Do you agree that Lazarus needs modern graphics?

[JuhaManninen]

The Lazarus name has religious and metaphorical meaning.
...
So, the related logo, as it is the case with Windows, Apple, Android, Ruby, it's out of the question.

I once suggested in a developer meeting to use a zombie Lazarus, wrapped in clothes, just after Jesus had resurrected him.
He was smelling already but the smell cannot be carried in a logo unfortunately.

Obviously I was not serious.
The religious associations are a sensitive topic. Some people have asked already here about possible religious background.
I may already be on a "thin ice" by even writing this kind of stuff. I find these associations amusing but I know there are people how take biblical stories seriously and would be offended.

Trademarks like Apple, Android and Ruby carry no information of the actual project either. Apple, is it a fruit company?
However they have an obvious logo. A logo for "Apple" is an apple.

The situation for Lazarus identity is indeed more difficult. There is no obvious logo.
Fortunately, the greatest art always comes from combining controversial things in new mind-blowing ways.
I believe at some day somebody will get an "eureka" and create a brilliant combination of the elements.
Until then let's not change anything because the current logos and pictures are rather good and well established.

This thread was started with an idea of changing everything only because we must "follow the fashion" and we must imitate Microsoft.
Clearly such people are not qualified to create identity for Lazarus.

Juha

[hrayon]

Sorry my english...

nsunny:
Do you think that the current Lazarus graphics (in the website, setup image, splash screen or in any other form) should be updated?

Yes, but not necessary everything.

nsunny:
Do you think that modern images / graphics / design (cosmetic changes) should be adapted to make it feel more up to date?

Yes.

nsunny:
Do you think that new graphics could interest more users to use Lazarus?

Yes.

BigChimp:
In the absence of professional designers, we have to make do with what we have, I think.

Perfect.

JuhaManninen:
Now the fact is that nsunny's page design is visually rather poor...

I agree.

Martin_fr
So what then makes the current splash screen "not modern"?

Not easy to explain: Too many graphic information. Unecessary detailed parts, more than one font size, color... Redundant infomation: cheetah and cheetah's footprint.

marcov
Specially, since contrary to companies like Borland/Embacadero and Microsoft, we don't compete against our own old versions...

Ok. Lazarus competes with itself at current version while there are too many "symbol charge" spread in different forms in website, logo, IDE, etc.

The point is: How can I distinguish one brand among many others, from other IDEs at least?


Microsoft is not a good reference to this point of view:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUXnJraKM3k
:-)

Martin_fr:
...An identity change is usally required when something is wrong with the old identity.

You're wright

itmitica:
...The task isn't easy, but, it seems that Lazarus is already on the path on searching a stronger brand.

You're wright too.


I'm not an expert, but my 2 cents:
Accept it or not: we make choices in terms of "peripheral features".
When our basic needs are met, we make choices for what is aesthetic.
Our shoes, our clothes, our food, our car, etc...
When you buy something, the impression that account involves all the senses affected. What we get is, beyond the object itself, everything about. Since the quality of the string that ties the package, the smell, the texture, the sound, the packaging itself, the group that uses the same product - you're in it now - ie a complete aesthetic experience.
I do not know how they are beer commercials in other countries, but here, the least that can be explained is the flavor of the beer. The peripheral information is more important: happiness, people, party, women, ah, ok, there's beer too. "Havaianas" sandals also. Actually, a lot of advertising for various products / services, what sells is the peripheral information. Could replace the product, even of different types, and keep the same advertisement.

*It's what works*. It's not a personal point of view.

Somehow, Lazarus is a product, and sins in this aspect.

Well...
Rewritting the valuable BigChimp post:
"In the absence of professional designers, we have to make do with what we have, I think."

[typo]

When a 16 years old boy opens Lazarus IDE for the first time (girls are rare on computer programming), he feels something about us.

Is the current message the right one?

[Fred vS]

    Martin_fr
    So what then makes the current splash screen "not modern"?

Not easy to explain: Too many graphic information. Unecessary detailed parts, more than one font size, color... Redundant infomation: cheetah and cheetah's footprint.

Hum, that topic is very sensible i see...

I just want to ask something : what is the Lazarus logo ?

The cheetah ?
The Greek column ?
The footprint ?
The combination of cheetah + column + footprint ?

PS : I do not want to hurt the actual logo designer, i only want to know...

[Martin_fr]

When a 16 years old boy opens Lazarus IDE for the first time (girls are rare on computer programming), he feels something about us.

Is the current message the right one?

As I said, the message I get when I see the windows vista splash logo (that 4 color thing) is that the circus is in town.

You can't find a single logo, that says the same to everyone.

---
No smiley in this message. I am serious

[Martin_fr]

    Martin_fr
    So what then makes the current splash screen "not modern"?

Not easy to explain: Too many graphic information. Unecessary detailed parts, more than one font size, color... Redundant infomation: cheetah and cheetah's footprint.

Hum, that topic is very sensible i see...

I just want to ask something : what is the Lazarus logo ?

There is actually a bit of a point. The application icon was changed a few years back (to the current gear). IIRC the paw was introduced around that time too.

The paw obviously has a connection to the cheetah.

current icon: gear (cheetah head on Mac afaik)
current main logo: (I would say) claw

There a a variety of cheetah images, that are being kept (and that to my knowledge the developer team likes to keep)
- cheetah on column in splash (there is a variation, with a none sitting cheetah, too)
- running cheetah on web page

I might have missed something

[typo]

the message I get when I see the windows vista splash logo (that 4 color thing) is that the circus is in town.

And what do you feel about this image?

[hrayon]

I agree with Taaz post:
1) a logo can be anything but it is better to have some kind of vectorial minimalistic design that portrays the essence than a full picture.
2) a logo must unique and easily recognizable.
3) colors should not be part of the logo it self.

Your sugestion has 3 font types/sizes (too many "information") and the cheetah picture too. Is a detailed picture, too many "information".

The lazarus icon is the best choice to a splash screen, or an unified trademark in my opinion.

[Fred vS]

The lazarus icon is the best choice to a splash screen

I think that the real revolution would be to change the shape of the splash screen.

Lazarus have the maravelous function :

Code: [Select]

AControl.SetShape(ABitmap);
With that function, you can give a custom shape to the splash screen.

And a gear-like shape with the actual Lazarus icon would be perfect.

[jwdietrich]

When a 16 years old boy opens Lazarus IDE for the first time (girls are rare on computer programming), he feels something about us.

Is the current message the right one?

My children are 15, 13 and 10 years old.

Of course, they know the Lazarus IDE and they also know the person Lazarus from the new testament due to a christian background, but they never messed up the two meanings of the word. They love to create great things with the IDE and they like the cheetah logo in its different forms. They are even so far that they say that they want to have a real cheetah as a pet and call it Lazarus.

This is the effect of our design and branding on the youngest users. It could be worse.

[typo]

I don't intend to imitate Microsoft, but the Nature which renews the world at every generation.

[jwdietrich]

I don't intend to imitate Microsoft, but the Nature which renews the world at every generation.

But nature also stays true to itself. Today's genetic machinery (the "software" infrastructure of life) is the same that it was millions of years ago.

[typo]

If this infrastructure would not change, our species could not exist anymore.

[jwdietrich]

If this infrastructure would not change, our species could not exist anymore.

No, the infrastructure (genetic code, mechanisms of transcription, translation and intronic control of gene activity) is the same since the time of precambrium (with a few exceptions). What changes, of course, is the sequence and arrangement of the genes (if you want to say so: the programs that are encoded in the genetic code)

[typo]

What does not change does not remain.