. We have chosen at this
> >    time not to provide logos for Working or Interest Groups;
> >    naturally it is possible to use the designs in conjunction
> >    with a group name on a Web page, for example.
> >
> > 2) Our goal is to bring the Semantic Web to a large audience,
> >    including a non-technical audience. To this end, until such
> >    time as the brand is more recognized, the Semantic Web logos
> >    include both the phrase "Semantic Web" and the three-colored
> >    cube. Only three sides of the cube are visible, hinting at
> >    the RDF triplet via a familiar geometric form. The top
> >    of the cube is peeled coyly back, suggesting that something
> >    valuable or special is inside, and inviting the viewer to
> >    look more closely. 
> >
> >    We considered at one point reusing the familiar RDF icon [2]
> >    and simply reassigning to mean "Semantic Web" more generally.
> >    We chose a new visual to avoid confusion, but also because
> >    the current design was preferred.
> >
> > 3) For the technology buttons we had several goals:
> >
> >    a) The buttons needed to feature both W3C and Semantic Web
> >       branding. We accepted that due to size constraints, we
> >       would not be able to include the words "Semantic Web"
> >       in addition to the three-color cube. We hope that the
> >       cube will catch on and will speak for itself.
> >
> >    b) Web designers want logos to fit into their designs.
> >       We have chosen a small number of colors (5) to provide
> >       some choice. Perhaps in the future we can imagine enabling
> >       or endorsing arbitrary background colors, but at this
> >       time we did not want to go that far.
> >
> >    c) The size for the buttons (80x15 pixels) is one
> >       commonly used by Web designers. Note that the PDF file
> >       distorts the sizes somewhat; they will be smaller when
> >       they appear on their own (in PNG, etc.).
> >
> >    d) It should be easy to integrate new buttons in the future as
> >       other Semantic Web technologies mature.
> >
> > 4) The logos that the SWEO IG developed [1] include some
> >    interesting design elements we would like to reuse in other
> >    contexts (but not in the technology buttons). For instance,
> >    we discussed using the OWL eyes on T-shirts. The idea would
> >    be to create something that is technology-specific but
> >    make it work with the proposed elements as well. Thus, the
> >    W3C logo and Semantic Web cube would also figure on such
> >    a T-shirt. Although Fabrice showed us a T-shirt model as
> >    an example of his thoughts, we do not have a T-shirt design
> >    plan in place right now. That is something we can turn to
> >    once we've deployed the proposed logos and buttons. 
> >
> >    I would add that I have enjoyed working on this and, if 
> >    T-shirts are to follow, I would happily continue this this
> >    pattern of a small group bringing design ideas back to the
> >    SWEO IG and Comm Team.
> >
> >Thanks and let us know what you think!
> >
> >  Ian Jacobs
> >
> >[1] http://esw.w3.org/topic/SweoIG/TaskForces/Logos
> >[2] http://www.w3.org/RDF/icons/rdf_w3c_icon.48
> >
> >-- 
> >Ian Jacobs (ij@w3.org)   http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs
> >Tel:                     +1 718 260-9447
-- 
Ian Jacobs (ij@w3.org)   http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs/
Tel:                     +1 718 260-9447