549416 - Need an icon and name for a user facing Hardware Accelerated Graphics Testing Extension

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Mozilla Labs :: Design, defect)

Description

[cmtalbert]

We're building a testing tool to crowd source testing of hardware accelerated graphics in the browser.  The tool will be an extension that will run some specific reftests on the user's machine, both in hardware accelerated and software rendered modes and compare the differences.  It will send the results and the information about the user's graphics hardware to us so that we can create an inventory and can understand what systems our hardware graphics backends work well with and where we have problems in those subsystems.

However, we don't have a good name or an icon for such a thing.  Can you help us with that?  We're currently calling it "HalReftest" for hardware accelerated and layers reftest.  But that isn't a very good name.

= Deadline =
* We probably need this in about 3-4 weeks.

Comment 1

[Sean Martell]

Adding John Slater on this one.

We're looking at coming up with a new name for this project to which I can design a logo.  Any thoughts on what we could use?  Perhaps pass the above description around Marketing to see if we could get some ideas for an interesting name/visual?

Comment 2

[John Slater]

Thanks for looping me in. This might be something we could just knock out in a quick brainstorming session. Clint, could you set up a meeting/call for you, me, Sean and anyone else from QA you think should be involved? I'll see if I can bring in a few other mktg folks as well.

We could talk through the goals of the project and what you want to convey, then figure out a name and logo idea.

Comment 3

[cmtalbert]

Ok, sent email.  The meeting is on 2010-03-23 at 2pm PST.  Use conf# 304 to dial in.

Comment 4

[John Slater]

Ok, we just had a very productive meeting on this topic and settled on a name/character called Grafx Bot (which loosely stands for Graphics Firefox Testing). The idea is that we could personify the add-on as a helpful robot who will perform the appropriate tests on your computer.

Sean, here are some background details to help you with the logo process...let me know if you want to talk these through at any point:

Overall value prop:
- downloading this add-on helps make Firefox graphics better, and it's really easy to do.

Likely downloaders:
- QA community, developers, gamers

Abstract attributes:
- speed, high tech, techie coolness, geek cred

Visual ideas:
- we're all pretty taken with the idea of a robot (or robot head) wearing the old school red & blue 3D glasses. Obviously there are a lot of directions you could take it, but we'd like to start from there.
- overall, the robot should be more sleek & fast rather than cute & cuddly. But, he should be at least a little rough around the edges to give him a little more personality.

Deliverables:
- robot/glasses logo + Graphx Bot wordmark (using a robot-ish font)
- favicon
- full body robot is optional, but might be a cool asset to have

Hope this helps! Clint can answer any questions about timing or prioritization on this project, and my offer to talk through the creative direction always stands.

Thanks!

Comment 5

[Sean Martell]

You have made my day - I had to respond right away.

First request for a robot logo.

I will not disappoint.  Thanks all.

Comment 6

[Jonathan Griffin (:jgriffin)]

Thanks for taking this

Comment 7

[Jonathan Griffin (:jgriffin)]

Thanks for taking this on, I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Comment 8

[Jay Patel [:jay]]

I see Graphx Bot t-shirts in our future. ;-)

Comment 9

[cmtalbert]

Sean, John, any EA on this?  We have a whole bunch of UI refactoring that we'd like to get completed, but we're blocked on having the graphics with which to do the updates.  Could we get it by the end of next week (April 30)?

Thanks,
Clint

Comment 10

[John Slater]

The schedule is really up to Sean...will let him comment on that.

Comment 11

[Sean Martell]

I'll see what I can come up with this week.  It might not be finalized though.

You spoke of graphics blocking the UI work. I was under the impression that I was just designing the logo. Are there other elements you need?

Comment 12

[cmtalbert]

(In reply to comment #11)
> I'll see what I can come up with this week.  It might not be finalized though.
> 
> You spoke of graphics blocking the UI work. I was under the impression that I
> was just designing the logo. Are there other elements you need?

Sorry for the confusion, the logo is all I need.  We'll craft the rest of the UI around that logo and that's what I meant about "graphics".  We just need the logo. I look forward to see what you come up with. :)

Comment 13

[Sean Martell]

question: can he be a steampunk robot? brass, etc along the art deco lines of the Add-ons mascot? he can still be streamlined sleek...

Comment 14

[Jonathan Griffin (:jgriffin)]

fine with me, I like the AMO logo.  Art deco gives it personality ;)

Comment 15

[Sean Martell]

I've axed the thought of "steampunk", gone with more "Iron Giant / Day the Earth Stood Still" type of robot.

Have a look at this VERY ROUGH initial sketch: http://mozilla.seanmartell.com/grafx-logo-1.png

Final would have much, much more detail. Please send along any and all feedback.

Comment 16

[John Slater]

+1 from me!

Comment 17

[Jonathan Griffin (:jgriffin)]

looks great to me too

Comment 18

[Sean Martell]

Here's with some more detail: http://mozilla.seanmartell.com/grafx-logo-2.png

Comment 19

[John Slater]

Final approval is up to Clint & the QA team, but this looks awesome to me!

Comment 20

[Jonathan Griffin (:jgriffin)]

Hey Sean, this looks awesome.  Can we get a version with the "Grafx Bot" string a little darker also, so that I can use it against white backgrounds without it fading into it?

Comment 21

[cmtalbert]

I like the logo, it's awesome.  Jgriffin, while a darker one might be good, it might also be good to think about changing the overall UI to have darker backgrounds because the robot itself tends to fade out on a white background too (and looks really great against the darker background).

Thanks Sean!!

Comment 22

[Jonathan Griffin (:jgriffin)]

Sean, can you attach the individual images, even if they're not quite complete?  This would allow me to start integrating them with the Grafx Bot extension...it's OK if I have to replace them with updated versions later.

Thanks!

Comment 23

[Jay Patel [:jay]]

Just wanted to chime in to say that the Grafx Bot looks amazing!

Sean:  Nice work...  that is one of the coolest looking robots I have ever seen.  The 3D glasses and eyes remind me of a Cylon and the shape of the head and mouth remind me of Bender.  Grafx Bot is the perfect blend. :-)

Clint:  Good luck with the extension... at lease we know it's going to look pretty. ;-)

Comment 24

[Sean Martell]

Attachment: GrafxBot logos

I've saved them out with options:

Sizes included
- without starburst: 512x512, 256x256,128x128,64x64,32x32
- with starburst: 512x512, 256x256,128x128,64x64,32x32
- logo with wordmark
- wordmark only

Anything else, let me know.  I'll be making a 16x16 favicon today.

Enjoy!

Comment 25

[Sean Martell]

Attachment: Favicon - .ico

Comment 26

[Sean Martell]

Attachment: Favicon - .png

Comment 27

[Sean Martell]

Attachment: Favicon example

I've created the favicon to work on multiple backgrounds by using a semi-transparent black stroke on the outer edge.  See example PNG for details.

Enjoy!

Comment 28

[Jonathan Griffin (:jgriffin)]

Awesome, these all look great!  Thanks Sean...this will be the best looking tools project ever!

Comment 29

[Sean Martell]

filing as resolved.  Any further questions or requests, email me directly.

Thanks!