[TYPO3-english] Rebranding: Get the green back

[Martin Bless]

Hi all,

I'm not interested in what happened when why and how in the past.
I'm only interested in TYPO3 being successful. In this post I'm
concentrating on the color change of the logo.

Short and concise:
==================
I watched the keynote of the T3CON. The reason(ing) I heard was:
"We want to simplify things for you. It's cheaper to print the
logo on t-shirts and so on with just one color. People would say
TYPO3 is 'orange'". Did I miss an argument?

Here's what I think: We have a strong brand TYPO3 with a clear
logo since years. It is "orange and green". You would only touch
ANYTHING of a well established visual symbol (shape, color,
Freiraum, ...) if you really have GOOD reasons. The reasons given
above are not *good* reasons in that sense.

So, in short: I strongly urge everybody to put the green back into
the logo!


Longer and from my heart:
=========================
As you said and showed: Even children recognize the TYPO3 logo.
And *one* reason for that definitely is the orange/green color
scheme. It is already "overlearned". Without that green you simply
suck the soul out of the symbol. It's like an "i" without dot. You
have to identify the shape of that orange spot to know "It's
TYPO3". Up to now in many real life situation your brain will tell
you immediately "aha, considering context, plus orange/green:
TYPO3!". In real life there are many situations where you see that
logo only partly: thinks of our flags or pictures you have where
people are wearing t-shirts and so on. But your brain can only do
so WITH the green. It's having the orange PLUS the green that
makes your brain work automatically. The orange alone cannot do
so.The same holds for little (fav)icons.

Have you ever had the feeling "attention, police" on a highway
when you saw a car with a special "green/white" or "blue/white"
combination? And then you find out that its a car just looking
similar? Try that without the white - it won't work. We all have
that unconscious built in magic built magic in our brains. Don't
mess around with it and: Keep that green!

There is more damage without the green: Shall I throw away my
TYPO3 flag? The nice towels with the logo "sticked" onto? Same
holds for everything printed I've lying around. Or what I find in
the web and what's now not in alignment with the new rules
anymore. Whenever I see them I'm feeling a conflict: That's wrong,
old fashioned, outdated, stigmatized. And even: *I'm*
wrong as I once chose to like and defend that logo.

The monochrome version had to shades of gray. That was an
important element of the monochrome "logos soul". Keep that!

Please don't be afraid to revert that decision. Put that green
back. The earlier you do the less confusion will arise. You should
do everything you can to avoid that people feel an inner
dissonance or even a conflict. Don't do it for me - do it for
TYPO3. It's worth it!

still hoping ...

Martin

-- 
Certified TYPO3 Integrator | TYPO3 Documentation Team Member

http://mbless.de