Re: GNOME Style Guide

[aday gnome org]

Hi to both of you!

Having looked at the guidelines and example designs, here are some comments: 

Just so you know - I'm working on a more elaborate version of the style guide at the moment. The version that I previously sent around isn't meant to be the final form of the thing.

• Does this style guide apply just to the software design, or to the marketing/brand content (website, business cards), or both? 

The style just applies to marketing/brand content - it doesn't apply to GNOME's software UI (this is covered in our prexisting Human Interface Guidelines [1]).

• Typography: Is there a reason for the switch from Cantarell (which is already used throughout the website and such) to Source Sans Pro? Both are fine and simple sans serifs but if you are already using one, what is the reason for the switch?

Canterell doesn't render well on the web and isn't good in print. It is primarily being maintained and developed as a UI font. SSP has additional benefits like a greater number of weights and better coverage. We're quite keen to make greater use of light weights in our marketing and brand materials.

We did a fairly thorough investigation of the various options available, before settling on SSP.

• Secondary colors: It may be useful to see color gradients with varying saturations and brightnesses. The purple comes off as a bit heavy to me, for instance.

Nothing is settled and we could easily change the secondary colours. Would you be interested in making a few suggestions?

• Visual motifs: What is the context in which the three motifs in the first row would be used in? While I understand that the rest of the motifs are playing off the wallpaper designs, in the actual sample designs, I'm finding that the simple and strong GNOME logo clashes a bit with the delicate motifs.Though it does work better, in my opinion, when it is filling a shape (for example, in website badges or leaflets). Maybe it would be useful to play around with the motif in different color schemes to make it stronger and less delicate?

Sure! Do you want to send some examples?

• Generally, it may be useful to explain more contexts within the style guide.

I certainly agree that the guide needs to be more elaborate. I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "explain more contexts" though.

Allan