styleguide review and feedback

[jodygarnett]

The marketing committee reviewed:

• https://github.com/OSGeo/osgeo/blob/master/marketing/branding/styleguide-osgeo.pdf

The following review was provided by Cameron Shorter via the marketing email list:

I've had a quick review of the PDF Style Guide. Here are my comments:

• Can the Point of Truth for this Style Guide please be provided in an Open format such that we can easily maintain it in future. Potential formats: RST, OpenOffice, HTML.

• Re: "The OSGeo primary logo ... MUST appear on all of our communications."

I suggest this should be changed to "The OSGeo primary logo ... SHOULD appear on all of OSGEO's OFFICIAL communications."

Note: "Communication" is a very broad term, and could include project email lists, skype calls, etc.

• Re: "NEVER tamper with the elements of the logo or any of its elements."

This advise conflicts with sub-brand advice where the logo is changed. I think we should explain the process for applying to change the logo, and guidelines for what is or is not acceptable, and the process for applying to create a sub brand. Also, I suggest say "SHOULD" instead of "NEVER". We are not sure of all future uses of this guide, and we should leave room for creative flair and common sense of our community (who should be continuing to consult with the Marketing committee, as has been done in the past).

• I assume the selected typeface is Open? (Apparently the last one was not open). If it is open, we should state this in the guide, probably with a link to where this is explained, so that future people can easily work this out.

• "Explainnation about using Google Webfonts in CSS/HTML"

This statement seems to be a forgotten TODO?

• Re "Secondary Palette"

I suggest adding a sentence explaining why you might want to use a secondary palette.

• "Keep some space between logo and text"

I suggest suggesting how much space (which might be a range).

• Can we please create Presentation templates, in particular, for Powerpoint, Google Slides, and reveal.js - a JS powerpoint format, as used by OSGeo-Live and others: http://live.osgeo.org/en/presentation/index.html#/

• The Social Media section has a nice variant of the logo - we should include this variant in the examples for Subbrands.

[jodygarnett]

@jj0hns0n you had a volunteer lined up to convert the styleguide to html for the website? Do you want a seperate bug ticket for that?

[jodygarnett]

This feedback is great, while we may not change all the text as suggested it points out areas where more guidance may be useful.

• Re: "The OSGeo primary logo ... MUST appear on all of our communications." vs SHOULD

  I am okay with the explicit instruction, I expect if we used the word "should" that the brand will be far less used and will not be as valuable as a result. The wording "must" strengthens the brand and makes for an easy visual way to tell if a communication is official.

• Re: "NEVER tamper with the elements of the logo" vs creation of a sub-brand

  I think more guidance is needed here, my understanding is the original logo (representing the organization OSGeo) should be respected as a distinct brand and not be tampered with - the result would no longer represent OSGeo. Creating a sub-brand, or for some groups a distinct brand, does involve changing elements - and that is okay because the result is representing a different group.

[jj0hns0n]

Done https://github.com/OSGeo/osgeo/issues/113

[jodygarnett]

Thanks Cameron, we have gone over this feedback and Pim will revise for v8.

[Tintrin]

Added v8 to the Google Drive folder

[jodygarnett]

Additional feedback on review of v8:

Overall the guide is good. It's a little unclear what are the "rules" vs suggested implementations.

Will there be an editable version of the guide for making corrections?

Quick Review

• Links within document are broken. To location of logos, fonts, collateral.

• With some of the examples, it's unclear which items are simply examples. Do all table cloths need to be colored with the compass, or would single color work, which colors (major cost savings)? T-shirt colors. I'm not expecting exhaustive examples, just clearly mark the examples section.

• Cartography example pg 19 doesn't match text. The land is not from the green palette.

• Related to previous comment p10 Palette, columns are not labeled as green, blue, gray palettes. The top blue can easily be confused for a gray.

• Are the icons part of a font, or svg files (or both), do they have names?

I suspect the Marketing committee can fix or clarify most of these points.

Thanks, Alex

[nbozon]

Another additional feedback on review of v8, from osgeo-discuss on 25/10/17

This is good timing to recall that OSGeo should always be written OSGeo, and that our acronym should never be written OSGEO, osgeo or whatever wrong case.

Such rule should be stated very clearly by the Marketing committee and be included in the Style Guide (on page 12 'Logo usage: Don't, or on page 8 'Typography principles)

[Tintrin]

Please provide new text or image for the following:

• Cartography example pg 19 doesn't match text. The land is not from the green palette.

[Tintrin]

styleguide-osgeo-v9.pdf

Added v9 also to the Google Drive folder. Also added the InDesign file.