Use distinctive application icon/logo for Back In Time (icon proposals)

[Germar]

Hello, I'm AZorin from the Zorin OS project. I believe that Back In Time is a brilliant program although it seems to be missing an independent icon. I have created one which I have attached to this message. Some credit goes to the Oxygen Icon theme. I hope you will like this icon and decide to choose it for your program. Best regards, AZorin

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Imported from Launchpad using lp2gh.

• date created: 2010-04-23T18:23:49Z
• owner: azorin
• assignee: azorin
• the launchpad url was https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/569139

[Germar]

(by danleweb) Hi AZorin, thanks for your interest in the project. I like the idea of having a special icon for BIT but I'm not so crazy about the one attached. I would like one that suggest "going back in time" or "pause time".

Thanks, Dan

[Germar]

(by azorin) Would something like a clock with a rewind icon work or would you like something more flashy?

[Germar]

(by danleweb) Hi,

Sorry for the late answer but I was on vacation. I do prefer something like a clock with a backward flash. Something like the attached image or even better.

Best regards, Dan

[Germar]

(by azorin) I made a new one. It is attached to this message.

[Germar]

(by danleweb) I like this better.

[Germar]

(by mastropino) I think that we need a custom icon for the Notification Area!

[Germar]

(by azorin) Maybe this one?

[Germar]

I'm not really excited about the previous proposals. I'd like to have something like a glowing Flux Capacitor

[ElvisPresly]

Until you choose, as a result the worthy program will remain without icon ;)

[buhtz]

I think because of the nerd-factor of the "flux capacitor" it wouldn't be hard to find someone how would provide an icon for this. ;)

Some examples we could build on or we could contact.

I would suggest trieing to contact people on this plattform: http://www.iconarchive.com/ Maybe we find a nice icon or a person who would be willing to produce one for BIT. And it is a nice website to get inspired by different design styles.

[NikoKrause]

[ElvisPresly]

@NikoKrause developers will use all the same standard "save"))))))

[buhtz]

I really like it. Minimalistic but with the fluxcompensator.

[Germar]

I like it, too. Only the arrow looks a bit wired. Maybe we could rotate it so the arrow head is on 7 o'clock and has enough space to be a full arrow head. Start of the circle would be on 4 o'clock. Could you send me the svg please?

[NikoKrause]

This was just a raw draft. Base icon was the Moka icon for Deja-Dup: https://github.com/snwh/moka-icon-theme/blob/master/src/D/deja-dup.svg

The flux-compensator is a bad hack. Maybe someone with more Inkscape skills can create a better version.

[NikoKrause]

The Material Design Icon theme has a simple, but perfectly fitting icon for BackInTime:

Available here: https://github.com/google/material-design-icons/blob/master/action/svg/design/ic_restore_48px.svg

[amitkeret]

Last comment is more than a year old... Still no decision on an icon for this great program?

[buhtz]

Just for information to all subscribers. We have a discussion on bit-dev mailing list about Back In Time having it's own icon.

We would be glad if someone with graphic design experience would join the discussion.

[buhtz]

Germar offered me a contact to a designer he was working with some years ago. But I couldn't reestablish the contact because the mail address did not work and the real name is unkown.

About "flux-capacitor": There are some icon themes offering such an icon. But I wasn't able to get contact to the artists. I don't feel well with just downloading such an icon even if the licences is "free". This is to anonym for opinion.

So I was asking in the Inkscape community about a designer contact and also about alternative design ideas. The thread is here. There we have an idea and a draft using an hour glass with a back-circled arrow around it.

[meetdilip]

Saw your logo request at Inkscape.org

Drew a Flux capacitor for you. Let me know what you think

[meetdilip]

I like this one

[meetdilip]

3D version

[buhtz]

Thanks a lot for all your ideas and your drafts.

We will take this into account. We need to discuss this in the team and make some decisions. This will take some time because all team members do their work in the project voluntary and not on a regular basis.

Kind

Christian

[aryoda]

@buhtz THX for bringing up this issue again, using our own app icon is the only way to be sure to finally fix our "missing app icon" issues.

I saw all the excellent icon proposals and love the fancy idea of the flux capacitor as logo.

Still I would like unleash the creative power of the icon designers to propose any kind metaphor that

• easily recognizable to "back in time" or "backup"
• does not require background knowledge (e.g. having seen a film)
• is understandable in may cultures of the world
• may not have another meaning in another culture (e. g. the icons proposed by @meetdilip are really beautiful and esp. the minimalistic use of drawing elements brings a modern style IMHO but the three lines could be confuse with the letter "Y" which may have another meaning somewhere or at least people may wonder how "back in time" is related to the letter "Y")

Edit: One specific requirement is to also support an icon size of 22 x 22 pixels since we are using the app icon also as system-tray icon (so there is not much space for a 3D/perspective view in the icon I guess): https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qsystemtrayicon.html#icon-prop

Furthermore I think the icons should finally (after choosing one) adhere to guidelines of major Linux desktops like Gnome and KDE, see e.g. these guidelines:

• https://developer.gnome.org/hig/guidelines/app-icons.html
• https://develop.kde.org/hig/style/icons/

[meetdilip]

Hi, feel free to share ideas you have in mind. There was a specific request for Flux Capacitor at Inkscape Forum. I am glad you liked that concept.

Created a neutral concept. Let me know what you think

[buhtz]

Furthermore I think the icons should finally (after choosing one) adhere to guidelines of major Linux desktops like Gnome and KDE, see e.g. these guidelines:

• https://developer.gnome.org/hig/guidelines/app-icons.html
• https://develop.kde.org/hig/style/icons/

Never noticed such guidelines. Great that everything has a guideline. ❤️

[meetdilip]

One more :)

[aryoda]

I have another (purely technical) requirement:

One specific requirement is to also support an icon size of 22 x 22 pixels since we are using the app icon also as system-tray icon: https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qsystemtrayicon.html#icon-prop

So I guess there is not much space for a 3D/perspective view in the app icon to make it still recognizable with this small size (remember: according so icon guidelines there should be a one pixel border around the icon that is kept free so the effective size for a recognizable icon is only 20x20 px - good old home computer resolution ;-)

I personally find it quite intuitive to see a clock/watch in the icon (analog or digital) and indicate somehow that there is a timeline (blurred, fading or similar) to the past or perhaps markers to different points in time...

[buhtz]

I forgot to mention my thread in the Inkscape forum. Here two other ideas from there.

"Time3 by Razr"

"BIT 1b by Tyler Durden"

[aryoda]

I like this one

I love this simple and clear design and would just give up the idea of a flux capacitor in favour of a clock.

How about putting the bottom-left circle (indicates "back") into the middle of the icon (same size) and render the three lines (that form a "Y") currently into the big and little hand of clock. The idea of a clock could then be indicated a little bit by e.g. adding some hour ticks (similar to this icon: )

Alternative: The "back" circle at the bottom right could stay there and make the rest look more like clock (like described above). I am only afraid that the bottom-right circle takes to much (border) space for the whole icon being recognizable even with 22x22 pixels (required for the system-tray icon)...

[aryoda]

I forgot to mention my thread in the Inkscape forum. Here two other ideas from there.

"Time3 by Razr"

"BIT 1b by Tyler Durden"

What I like here is the big "back" circle and the rectangle as visual element. I would prefer to use clock (analog or digital) instead of an hour glass (since the hour glass brings the major interpretation of "waiting" since Windows ;-)

[meetdilip]

Please comment

[aryoda]

Please comment

THX, that is really cool!

One more thing: I am partially color-blind (red-green only) and small lines or pixels in red or green blur in my vision.

Would it be possible

• to use other colors besides pure red, green (and even blue)
• use thicker lines (if the icon resolution is reduced to 22x22 pixels I am afraid the lines are no longer visible)

Another add-on idea (but probably difficult to realize): How would it look like if the outer squares looked like a document or folder? Then we had all major aspects of BiT in the icon: Documents, time, back :-)

[meetdilip]

Thanks. I was working on the 22px tray icon. What do you think?

PS: The smallest is 16x16px

I will try to accommodate the other points you raised. :)

[meetdilip]

Fixed the colours issue

[buhtz]

I think the circle arrow sticks out too far. Might it make sense to modifes theclocks time, maybe resize the circle and move it more into the middle direction.

Am I a talent? 😆

[aryoda]

Color + line sizes are perfect for my eyes now, the inner bevel makes it even more 3D alike.

[meetdilip]

I think the circle arrow sticks out too far. Might it make sense to modifes theclocks time, maybe resize the circle and move it more into the middle direction.

It wouldn't look good.

[aryoda]

I think the circle arrow sticks out too far. Might it make sense to modifes theclocks time, maybe resize the circle and move it more into the middle direction.

Yes, optically very nice (asym) but icon space is limited unfortunately.

How about moving the circle into the middle, make it more look like clock + use a document-alike icon, e.g. like this (I know, my graphics skills are really bad ;-)

Edit: I just saw my idea looks too similar to a synced folder: https://iconscout.com/icons/sync-folder

[aryoda]

I think the circle arrow sticks out too far. Might it make sense to modifes theclocks time, maybe resize the circle and move it more into the middle direction.

Am I a talent? laughing

definitely better than me :smile:

Still I think the "back"-circle needs to be either in the centre or reaching a little bit over the edige otherwise it looks strange...

[buhtz]

Like this yellow one. A compromise between my version and Dilips version. Over the edge but more over the icon then the edge.

[meetdilip]

Tried to accommodate further suggestions

[meetdilip]

Document folder type

[meetdilip]

One more

[meetdilip]

More..

[aryoda]

@meetdilip THX a lot for your engagement!

This is my current favorite, all metaphors contained in a clear "language":

Perhaps the little "back" indicator at the bottom right could become too small in 22x22 px but the rest is simple and clear (colors are not my thing, so I can't comment on that).

I could imagine that the bottom right round arrow could be replaced by a "back" round arrow going around the border of the clock.

"back in time (for files)" would be then recognizable quite intuitive even in small px sizes...

[meetdilip]

22 px variant

The smallest one in the image is 24x24

( folder clock 5 22px 4 - file name)

[meetdilip]

Alternative 22px version

[aryoda]

22 px variant

The smallest one in the image is 24x24

( folder clock 5 22px 4 - file name)

This is my favorite (although the alternative with the back arrow would even be better to recognize in the small icon and I start to prefer it more and more the more often I look at it ;-)

Edit: I just saw that even Evolution uses a straight arrow lurking over the edge so this is a common design element:

BTW: We had a smilar icon proposal in 2015:

@buhtz I have taken much influence so far and would stop here now to give you (and others) the chance for alternatives...

[buhtz]

I also prefer this version.

This orange version is also nice. Maybe we can keep this in the back when the users have their dark mode activate. I assume the first version doesn't look so good in dark modes.

@meetdilip I wouldn't say there is consensus in the team about a new icon but I feel some harmony. ❤️ Can we get in contact via email to better know each other and discuss some organizational details? You find my mail in my primary profile.