FreeCAD Logo Design
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- MisterMaker
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Re: FreeCAD Logo Design
So this topic is old but I hope people will get a mail when someone replies.
As most of regulars know by now i am working on an Icon theme.
Now working on made me realize that with this in Linkstage and hopefully in the main branch soon we have now the option to give every icon in every workbench the same visual appearance, without begging the dev to change it. Also it is possible to have different colors of icons for different style-sheets like dark an light.
You can also replace the workbench icons like I did here: This combined with the Stylesheets we can basically give Freecad the appearance we want.
So my proposal to a new logo is to make theme's with a custom logo, and once we have a bunch of those we switch the most popular with the default theme and we have a new logo and a nice looking program to suit it.
As most of regulars know by now i am working on an Icon theme.
Now working on made me realize that with this in Linkstage and hopefully in the main branch soon we have now the option to give every icon in every workbench the same visual appearance, without begging the dev to change it. Also it is possible to have different colors of icons for different style-sheets like dark an light.
You can also replace the workbench icons like I did here: This combined with the Stylesheets we can basically give Freecad the appearance we want.
So my proposal to a new logo is to make theme's with a custom logo, and once we have a bunch of those we switch the most popular with the default theme and we have a new logo and a nice looking program to suit it.
- adrianinsaval
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Re: FreeCAD Logo Design
well for workbench icons instead of begging you could just make a PR (following FreeCAD's icon guidelines)MisterMaker wrote: ↑Sat May 14, 2022 6:22 pm we have now the option to give every icon in every workbench the same visual appearance, without begging the dev to change it
I agree with this, the problem with many of the logo change proposal is the they were limited to the logo only which would then look out of place among the rest of the FreeCAD icons, if we do what you propose that problem is solved and of course a logo maker would have much more credibility if he's also done a bunch of icons for other stuff. There has to be some criteria to make them acceptable though, for example for your icons we would require the source files not just the pngs so it's possible to properly edit them, or people might want them to be svg or nothing. Also they have to have a certain minimum percentage of icons like 80% or something. If people like a specific icon theme they can collaborate to make it reach that threshold percentage.So my proposal to a new logo is to make theme's with a custom logo, and once we have a bunch of those we switch the most popular with the default theme and we have a new logo and a nice looking program to suit it.
- MisterMaker
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Re: FreeCAD Logo Design
I make them in Blender so source can be open. But I have seen a lot of pretty icons and logos on the forum so hopefully we will have more options.
Also since it's a ton of work, if people sell them I would understand. And I think it's a good thing since it won't affect usability of Freecad itself it's just visual. Like skins in a game.
Also since it's a ton of work, if people sell them I would understand. And I think it's a good thing since it won't affect usability of Freecad itself it's just visual. Like skins in a game.
Re: FreeCAD Logo Design
F in the shape of bridge support / arch, with a negative space gear feature. Just a rough sketch I though I'd share. The top surface also forms a "c".
Last edited by MisterHW on Mon Jul 18, 2022 10:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
- MisterMaker
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Re: FreeCAD Logo Design
@MisterHW
Your icon looks really professional. Although stuff looks a bit crooked is that caused by the line-style? Aaaaaand the Solidworks logo is a cube.
I am for a while now trying to come up some good looking workbench icons.
It would be nice if these icons would look like they belong too Freecad, not some random design like now.
If we can come up with a design where there is room to add stuff or too change so that it still looks like the logo but differently.
Then we can re-use that design in other icons. Just like Adobeevery big tech company does.
Example: Example of adobe icons:
or Autodesk:
Or Microsoft office:
Your icon looks really professional. Although stuff looks a bit crooked is that caused by the line-style? Aaaaaand the Solidworks logo is a cube.
I am for a while now trying to come up some good looking workbench icons.
It would be nice if these icons would look like they belong too Freecad, not some random design like now.
If we can come up with a design where there is room to add stuff or too change so that it still looks like the logo but differently.
Then we can re-use that design in other icons. Just like Adobeevery big tech company does.
Example: Example of adobe icons:
or Autodesk:
Or Microsoft office:
- MisterMaker
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- Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2020 7:41 am
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Re: FreeCAD Logo Design
This could work, but I think the teeth of the cogwheel take up too much space. I btw know it's all super old stuff by now but it's handy to have an overview to do some inspiration.Haides wrote: ↑Mon Sep 14, 2020 4:19 pm Hello to everybody!
I have recently started using FreeCAD and i love the concept of free source software.
I am graphic designer and wanted to contribute to community and created new and modern logo suggestion for administrators to reconsider, maybe as a start of new and redesigned FreeCAD interface.
I would like to hear your opinion, do you like it?
Thanks!
Michael of Itsari Graphics
- MisterMaker
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Re: FreeCAD Logo Design
Maybe someone feels the need to improve on it
Re: FreeCAD Logo Design
As has been identified: The FreeCAD UI needs serious work.
I have some suggestions on how to fix the most basic aspect of this; the app-name, icon and splash-screen:
1. Get rid of the "Free" in FreeCAD and change the name to F-CAD. Consumers subconsciously associate the word "free" with "cheap"; "disposable", "inferior". Right from the start, FreeCAD is (unconsciously) demeaning itself. Yes, I know it is 'free' (opensource).
2. Lose the horrific current splash-screen immediately. Nobody in a professional engineering environment (yes, I hate many of these people too) is going to look twice at CAD software with a splash screen like FreeCAD's. Again, this feels like self-sabotage. FreeCAD undermines its own credibility the moment you load the software.
3. Change the app logo immediately. The current logo looks like another act of self-sabotage. The consumer will subconsciously associate the awful typography in the logo with an inferior software product.
4. Simplify everything. Begin with the basic branding.
Here is a design idea for you all. In these designs, the 'F' in F-CAD alludes to measuring-calipers of the type that an engineer typically uses; or a workshop clamp. However, the reference is not overstated. Also, we lose all the cute drawings of some random CAD projects.
Nobody is interested in seeing some other engineer's work each time they open their CAD software. Yes, I know Blender makes this mistake too; and others; but there is no need to copy it.
I have some suggestions on how to fix the most basic aspect of this; the app-name, icon and splash-screen:
1. Get rid of the "Free" in FreeCAD and change the name to F-CAD. Consumers subconsciously associate the word "free" with "cheap"; "disposable", "inferior". Right from the start, FreeCAD is (unconsciously) demeaning itself. Yes, I know it is 'free' (opensource).
2. Lose the horrific current splash-screen immediately. Nobody in a professional engineering environment (yes, I hate many of these people too) is going to look twice at CAD software with a splash screen like FreeCAD's. Again, this feels like self-sabotage. FreeCAD undermines its own credibility the moment you load the software.
3. Change the app logo immediately. The current logo looks like another act of self-sabotage. The consumer will subconsciously associate the awful typography in the logo with an inferior software product.
4. Simplify everything. Begin with the basic branding.
Here is a design idea for you all. In these designs, the 'F' in F-CAD alludes to measuring-calipers of the type that an engineer typically uses; or a workshop clamp. However, the reference is not overstated. Also, we lose all the cute drawings of some random CAD projects.
Nobody is interested in seeing some other engineer's work each time they open their CAD software. Yes, I know Blender makes this mistake too; and others; but there is no need to copy it.
Re: FreeCAD Logo Design
why-not, but at bare minimum re-use the current color scheme.
Re: FreeCAD Logo Design
I like the caliper idea of the logo. Alas, the arguments you state look like another act of self-sabotage. They are the usual marketing stuff, not caring if it is wrong or right. Unprecise statements, which are only eye catching. Two examples may suffice to show what I mean:
Ever heard of freedom? And why should FreeCAD care about consumers. FreeCAD doesn't have to sell.TeslaCoil wrote: ↑Tue Aug 30, 2022 9:35 am 1. Get rid of the "Free" in FreeCAD and change the name to F-CAD. Consumers subconsciously associate the word "free" with "cheap"; "disposable", "inferior". Right from the start, FreeCAD is (unconsciously) demeaning itself. Yes, I know it is 'free' (opensource).
How many is "nobody" in your world? I always thought it was near zero, but here I know several professionals working with FreeCAD. I admit that they might have gone directly after the first start to the preferences to get rid of the horrific current splash-screen immediately.2. Lose the horrific current splash-screen immediately. Nobody in a professional engineering environment (yes, I hate many of these people too) is going to look twice at CAD software with a splash screen like FreeCAD's.
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