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Date: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 18:52:17 +0100
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Subject: Re: [DISCUSS] Improved CouchDB logo
From: Noah Slater <nslater@apache.org>
To: "dev@couchdb.apache.org" <dev@couchdb.apache.org>
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Hi folks!

(Dropping user@, as this isn't really a topic for that list.)

CouchDB 2.0 is an *obvious* target for a brand refresh. Lets seize it
if we want to make changes.

I think the complaints are valid, though I baulked at first also. But
that's because I'm attached to our brand.

It's also important to note that his pose and his haircut gender him.
(It's clearly a him. For people who might not've been around when we
adopted this logo, he even has a name. He's called "the dude".) Not to
mention that he is white.

So yeah. We have a logo with a white dude sitting in a sexually
suggestive pose. Obviously, nothing was ever meant by it. But this
certainly isn't an image that reflects the sort of culture that we
want to build going forward.

I propose we simply remove the person. The image that Paul linked is
good. I'd be happy with the logo as-is, without the dude. It's a
fairly minor graphical tweak, and if we time it right, represents an
evolution of our brand as well as our product.

I'm tempted to suggest a colour change. But that's only to
differentiate our logo from Couchbase. It's rather unfortunate that
they chose a logo so similar to ours (recently bringing it even closer
in terms of colour). Slightly ironic, given Jen's comment. ;)

Blue is nice. :) But then that tempts me to change the name too. I
mean, if we're ever going to do this, now is the time. It's important
to note though that we have a very STRONG brand, and changing it in a
big will be expensive.

Just removing the person from the logo sees like a simple, inexpensive
change though.

On 28 October 2014 12:52, Jason Smith <jason.h.smith@gmail.com> wrote:
> I have been thinking about Brad's point for a long time now. What exactly
> is relaxing? Since CouchDB came out, web APIs, NoSQL and JavaScript have
> become [more] mainstream. Today's users are not impressed that they can
> store an unstructured JSON blob, or that they can use JavaScript on the
> server.
>
> I am torn about Joan's observations. On the one hand, I'd hate to
> over-steer, to make a big change because a tiny minority of people
> interpret a bit of art a particular way. But on the other hand, Joan would
> be the first person most people come to with such an issue. Maybe she has a
> better perspective; she detects a problem that I can't see.
>
> For now though, my provisional position is to agree with Benoit about the
> art, and Brad about the tagline. The man thinks he is alone. He is doing
> what people do when they relax. We are spying on that behavior, and that is
> what makes it real and convincing. The man is not a sales rep with a
> dubious promise of relaxation. He really is relaxing.
>
> I don't plan to post again, simply because of bike shedding. I'm fine with
> any decision. But I suggest: as long as the tagline is "relax," keep the
> logo. Discuss changing the tagline (and also the logo), and even put a
> project rename on the table while we're here. (This has been discussed
> before, there are some good arguments.)
>
> On Tue, Oct 28, 2014 at 8:26 AM, Brad Noble <bradn@us.ibm.com> wrote:
>
>> Suggestive as it may be, the logo clearly embodies the idea of "relax."
>> Specifics of the image aside, is "relax" what we want people to think of
>> when they think of CouchDB? To me, the idea that CouchDB is about
>> relaxation is outmoded. A good thought for the beginnings, but not for the
>> long-haul. If not relaxation, then what?
>>
>>
>>
>> [image: Inactive hide details for Bryan Green ---10/27/2014 09:19:07
>> PM---I think it would be interesting just to get rid of the person]Bryan
>> Green ---10/27/2014 09:19:07 PM---I think it would be interesting just to
>> get rid of the person altogether and have some sort of styli
>>
>> From: Bryan Green <dbryan.green@gmail.com>
>> To: dev@couchdb.apache.org, Joan Touzet <wohali@apache.org>
>> Cc: user@couchdb.apache.org
>> Date: 10/27/2014 09:19 PM
>> Subject: Re: [DISCUSS] Improved CouchDB logo
>> ------------------------------
>>
>>
>>
>> I think it would be interesting just to get rid of the person altogether
>> and have some sort of stylized couch.
>>
>> Bryan Green aka "lispyone"
>>
>> On Mon, Oct 27, 2014 at 7:27 PM, Joan Touzet <wohali@apache.org> wrote:
>>
>> > At 3 different conferences I've attended in 2014: CloudantCON 2014,
>> > OSCON 2014 and Velocity NYC 2014, I've been approached by people
>> > complaining about the CouchDB logo. The argument is that the logo looks
>> > like a man who is posed in a suggestive way, or as one person put it,
>> > "showing you his crotch and inviting you over."
>> >
>> > These were not lighthearted expressions of concern to me over drinks -
>> > they were heartfelt complaints from people who care about CouchDB and
>> > its image in the open source community.
>> >
>> > I must admit I didn't think it was an issue at first, but like the
>> > saying goes, once you've seen it, you can't un-see it.
>> >
>> > As a reminder here is our current logo:
>> >
>> >
>> https://svn.apache.org/repos/asf/couchdb/supplement/logo/couchdb-logo.png
>> >
>> > Or in SVG:
>> >
>> >
>> https://svn.apache.org/repos/asf/couchdb/supplement/logo/couchdb-logo.svg
>> >
>> > I'd like to propose improving the logo with a new drawing that keeps the
>> > same theme - red couch, reclining figure in white - but alters the pose
>> > to be a bit less suggestive. Other suggestions are welcome, naturally,
>> > but a redrawn current-style logo probably has the least objections.
>> >
>> > Of course, if we agree to such a change, I'll need your help. I can't
>> > draw, and I'm sure many of the rest of you can't either. If you're an
>> > artist, and you agree, would you consider posting an altered logo in
>> > reply to this thread that fixes the problem?
>> >
>> > You can find all of the source files (Adobe Illustrator) at:
>> >
>> >   https://svn.apache.org/repos/asf/couchdb/supplement/logo/
>> >
>> > -Joan
>> >
>> >
>>
>>


-- 
Noah Slater
https://twitter.com/nslater