Does this logo make me look… old?

[Kal]

Hi! Lovely to meet you AlmaLinux. Yes, I am breaking up with CentOS. All quite traumatic of course, as we’ve been together for well over 10 years. I do hope this blossoms into a long and fruitful relationship.

Now I know it’s a bit rude to comment on your date’s dress on the very first date… but I saw the ‘Call for Ideas and Contributors’, so I figure you’re open to suggestions. So (big breath) here goes…

That logo you’re wearing… Well, It’s bright, and colourful, and kind of friendly. It’s just… I don’t know… a little… outdated?

Sorry, I got ahead of myself. A little about me first… I confess, I’m really only a hosting admin because I have to be. Design and development are my real jobs. I started out in the graphic design industry way back in the 90s, and I started designing, among other things, corporate logos. And I designed some logos which looked… well, a lot like the one you’re wearing now. People comprised of little swooshes and circular heads were, I confess, the new kid’s go-to option for injecting humanity into a logo. If it was a community-based client… well you would just place four or five of them together… in a circle. Looking back, I’m not super proud of those logos, but I was too young to know any better.

Sorry, that wasn’t meant to be an ageist comment—I know you’re a lot younger than I am… and I mean, you look great! You really do. I hesitated to say anything about your logo, for fear of offending you (and the community, not least the designer of the logo), but there it is. I just figure you’re such a hip, young, forward-thinking OS—and your name suits you perfectly! Your logo… not so much.

(Gosh, I hope there’s still a second date after this!)

Okay, all cringeworthy dating banter aside, I am saying this from a position of trying to be helpful, not rude—I promise. Does anyone else feel that same dated vibe that I’m getting? Anyone else think we could do better? Or is it a case of, ‘The logo is done and we like it’? (I have no idea what the original design process was, and couldn’t find any mention of it anywhere.)

[jlehtone]

There is a logo? (I don’t belong to graphic designers and don’t care how things look like.)

The logo is easy to distinguish from the other logos I see daily when I pick urls in browser; no need to read the texts to get here and no reason to look at the details either. Functional.
Granted, other people probably have different “other logos”, so might not “see” that benefit.

That said, it would make sense to evolve the design now, for EL9 – if there is a need. It is always good to have creative talent in community.

[MartinR]

Based on observations going way back before the '90s, the only time I see companies needing a new logo (other, obviously, than takeovers/merges) is when they’re half-way bankrupt and struggling to survive. It’s like a shot of heroin for the management, makes them feel good, costs a fortune and further debilitates the company.

UK trade mark number 1 of 1875 is still in use by the company, and that was only the registration, use goes back maybe 100 years before that. Instantly recognisable and a welcome site on a cold night.

[Kal]

Hey, thanks for the replies, and for tolerating my little breach of dating/forum etiquette.

@jlehtone

I don’t belong to graphic designers and don’t care how things look like.

@MartinR

the only time I see companies needing a new logo (other, obviously, than takeovers/merges) is when their half-way bankrupt and struggling to survive. It’s like a shot of heroin for the management, makes them feel good, costs a fortune and further debilitates the company.

Gee guys, I almost feel like I have to defend the whole design industry now! If I’m completely honest, there are times I doubt it myself. I see companies with terrible branding thriving, and of course, you can have the most beautiful logo on the planet, but it means less than nothing if you can’t back it up with a great product/service. Yes it’s true, even with an outdated logo, AlmaLinux could continue on quite happily I’m sure. I guess the question is, are you happy with ‘good enough’, or are you aiming for something better?

Like it or not, a logo does communicate something. Humans (and I include some system admins in that ) are moved by things as trivial as coloured shapes on a screen. A designer’s work may seem of less practical importance than the folks who keep the toilets flushing and the Internet running… but it all contributes to the human experience. And like it or not, branding can make people feel something (positive or negative) about a product they have never even tried before.

@jlehtone

The logo is easy to distinguish from the other logos I see daily when I pick urls in browser; no need to read the texts to get here and no reason to look at the details either. Functional.

Yeah, a totally valid use case. The colours are almost identical to a certain ‘G’ logo you might also see in your browser favourites… but the shape stands out. When viewed at a smaller size, the swishy dot-headed people do fade away somewhat, into something flower-like, and I don’t mind that.

But still, I just can’t look at the logo and not be reminded of a million other small-time logos. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, just Duck-Duck-Google ‘community people logos’ and you’ll get where I’m coming from. Here’s a little preview of what you’ll find…

Okay, so there’s nothing new under the sun, but this particular style of logo is particularly commonplace. As I hinted before, it’s a bit of a cheat—a ready-made solution a designer might jump to when they’re either (a) green (and just aren’t aware how clichéd it is), (b) working to a very tight timeframe/budget (think starving artists on 99designs), or perhaps (c) just a little lazy. Again, sorry—I’m aware that I probably sound condescending/insulting and that’s not my intent. I’m just trying to speak candidly. I’m pretty confident if you asked other graphic designers who have been around a while, you would receive similar feedback.

@jlehtone

That said, it would make sense to evolve the design now, for EL9 – if there is a need. It is always good to have creative talent in community.

Well, I guess the community has to recognise the need first, and someone has to start that conversation, which is why I posted. If only two other people notice this thread, that may not happen, but if it does happen, the first step would be for the community to clarify what it is about AlmaLinux that makes people want to use it. For me, I just want a reliable replacement to CentOS—nothing fancy, just solid and reliable. And I want to feel confident that it’s going to be around for many years to come, without meeting the same fate as CentOS one day. How do you package those kinds of feelings into a logo? Well, that’s the challenge.

I’m saying nothing radical to suggest the end result should be simple, modern and instantly recognisable. And yes, if it stands out from the favourite browser icons of the typical (maybe we need a poll?) hosting admin—even better!

[Kal]

@MartinR

UK trade mark number 1 of 1875 is still in use by the company, and that was only the registration, use goes back maybe 100 years before that. Instantly recognisable and a welcome site on a cold night.

Oh BTW, you piqued my curiosity there! What company holds this mysterious and heartwarming UK trade mark number 1?

[dbdenney]

I have to say, I enjoyed reading this post. It was well written and fun to read. I also think it raises a fair point.

I did research years ago on the influence Braun’s Dieter Rams made on Apple’s Jony Ive. In my opinion, It would be hard to dispute the impact that Apple had on the industry by focusing so much on design - logo included. There’s a good article on the two designers here.

My initial reaction was it’s “okay”. It’s not really good or bad… I’ve already seen very similar logos like Google, NBC, Ubuntu, maybe a little PlayStation in there? I imagine the idea was to be somewhat of a reflection of the CentOS logo.

With that said, I’m honestly more excited about the product itself. The logo will not make me go to another product. But it is a great conversation, so - cool post.

[MartinR]

Bass, brewers of fine Burton beers since 1777. Walking to the pub on a cold sleet-ridden December night and seeing the welcome red triangle is indeed a heart-warming sight.

[Kal]

@MartinR

Bass , brewers of fine Burton beers since 1777.

Ah, now it all makes sense! An interesting story, and quite ahead of their time to go for such a simple logo.

[Kal]

@dbdenney

I have to say, I enjoyed reading this post. It was well written and fun to read. I also think it raises a fair point.

Thanks!

@dbdenney

I did research years ago on the influence Braun’s Dieter Rams made on Apple’s Jony Ive. In my opinion, It would be hard to dispute the impact that Apple had on the industry by focusing so much on design - logo included.

Absolutely. In terms of industrial design, Apple’s design team under Ive produced some epic fails too (including every mouse they ever made IMO!) but I guess that happens when you’re always trying to push the envelope. As for the Apple logo, it’s as iconic as they come—possibly the most recognisable logo on the planet. Impossible to measure what effect that has had on the company’s fortunes, but it certainly marries beautifully with the minimalistic aesthetic and user-friendliness Apple is known for.

@dbdenney

My initial reaction was it’s “okay”. It’s not really good or bad… I’ve already seen very similar logos like Google, NBC, Ubuntu, maybe a little PlayStation in there? I imagine the idea was to be somewhat of a reflection of the CentOS logo.

I honestly couldn’t remember the Ubuntu logo… but looking it up, I see that it falls into the same genre I just lambasted. Interestingly though, if you visit the current website, the icon is so small, that it’s really impossible to identify unless you already know what it is. Perhaps they are slightly embarrassed by it?? The focus is clearly on the logotype (Ubuntu typeface).

As for the CentOS logo… well that really is a shocker. If any of my designers had ever produced a logo like that (and they occasionally did), I’d have sent them back to the drawing board… or at least asked them to play around with the concept a little more. (Here are some interesting attempts at modernising the CentOS logo if anyone is interested.)

@dbdenney

With that said, I’m honestly more excited about the product itself. The logo will not make me go to another product. But it is a great conversation, so - cool post.

Look, I can honestly say the same thing. I am rationale enough to choose an OS based on more important factors. (At this point, I probably shouldn’t admit to being put off another Red Hat derivative because its name hints at a potentially rocky future. )

[dbdenney]

@Kal Thanks for the link to the Modernizing the CentOS logo project. That is very interesting indeed. I will be very curious to see the final result.

Cheers!
-dbd