[IAEP] [Marketing] [Sugar-devel] [SoaS] Request for Artwork: Boot Screen

[Eben Eliason]

On Thu, Jun 4, 2009 at 7:24 AM, Sean DALY <sdaly.be at gmail.com> wrote:
> http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Marketing_Team/Boot_Logo
>
> Christian - I myself prefer the "rays" to dots which I feel too
> closely resemble networks in the Neighborhood view, confusion is
> possible (networks being connected to at startup?)
>
> Fred - I'm willing to try that sunrise metaphor, tonight if I can
> (travelling today)
>
> Re splash page with logo: in my next mockup I'll leave off the example
> school logo.and move that frame to the end. It might be better to
> "reserve" a frame for customizable logo or message, before or after
> the Sugar spash page

Yes, in that mockup the first screen is kind of overwhelming with
several logos and a few pieces of textual information. At the same
time, we tried very hard to eliminate the slideshow effect that feels
(well, is) like a bunch of marketing material that detracts from the
UI.

I think the Sugar logo should stand alone, so it reads powerfully, and
then be replaced in short order by the XO. Perhaps we could entertain
a text only solution to identifying the school, in gray beneath the
sugar logo. Thoughts?

> Version info: In fact I feel strongly about showing version
> information... or its corollary, making it easy to find. Teachers,

I think it's more important that we make it easy to find in the UI.
Kids won't reboot that often, and it would be silly to reboot just to
find that info.

> parents, admins, G1G1 donors unfamiliar with Sugar will not have the
> foggiest idea how to hunt down version information (Learners might not
> have trouble finding it - they will explore their machines ad
> infinitum - but they can't be expected to know about versioning). We
> are about to embark on hundreds of thousands of XO-1.5s running v0..84
> which will coexist with a huge installed base of v0.82 (and many
> earlier); SoaS with its simplified numbering scheme will (we hope) sow
> the seeds for preinstalled Sugar in distributions for education
> projects. We may be deploying v0.86 at the end of the year... aside
> from how we manage the Activity compatibility matrix, we need to make
> such info *extremely* easy to track down for someone interested in
> checking if Sugar + Activities are "up-to-date". Our strategy for
> teacher buy-in is star marketing on Activities (see press releases);
> making Activity installation/upgrade simple this summer is part of
> what we need to do to make SoaS possible in the classroom. Helping
> users understand what version they have (of Sugar, of each Activity)
> is a key aspect of that.
>
> I agree that it's unpleasant to see numbers at boot time (especially a
> datestamped snapshot number). Why don't we borrow an idea from Apple?

We basically have this already. We ust happen to have an XO in the
center of the screen, instead of an apple icon in the upper left. The
info is actually in the "About my XO" section of the settings, which
might be one step too far. We could go back to an earlier design for
the XO menu and have a direct "About my XO" menu item which jumps
directly to the correct settings panel.

We could also separate the "About my XO" panel from settings, removing
it from the settings panel completely and showing it as it's own modal
dialog accessible via an "About my XO" menu item.

I would be fine with either approach.

> They have a tiny apple icon in the upper-left corner of the screen;
> clicking on it opens a window with the processor, RAM and OSX version
> number. In addition to the "About my computer" section in the Control
> Panel, perhaps we could show the version in the Frame? The bottom bar
> has room I think.

There's no need to expose this information directly. It will only be
needed on occasion, and the Frame is designed for the information you
want to carry with you all the time.

> When we start to get consolidated feedback, we will know if
> difficult-to-find version info is a problem for Sugar / Activity
> updaters or not. I feel sure it is and showing the version in the
> Frame (the one-glance status communicator) seems to me a good approach
> which would let us skip info in the splash screen.
>
> Nota: my idea would be for each version to change the Sugar logo color
> too... potentially allowing troubleshooters to ask "what color is the
> Sugar logo?" and match that to the version number.

I would much rather see the logo change colors with each boot, but
changing with each release is a pretty cool idea. I would support
that. I think there are enough of combinations to make "wrapping
around" a non-issue, as long as we only change the color for major
releases (2 per year, on average).


Finally, regarding the animation itself: I Think the gray dots are
still the best option, and the clearest. They fit the style, but won't
be confused with APs. If we can in any way manage it, coloring the XO
in the child's chosen colors is really the way that color should be
introduced. The colored dots seem to undermine the importance of that
metaphor, for me. Everywhere else in the UI, color relates to
identity; has meaning. (All the more reason to change the sugar logo
colors with each release!) These randomly colored dots just don't seem
fit within that concept.

Also, if no "dot" solution seems to gain consensus, we could go back
to a simple progress bar, which is perhaps less interesting, but
simple and clean and matches the UI.

Eben

> thanks
>
> Sean
>
>
>
> On Thu, Jun 4, 2009 at 5:00 AM, Frederick Grose <fgrose at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Please indulge me to make another pitch for the 'sunrise' metaphor for the
>> growing ring.
>> Using the same color locations, the ring would build from sunrise orange to
>> midday yellow to afternoon greens and blues to dusky red-violets (perhaps
>> the darker one last).  These are just common earth metaphors that might come
>> to mind as children worldwide--who may have never seen a analog or digital
>> clock--anticipate what may be waiting for them in their day ahead of them.
>> The ring would also build from one foot, and end symmetrically on the
>> other--a growth surrounding the nascent learner like a cover--a home--a safe
>> shelter for learning or a shower of celestial opportunities.  "Will I grow
>> too like the graphic is suggesting?"
>> OK, these are just potential metaphors...
>>
>> On Wed, Jun 3, 2009 at 10:17 PM, Frederick Grose <fgrose at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> I like that a lot.
>>> I'm with others on leaving the version number as well to the 'About my
>>> Computer' panel. (It can be referenced and then read as needed after
>>> booting, whereas the vanishing boot image just makes me nervous about
>>> writing down or memorizing a long number.)
>>> The Green Hornet, would of course only appear on a 'Graphic guidelines'
>>> page for deployments and packagers.
>>> I suggest you try this sequence:
>>> 1. a short, blank white field (infinite potential)
>>> 2. the small xo figure (just possibly me in a big universe)
>>> 3. the building ring and figure (what might be building for me? Will I
>>> grow too as suggested?)
>>> 4. the Sugar, and optional custom graphic,  pausing, usually a
>>> machine-dependent variable time, allowing for reading (fixing the name of
>>> this tool and those who built it for me)         Do we want a gray Sugar
>>> Labs opposite the fedora remix?
>>> (5. the living, playable, ready-to-open door to Learning--the Sugar Home
>>> view.)
>>> Thanks everyone!       --Fred
>>>
>>> On Wed, Jun 3, 2009 at 8:50 PM, Sean DALY <sdaly.be at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Fred - I have uploaded a new variant to the wiki:
>>>>
>>>> http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Marketing_Team/Boot_Logo#Eleven_Color_Ray_Variant.2C_Growing_XO_Avatar.2C_No_Prior_Outlines.2C_Starts_With_Logo_Splash_Page
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Tue, Jun 2, 2009 at 4:37 AM, Frederick Grose <fgrose at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> > I mostly like it.  Seems to be close to what we want for now.
>>>> > Please consider these adjustments:
>>>> > 1.  No fine print (leave that for the 'About my Computer" panel).
>>>> > 2.  Scale the custom school graphic example (Green Hornet) to fit the
>>>> > other
>>>> > elements, leave out the fine print.
>>>> > 3.  Let the rays grow incrementally to complete the ring (no unfilled
>>>> > place
>>>> > holders).  I feel more anticipation and suspense from the ring growing
>>>> > without the preview, and more satisfaction of seeing the completed
>>>> > color
>>>> > burst.
>>>> >         Thank you!        --Fred
>>>> > On Mon, Jun 1, 2009 at 9:33 PM, Sean DALY <sdaly.be at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Here's the second mockup:
>>>> >>
>>>> >>
>>>> >> http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Marketing_Team/Boot_Logo#Eleven_Color_Ray_Variant.2C_Growing_XO_Avatar.2C_Starts_With_Logo_Splash_Page
>>>> >>
>>>> >> This version includes a logo/copyright splash page and a "growing" or
>>>> >> "approaching" XO avatar.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Comments welcome please.
>>>> >>
>>>> >> thanks
>>>> >>
>>>> >> Sean
>>>> >
>>>> > _______________________________________________
>>>> > Marketing mailing list
>>>> > Marketing at lists.sugarlabs.org
>>>> > http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/marketing
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>
>>
>>
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