From user-return-9938-apmail-couchdb-user-archive=couchdb.apache.org@couchdb.apache.org Tue Apr 13 11:23:46 2010 Return-Path: Delivered-To: apmail-couchdb-user-archive@www.apache.org Received: (qmail 98936 invoked from network); 13 Apr 2010 11:23:46 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO mail.apache.org) (140.211.11.3) by 140.211.11.9 with SMTP; 13 Apr 2010 11:23:46 -0000 Received: (qmail 36397 invoked by uid 500); 13 Apr 2010 11:23:44 -0000 Delivered-To: apmail-couchdb-user-archive@couchdb.apache.org Received: (qmail 36282 invoked by uid 500); 13 Apr 2010 11:23:43 -0000 Mailing-List: contact user-help@couchdb.apache.org; run by ezmlm Precedence: bulk List-Help: List-Unsubscribe: List-Post: List-Id: Reply-To: user@couchdb.apache.org Delivered-To: mailing list user@couchdb.apache.org Received: (qmail 36273 invoked by uid 99); 13 Apr 2010 11:23:42 -0000 Received: from nike.apache.org (HELO nike.apache.org) (192.87.106.230) by apache.org (qpsmtpd/0.29) with ESMTP; Tue, 13 Apr 2010 11:23:42 +0000 X-ASF-Spam-Status: No, hits=0.0 required=10.0 tests=FREEMAIL_FROM,RCVD_IN_DNSWL_NONE,SPF_PASS,T_TO_NO_BRKTS_FREEMAIL X-Spam-Check-By: apache.org Received-SPF: pass (nike.apache.org: domain of david.coallier@gmail.com designates 209.85.218.221 as permitted sender) Received: from [209.85.218.221] (HELO mail-bw0-f221.google.com) (209.85.218.221) by apache.org (qpsmtpd/0.29) with ESMTP; Tue, 13 Apr 2010 11:23:36 +0000 Received: by bwz21 with SMTP id 21so5494857bwz.35 for ; Tue, 13 Apr 2010 04:23:15 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:mime-version:received:in-reply-to:references :date:received:message-id:subject:from:to:content-type :content-transfer-encoding; bh=y7dwXxG7ylOgTwHCtxGNtMlaIUPNNFHBskH6ULVlERY=; b=XZ5x76jbBkckZwR++FrQC0EcAKpqdtAF8Z43C1kvPyMk7GOESK7nff6mAWPbDIj56P 3KHaKXKdiY1aY1PvAP5bnl9aXn9FvWLKGR8CyQQCNgMpTdkacvSgI3f30Bp4hreHVnwn 4645qVXcR1CMCTTOD0VmiqeZsQTJ8EbSjI5xw= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :content-type:content-transfer-encoding; b=TGf24IFPdgQvmcFKf17LD7kMRw0G1YblcQxdKO7iIAym/Vm5WcWunUOxz6XxuNnw9f lX0oG8bn9ymjvObRiHIU239nRBsB2IuEOAIHeNt2j/JvTm0ZN6WduuSe18KfNP+wc858 Opk4YNcZAe7CGccvNWKKnymn+iOEPVyysFATE= MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.204.113.205 with HTTP; Tue, 13 Apr 2010 04:23:15 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: References: Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:23:15 +0100 Received: by 10.204.162.143 with SMTP id v15mr2614443bkx.147.1271157795434; Tue, 13 Apr 2010 04:23:15 -0700 (PDT) Message-ID: Subject: Re: CouchDB brand identity and design of couchdb.apache.org From: David Coallier To: user@couchdb.apache.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Virus-Checked: Checked by ClamAV on apache.org I'm fairly certain that coming up with an alternative design wouldn't be a bad approach. Perhaps some sort of mockup of what you have in mind or even a few PNGs to outline your design desires could give you some leeway. Regarding the red in the logo, I'm obliged to disagree. Maybe in western cultures read might be interpreted as a "panic" color, however in other countries as such as China, red means good luck and fortune, in Hinduism red means life, energy, creativity, joy, etc, and the list goes on :) I honest don't believe that the color of the logo or it's look has to be changed soon. However regarding the design, coming up with mockups might get you much further :) Even further if you are willing to do the markup. On 13 April 2010 12:17, Gregory Tappero wrote: > I dare to say that i agree, it is repelling at first sight. > > > On Tue, Apr 13, 2010 at 1:12 PM, James Fisher wr= ote: >> Hi all, >> >> >> I've recently fallen head-over-heels in love with CouchDB. =C2=A0However= , this >> (my first) email will probably be at best, constructively critical, and = at >> worst, offensive, but: >> >> Does the CouchDB project have any agreed visual brand identity, or is it >> being worked on? =C2=A0I speak mainly of the pages at >> http://couchdb.apache.org/. =C2=A0I'm the kind of person that judges a b= ook >> by its cover, and it took >> consIiderable effort for me to stop my eyes being repelled from that pag= e. >> Compare it, for example, with the simple design at http://www.mongodb.or= g/ , >> where many newbies (like me) to document-oriented DBs will be making an >> active comparison. >> >> CouchDB's slogan is "relax", but that web design gets me all agitated. >> There's no room to breathe: logotype squished into a corner, small font, >> subheadings imprisoned in dark green cells. =C2=A0No ample footer tellin= g me I've >> reached the end of the page and where I should go next; just a niggardly >> copyright notice. =C2=A0Rather than relaxing, the guy on the sofa looks = like he's >> trying to squirm as far away from the page as possible. >> >> The sofa logo I'm not particularly opposed to, but: entirely saturated >> primary red? =C2=A0That's the universal visual symbol for "PANIC!". =C2= =A0I have this >> passage from The Vagina Monologues indelibly imprinted on my memory: >> >> --- >> Then he began to undress me. >> >> "What are you doing, Bob?" I said. >> >> "I need to see you," he replied. >> >> "No need," I said. "Just dive in." >> >> "I need to see what you look like," he said. >> >> "But you've seen a red leather couch before," I said. >> --- >> >> ... blech. >> >> And: who could ever relax on such an angular sofa? >> >> The index page just doesn't sell it. =C2=A0A needless

"The CouchDB = Project" >> tells me what I already know from looking at the logotype. =C2=A0The mes= sy design >> schema, which could be a quirky feature (though its appearance on the fi= rst >> page is questionable), instead sits awkwardly on top of other headers an= d >> squashing text out of the way, with an inappropriate yellow background t= hat >> together with the green suggests vomit (oh dear, on my nice new sofa). >> There's no big bold text telling me that I should use CouchDB. >> >> The first paragraph: =C2=A0"Apache CouchDB is a document-oriented databa= se that >> can be queried and indexed in a MapReduce fashion using JavaScript. Couc= hDB >> also offers incremental replication with bi-directional conflict detecti= on >> and resolution." =C2=A0This jumps into jargon way too soon -- as a prosp= ective >> user, the first thing I want to hear is something simple, comforting, an= d >> whetting my appetite: "CouchDB is a new kind of database; it will change= the >> way you work; come with me, and I will take you on a tour of its secrets= ." >> >> Next, the colour scheme. =C2=A0Red and dark-half-saturated green (I'm no= t even >> sure whether that colour has a name)? =C2=A0Under no system of colour th= eory is >> that an appropriate combination. =C2=A0I suspect it hasn't consciously b= een >> decided upon as a palette -- the red appears nowhere else. >> >> What's with the needless breadcrumb trail across my entire 2000px-wide >> screen? =C2=A0It might be appropriate for a massive site where getting l= ost is >> easier than finding anything, but not here where every page is easily li= sted >> down the left. >> >> And the diagonal pinstripe background -- that's so 2003. =C2=A0Nothing e= lse on >> the site implies that 45 degree angle. =C2=A0Get rid of it. >> >> Futon displays a different scheme: red with shades of grey. =C2=A0The sl= ogan, >> "relax," sits in a different place to the same slogan in the logotype on= the >> website. =C2=A0The text sits under, rather than aside, the sofa logo. = =C2=A0The >> "contract the sidebar" arrow inexplicably points up rather than to the >> right. >> >> I'm getting into nitty-gritty now, but I hope I've made a point: CouchDB= is >> surely losing users by pushing them away with bad design. =C2=A0The main= slogan, >> "relax," I really, really like, but it unfortunately doesn't come across >> anywhere. =C2=A0It should. =C2=A0The whole visual design specification s= hould use this >> one word as its starting point. >> >> I don't just want to criticize. =C2=A0Perhaps I can help -- I have no ex= perience >> with Erlang, and I'd be much better suited to PR in this case. =C2=A0AFA= ICT the >> site is hand-written static HTML/CSS, so a redesign is not a massive >> undertaking. >> >> Opinions? >> >> >> >> James Fisher >> > > > > -- > Greg Tappero > CTO co founder Edoboard > http://www.edoboard.com > +33 0645764425 > --=20 Slan, David