I like the current logo better.
Amihai On Sun, Sep 6, 2009 at 6:29 AM, Wayne Mackintosh <[email protected] > wrote: > Hi Jesse -- > > Yeah -- the vector skin really rocks! Kudos to WMF and the usability team. > > You've got to love the open source development model: > > - WikiEducator will benefit from the work of the usability team at WMF > - Wikia have invested considerable time and effort into improvements on > the FCK RTE extension for MW - 18 months ago -- RTE would not have been a > viable proposition for us @ WE > - With thanks to funding support from the NZ Ministry of education we > will be able to take rich text editing to a new level incorporating the use > of iDevices (instructional devices) into the FCK extension. > > We're working in close consultation with WMF to make sure that we do not > replicate effort ultimately contributing to a better future for all > Mediawiki users on the planet! > > Watch this space as we transform the world of OER .... > > > Cheers > Wayne > > > > 2009/9/6 Jesse Groppi <[email protected]> > >> Ooh, I'm really liking the new skin. It appears to use all the bits that >> monobook is good at, whilst reducing the amount of unusable space, going >> back to more traditional web design principles, and utilising some more >> psychologically flexible approaches. I'm especially excited about the >> second two, as those are both things I have been uncomfortable about in the >> monobook design, since I began using wikis. Bravo to the researches and >> designers! >> >> Jesse >> >> >> On 05/09/2009 21:48, Wayne Mackintosh wrote: >> >> Hi Jesse, >> >> Go to Wikipedia and login with your Wikipedia account. Set your >> preferences to the new Vector skin --- WMF are doing amazing work on >> usability, I really like the new skin :-) We may want to specify the new >> skin as a default for new accounts in WE once the testing is finished. Be >> keen to hear what you think. >> >> I like the suggestion of logo candidtates suggesting a colour scheme - >> good thinking. Once we have a few logo candidates and colour schemes on the >> table -- I'm keen to encourage feedback from the professional graphic >> designers in our community. >> >> We will also be implementing a Rich Text Editing (wysiwyg) editor as a >> preference option --- with thanks to funding support from the New Zealand >> Ministry of Education. >> >> Jesse -- sounds like a good plan to me :-) >> >> Cheers >> Wayne >> >> >> >> 2009/9/6 Jesse Groppi <[email protected]> >> >>> Wayne, >>> >>> I'm definitely agreeing with you on all that about re-skinning. It's >>> really good news to hear that WMF is looking at doing that with the default >>> install. I shall go check it out! >>> >>> I would like to suggest that logo ideas or candidates include a colour >>> scheme of about 2-5 colours, so that we can get an idea of how the logo is >>> meant to fit into the visual image of the site as a whole. The submitter >>> would state which colour is meant to be a primary, secondary, or accent >>> colour. Later on, as you suggest, we could take those colour suggestions, >>> and determine where best to apply them. How does that sound? >>> >>> Jesse Groppi >>> >>> On 05/09/2009 19:12, Wayne Mackintosh wrote: >>> >>> Hi Jesse, >>> >>> Speaking personally, I don't think that re-skinning the WE site is >>> advisable at this stage and I agree with you -- we would definitely need a >>> very good reason to change the skin and the funding to do it. We also need >>> to be very sure that we are not creating unnecessary upstream maintenance >>> dependencies with regards to future releases of MW. Also WMF have been doing >>> amazing work on the usability project, progressively developing a new skin >>> based on real research, testing and feedback. Its pretty impressive if you >>> haven't had a chance to look at this yet. >>> >>> While - Wikia have implemented a number of useful features -- there are >>> aspects of the Wikia skin which, in my view, look as if they've been cobbled >>> together and don't seem to form a coherent solution. >>> >>> My personal thoughts on the re-skinning question is: if it ain't broke >>> don't fix it. >>> >>> That said, I think it would be worth the effort to analyse and think >>> about the layout of our landing page. I frequently get feedback from new >>> users that they find the home page confusing --- but that may be anecdotal. >>> This in itself is not a trivial exercise and would need thorough >>> investigation, straw dogs etc. However, I think this may be a more doable >>> project. >>> >>> Anyway -- first things first. The logo. >>> >>> The WikiEducator community did not have any input into the design and >>> development of the logo :-( and now that we're a large wiki project, I think >>> that its important for community involvement and reflection on the logo -- >>> it represents who we are. Who knows -- the community may be quite happy >>> with the visual we currenlty use. Its worth exploring the pros, cons and >>> looking at draft ideas for the future so we can take a collective decision. >>> >>> Cheers >>> Wayne >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> 2009/9/6 Jesse Groppi <[email protected]> >>> >>>> Wayne, >>>> >>>> Well, engineering WE's visual identity could be as involved as >>>> completely rearranging all the elements of a page, in a complete separation >>>> from WMF's monobook skin. This is usually referred to as "re-skinning" the >>>> wiki. Wikia did this, I would imagine, in order to incorporate user >>>> interactions that didn't fit in with monobook. Re-skinning is not >>>> something >>>> one can do without having a separate copy of WE's version of MediaWiki to >>>> test. To me, it seems so much of a hassle that one would need to have a >>>> very good reason to change it. >>>> >>>> Do you think there will be a necessity for this sort of thing? >>>> >>>> Jesse >>>> >>>> On 05/09/2009 17:33, Wayne Mackintosh wrote: >>>> >>>> Hi Jesse, >>>> >>>> Good question. The purpose of this discussion is restricted to the logo >>>> and favicon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favicon ) largely to gauge >>>> interest in the community and number of candidate submissions we receive. >>>> At >>>> this point we'll need to think about constituting a workgroup to take the >>>> design and decision of our logo forward. >>>> >>>> You're right -- visual identity is much more than just the logo - and >>>> included all the other things you refer to, i.e. colour scheme, design of >>>> the landing page, structure of the page, its relationship with usability, >>>> conversion rates, and its relationship with style guidelines etc. >>>> >>>> WikiEducator will need to reflect and focus on its visual identity as a >>>> package some time in the future -- but I suspect that this task is more >>>> comprehensive and would need a separate work group for this purpose? >>>> >>>> Cheers >>>> Wayne >>>> >>>> >>>> 2009/9/6 Jesse Groppi <[email protected]> >>>> >>>>> I just want to clarify some things about the "visual identity" of the >>>>> wiki. I'm definitely no expert, but I think that in web design terms this >>>>> usually includes the logo, colour scheme, structure of the page, and can >>>>> also include the methods in which a user interacts with the page. Is it >>>>> this entire group of things that you're talking about? >>>>> >>>>> Jesse >>>>> >>>>> On 04/09/2009 21:54, Wayne Mackintosh wrote: >>>>> >>>>> Hi Everyone, >>>>> >>>>> As an independent project -- WikiEducator needs to develop a visual >>>>> identity and new logo. As an open collaborative initiative we invite all >>>>> WikiEducators around the world to join us in developing a new logo for >>>>> WikiEducator. >>>>> >>>>> *History of the current logo* >>>>> >>>>> I did not put much thought or energy into the design of the logo >>>>> currently used on the WikiEducator site. Back in April 2006, when >>>>> WikiEducator was relocated to a hosted server funded by the Commonwealth >>>>> of >>>>> Learning, I had to supply a logo for the website. In the rush to get the >>>>> server operational, we simply tweaked the visual identity of COL's >>>>> 2003-2006 >>>>> three-year plan (see: >>>>> http://www.col.org/progServ/3YR/Pages/2003-2006-3YR.aspx ). This was >>>>> back in the days when we had 12 registered accounts on WikiEducator -- now >>>>> with over 10,000 users we have more minds to come up with a better idea >>>>> ;-). >>>>> >>>>> We have come a long way since then. The strap line of "free eLearning >>>>> content" does not even begin to describe the breadth and depth of the >>>>> WikiEducator comunity or its projects. WE are also now far larger than the >>>>> Commonwealth and a truly global project. The time has come to design and >>>>> implement a new visual identity for WikiEducator! >>>>> >>>>> *Progress and plan to develop a new logo for WE* >>>>> >>>>> Back in June 2008 there was some discussion and thought about >>>>> developing a new logo and our first candidate for a new logo has already >>>>> been submitted by one of our community members, see: >>>>> >>>>> http://www.col.org/progServ/3YR/Pages/2003-2006-3YR.aspx >>>>> >>>>> 1) We invite all WikiEducator to table a candidate for our new visual >>>>> identity by 30 September 2009. Just add your visual idea to the list of >>>>> candidates on this page: >>>>> >>>>> http://wikieducator.org/WE-Logo , listing candidate 2, candidate 3 >>>>> etc. >>>>> >>>>> 2) If you have no artistic ability like myself, please post your ideas >>>>> and thoughts on the corresponding talk page: >>>>> >>>>> http://wikieducator.org/Talk:WE-Logo >>>>> >>>>> 3) We will invite feedback from professional graphic designers and post >>>>> these to the site by 15 October 2009 >>>>> >>>>> 4) We will then ask the community to vote on their preferred logo >>>>> candidate closing votes by 30 October 2009. >>>>> >>>>> 5) The OER Foundation will commission a professional graphic design >>>>> artist to develop our new visual identity. >>>>> >>>>> Get your creative juices going -- and we look forward to reviewing >>>>> candidates for the new Wikieducator logo. >>>>> >>>>> Cheers >>>>> Wayne >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> Wayne Mackintosh, Ph.D. >>>>> Director, >>>>> International Centre for Open Education, >>>>> Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. >>>>> Board of Directors, OER Foundation. >>>>> Founder and Community Council Member, Wikieducator, >>>>> www.wikieducator.org >>>>> Mobile +64 21 2436 380 >>>>> Skype: WGMNZ1 >>>>> Twitter: OERFoundation, Mackiwg >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Wayne Mackintosh, Ph.D. >>>> Director, >>>> International Centre for Open Education, >>>> Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. >>>> Board of Directors, OER Foundation. >>>> Founder and Community Council Member, Wikieducator, >>>> www.wikieducator.org >>>> Mobile +64 21 2436 380 >>>> Skype: WGMNZ1 >>>> Twitter: OERFoundation, Mackiwg >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Wayne Mackintosh, Ph.D. >>> Director, >>> International Centre for Open Education, >>> Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. >>> Board of Directors, OER Foundation. >>> Founder and Community Council Member, Wikieducator, www.wikieducator.org >>> Mobile +64 21 2436 380 >>> Skype: WGMNZ1 >>> Twitter: OERFoundation, Mackiwg >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> Wayne Mackintosh, Ph.D. >> Director, >> International Centre for Open Education, >> Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. >> Board of Directors, OER Foundation. >> Founder and Community Council Member, Wikieducator, www.wikieducator.org >> Mobile +64 21 2436 380 >> Skype: WGMNZ1 >> Twitter: OERFoundation, Mackiwg >> >> >> >> >> > > > -- > Wayne Mackintosh, Ph.D. > Director, > International Centre for Open Education, > Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. > Board of Directors, OER Foundation. > Founder and Community Council Member, Wikieducator, www.wikieducator.org > Mobile +64 21 2436 380 > Skype: WGMNZ1 > Twitter: OERFoundation, Mackiwg > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "WikiEducator" group. 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