Make homepage cool

[bdpedigo]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

Lots of libraries have "cool looking" homepages with logos or graphics, makes them look legit

Describe the solution you'd like

At least come up with a logo, ideally some cool visuals also (see #565, related)

Provide references (if applicable)

Some references of packages with "cool looking" stuff https://graph-tool.skewed.de/ https://networkx.org/ https://scikit-network.readthedocs.io/en/latest/

Additional context

cc @jovo as this came out of a convo with him

[daxpryce]

https://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/internet-in-1997-instructional-video-143754639.html exactly like these

[sagarhowal]

I could try and come up with a logo.

Did you have any logos for GraSPy and Topologic? Maybe they can be merged in some way.

This is a doodle something off the top of my head.

Do you already have any ideas/concepts you want the logo to incorporate?

[bdpedigo]

@sagarhowal that's great, we'd appreciate any help/input. And no, we didn't have preexisting ideas. But I like your doodle!

I'm wondering if we deleted the edges that are outside of the G, but still had edges inside in another color (we were thinking maybe a light blue?). We could use just the "G" that looks like a network for the logo in the sidebar and such, and then could also have a version where "graspologic" is written out with you G.

Do you have any experience with rendering/drawing logos like this? Or how do you suggest proceeding? Since this idea is simple enough we could also try to make it in matplotlib 😆

(I don't speak for everyone on the team, if anyone else has ideas please chime in!)

[bdpedigo]

i do note that we've thus far mostly been using graspologic (lower case) instead of Graspologic - personally I don't care much, and I think the G above looks cool. if anyone disagrees, i guess we could also try a lower case graph-g

[sagarhowal]

@bdpedigo Glad you liked it. I can try something with a lowercase g and also the uppercase G without the edges outside the G. Yes, I do have some experience but it is mostly a hobby, i know a few things about vector graphics and typography but i am mainly a developer.

I love the idea of making this in matplotlib. Someone could give it a go 😅. It will eventually need to be converted to a vector graphic and you will need to test several sizes, test to see if it looks good in black-and-white, it will have to be tested for colour blindness. That's a few things that are standard for logos.

[sagarhowal]

Or how do you suggest proceeding?

I can make this using an open-source vector design tool. And (optional) in a repository like this one https://github.com/hpe-design/logos. I will leave the ways on how to collaborate/vote on the logo to you.

[sagarhowal]

I tried doodling the lowercase g. Since it has more curves, it needs more nodes. It could look confusing if the logo is used in a low resolution.

But it does look better to me. 😅 Thoughts?

[bdpedigo]

I tried doodling the lowercase g.

So far I think I like the uppercase better, if we do end up wanting lowercase later we'd probably just have to play with the shape/edges a lot.

I can make this using an open-source vector design tool.

That would be awesome!

[bdpedigo]

I love the idea of making this in matplotlib. Someone could give it a go 😅.

Maybe we play with this once the design is settled more, I'd be happy to try at some point.

It will eventually need to be converted to a vector graphic and you will need to test several sizes, test to see if it looks good in black-and-white, it will have to be tested for colour blindness. That's a few things that are standard for logos.

Yes totally agree!

[rflperry]

Or rather than matplotlib, you could draw a pointcloud G (with some edges based on the G shape) and graph match an actual graph to it, using the matched pointcloud coordinates to make the layout.

[daxpryce]

So, I like these ideas, but I also remember a vertexified Google G in a logo and I don't think Microsoft is going to want to go anywhere near that under any circumstances.

I'll get a conversation started on our end on what we need to be aware of / are allowed to do!

[sagarhowal]

@dwaynepryce after you mentioned it I can't unsee the capital G resembling google.

I have a draft for the small g. I'll just post it here for the time being while you sort out what are allowed to do.

Draft--

[loftusa]

Something like this is another option - could iterate on this (e.g., change the font for the G, add extra stuff, whatever) although maybe a little too complicated

maybe have the G itself be a network? kinda similar to above but more network-ey

[loftusa]

although looking back I kinda like @sagarhowal's design a little more, I think it's a bit more simple and clean maybe with the "g" looking more recognizably like a g? and potentially messing with the colors

do you have like a PSD or illustrator file for that @sagarhowal? thanks for the work you've put in!!

[ahoak]

@dwaynepryce mentioned this ticket to me on Friday. I see you have a couple designs already which are totally awesome, I had started working on a concept Friday and thought I would share (and you totally don't have to go with this, just want to present options). I can supply original illustrator file and SVG, or other image format. Also happy to make any changes. This is currently using: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/font-list/bahnschrift.

[loftusa]

Ooh, I love that one @ahoak, network thing in a circle looks really good. I'd probably advocate for changing the G in some way? Maybe lowercase and/or a different font?

[daxpryce]

@ahoak had an example as lower case and it looked a little more jarring (the G in this one kinda brings the circle into the center, since it's reminiscent of a circle itself). The baby G looked a bit out of place (but she can show you and you can draw your own conclusions ;D)

[bdpedigo]

So, I like these ideas, but I also remember a vertexified Google G in a logo and I don't think Microsoft is going to want to go anywhere near that under any circumstances.

Do we know how microsoft will feel about big Gs? Or I guess what I am asking is what the criteria are to make a big G okay?

[daxpryce]

@natoverse - where do we officially stand on capital Gs?

[carolyncb]

I will run the capital G question by our legal team and see what I find out!

[jovo]

I love the G and g ideas. That said, it might be worth considering some 'non-g' ideas?

[jovo]

Like a hand grasping made out of logic/network?

[daxpryce]

us:

we've tried absolutely one letter and we're out of ideas

jovo:

what about other letters?

us:

https://media.giphy.com/media/2rqEdFfkMzXmo/giphy.gif

[ahoak]

Ooh, I love that one @ahoak, network thing in a circle looks really good. I'd probably advocate for changing the G in some way? Maybe lowercase and/or a different font?

Here is a couple concepts that I played with.

[ahoak]

Here is a couple options that dont include "g" . I was thinking about Jovo's comment , It could be interesting to have an octopus arms composed of graph nodes grasping the text as an alternative idea.

Like a hand grasping made out of logic/network?

[daxpryce]

Octopodes are just nodes with degree 8 change my mind

[bdpedigo]

big fan of exploring the abstract octopus with nodes/edges idea

[daxpryce]

joking aside, I am also a fan of having the logo next to the text of the name too. that neatly sidesteps the concerns I was raising earlier for sure, and ... I just like it more.

[j1c]

joking aside, I am also a fan of having the logo next to the text of the name too. that neatly sidesteps the concerns I was raising earlier for sure, and ... I just like it more.

Quite like the logo next to text as well!

[bdpedigo]

(don't laugh at my bad drawing) just throwing ideas out - i wonder how abstract/simple the octopus could be such that you could still tell its an octopus? Here i was thinking of Dwayne's 8-degree-node-octopus, I obviously don't think what I have is pretty or octopus-like enough, but maybe someone knows how to fix that?

I also really like the octopus grabbing logo idea, only thing i worry about is whether it would get too complicated for a logo

[bdpedigo]

graspoloctopus really rolls off the tongue too

[sagarhowal]

do you have like a PSD or illustrator file for that @sagarhowal?

I made these quick ones in Gravid Designer. It is a free tool. Not very professional. If you like I can make it in inkscape and share. Thanks @loftusa

I like @ahoak's ideas. they're all great. If the node connections were slightly thinner, it would look good in low resolution.

I think exploring @jovo's idea of not having a g at all sounds good too.

Also, I was also thinking of an octahedron shaped graph where every side makes the letter G (if that makes sense). I tried bt couldn't make it. If anyone wants to give it a go.

[sagarhowal]

@bdpedigo here's something for you i made quickly. 😅😁

[daxpryce]

I gotta admit that one makes me think of an anthropomorphized virus or something, coming to beat my cells up and take me over

[loftusa]

joking aside, I am also a fan of having the logo next to the text of the name too. that neatly sidesteps the concerns I was raising earlier for sure, and ... I just like it more.

thirded

[loftusa]

this one's my favorite so far @ahoak. Do you have the illustrator file for that? I have a few ideas I want to play around with

[ahoak]

I have a couple of experiments with the octopus

I also did this one for fun:

[ahoak]

this one's my favorite so far @ahoak. Do you have the illustrator file for that? I have a few ideas I want to play around with

@loftusa I attached a zip file with the Illustrator file you requested and an SVG version in case for some reason that doesn't work or you prefer to use another tool.

logo_graspologic_art.zip

[jovo]

getting very interesting! i think the 4 tentacles reminds me a bit too much of github maybe?

[ahoak]

getting very interesting! i think the 4 tentacles reminds me a bit too much of github maybe?

Yeah for sure! It is too large for a logo as well but I thought I'd throw it out there in case it sparked any ideas.

[carolyncb]

Hi team! Our lawyers will need to review our top 1 or 2 logo choices. I would recommend coming up with 2 to submit to the review process. Should we vote on a concept? Then iterate to get to the right look?

[loftusa]

my vote is on @ahoak's circle one

[jovo]

i like the ones with a tentacle grabbing the graspologic word: https://github.com/microsoft/graspologic/issues/740#issuecomment-810657865 reminds me of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=3s0LTDhqe5A but not github or google too much.

[bdpedigo]

my vote is also tentacle grabbing word, i really like the 3rd one, but im sure we could play with colors and other details more.

my only concern is whether we could find a way to simplify it for certain settings (e.g. where the logo would need to be small)?

awesome work @ahoak!

[loftusa]

Playing around with @ahoak's circle designs a little bit

[jovo]

those seem less 'graphy' to me, no?

[daxpryce]

My vote is this one

[loftusa]

those seem less 'graphy' to me, no?

yeah, was playing around with more minimalist / easy-to-remember or draw

[loftusa]

My vote is this one

I do like that one, although

my only concern is whether we could find a way to simplify it for certain settings (e.g. where the logo would need to be small)?

also concerned about this

[daxpryce]

@ahoak maybe better in my mind's eye than reality, but what if the octopus arm were mirrored to the other side, under most of the text, and maybe behind the dangling bit by the p and g? it would make it more compact and also act as a kind of underline. then it would ALSO potentially be even more graspy.

For the rest of you, this is kinda super sweet for us, because our team's mascot is an octopus (named wiggleton, in case you were wondering), and graspy was your baby first, and it's got a lot of symbolism going both ways and I like it somuch

Edited to explain slightly better. words are hard.