[ubuntu-art] Mark has Thrown Down the Gauntlet!

[Ashton]

On Thu, Jul 24, 2008 at 9:33 AM, Julian Oliver <julian at selectparks.net>wrote:

put simply, colour should be used primarily to the ends of improving
> usability in a desktop, not merely to make it 'distinct' (an empty and
> vain project when taken on its own..). the desperate and abstract
> attachment to brown is really starting to show it's age. this is
> something people other than those of us on this list are perfectly
> willing to admit..


I haven't seen one color substitute that solves the problem. People try to
use orange, and then the entire system becomes orange. There is no subtlety.
No color *use,* just color replacements. I don't want a wallpaper that is
completely brown, but I can use a wallpaper that has some brown in it.

I myself like the red color in the Ubuntu logo, but that doesn't mean I want
to see the entire desktop done in that red. I think something nice could be
made by pulling and focusing on any one color in to some design. Even brown
or orange. I just haven't seen it yet. It has been more like buckets of
color combined with a paint roller to change a room, instead of using a fine
brush to create a few <insert color here> elements on a canvas. It isn't
like the color brown is avoided by all designers in the world. There are
plenty of references out there to find.

we, the designers and/or art testers, haven't yet proven that brown was
> any more than than as a thinly veiled attempt to be distinct within a
> world of blue and brushed-metal desktops.


I always saw that as the challenge. Maybe it is too big of a challenge for a
community maintained design project, but I'm sure it could be done.

I think Cory's comment regarding individual teams could be explored in a
more structured manner. Since there is no official team, and the guidelines
come off as loosely orientated as the mock ups, then why not have a wiki
that reflects this? Instead of (to borrow a term) design-by-amoeba, let
like-minded people clump together in pockets, define their own guidelines,
and then show what they've got. There are obviously people who like Kith,
orange, the lack of animals, etc...they should get together under one wiki
heading and do it, without trying to get approval from the entire community.
Because that will never happen. It would be more like, "Here is our team,
here are our guidelines. We are trying to achieve THIS look and feel. We
hate brown and avoid using it. We hope you like our show." Just OWN it. If
it flies, it flies. The ml wastes its time arguing about things like colors
vs colors.

Well well well. While writing this I have seen Who's response and link to
Cory's past convo about sub-teams. This is exactly what I am getting at. It
seems no ideas are original, eh?

I realize nothing prevents people from forming their own teams, but if it
were encouraged and there were visible splits at the wiki instead of a
hodge-podge of everyone's work all sprinkled here and there, ultimately
hoping to be grabbed by one person who may or may not pass it on to another
Mark...well you see where I'm going.

Regardless, I am more inclined to listen to the observations of people like
Cory, Who, etc... who have been around the block so to speak, and have
survived through years of watching how things have gone down.

Salane, you were in a chat with Mark, came back to the list like gangbusters
and tried to get things organized. It is a valiant effort but I think it
starts from too broad a perspective. That energy would be better spent
working with a team of people who agree with your general take on The State
of Things. In addition, the experience just isn't there (with the history of
the art team at Ubuntu) and I, also a new-comer, sense a lot of eye-rolling.
Well, hey. I'll just speak for myself: My eyes roll a lot.


Ashton
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