Hi all
I asked some friends about the design look and feel for DebConf16, and summarized their replies here for discussion at the meeting tonight, neatly numbered for ease of reference. :)
A. The outcome of design involvement:- Not just be the logo, but also input on the look and feel of the website, the colour scheme, and the final report layout, possible including other things like overall campaign concept, posters, stationery, website, the works.
- An additional outcome, which is really where my passion lies, is to grow awareness for Debian, which requires public-focused interaction and wording.
B. Things to note/discuss:- Debian is not mainstream, and not commercial.
- The purpose of DebConf is (Discussion needed) to showcase the uses and application of Debian related software
- The target audience is (Discussion needed), tech companies looking to drive their tech to new levels, explore leading edge and out there solutions. Also the 'hidden' sector - people who play in their spare time, and people who've been doing similar things without even knowing what it's called, or doing stuff out of necessity, in a shack somewhere perhaps... I do want a general public interface.
C. Recruitment
So we need someone with a designer background with some interest in IT related things, or Debian, rather than the other way around (Debianite with some design skills). At this stage I'm going with that we have no budget, but am going to ask for quotes to get an idea of the financial value anyway.
To get in touch with suitable designers I'm thinking of a few 'outreach events', starting with the CLUG talk in April, and then a few events at community groups, like Modern Alchemists, for example. And word of mouth. At these events, I'm thinking about an initial contextual/intro overview, then ask people to explain Debian in an easy-to-understand analogy/metaphor, and from the insiders, I've been trying to get out of them how Debian is adding value in the real world - got solar heliostat trackers, drug monitor via eye lenses, medical imaging machines... Need to document this all.
Lastly, I've included some quotes from my friends on how they feel about logo competitions, and Debian's brand. Please read through, it's juicy: