The look of new Linux Mint

[jobastr]

Know you if the look of the next version will be rethought?

[exploder]

The development road map has, use new artwork listed. I just hope the wallpaper is not black again. I am getting burnt out on black.

[jobastr]

Thank you for your answer.

I was a little disappointed for Felicia's release, nothing had been changed.

[midas]

Yeah...but it's very unique how Mint is blending the green, purple and black colors. If the next release becomes to greenie...it will move to close to openSuse or other brandnames. What make's the look of Mint unique is also a critical successfactor...try to make that even stronger. Sorry for standing at 'the side' ...I really don't know how to design new artwork.just an opinion from a newbie

[shane]

The development road map has, use new artwork listed. I just hope the wallpaper is not black again. I am getting burnt out on black.

Me too... (That coming from the maintainer of the blackest edition )

I think a new wallpaper will spice things up a lot and will give us more theme options... as the wallpaper is basically the focal point around which I choose the rest of the artwork...

I don't see a problem with going towards the greens or the blues. I think our brains are wired to see these as pleasant colors. Gray is too drab, red and yellow are tense... and brown...

I hope we'll have some nice fresh artwork for Gloria!

[jobastr]

It is in this purpose that the forum has of a section " Artwork " It would be nice to make a competition with the aim of elaborating different subjects for every versions.

[shane]

Ooo... competition... I like that! Competition = incentive!

How about a competition for the whole artwork setup... Wallpaper, GTK theme, Emerald/Metacity theme and icon set... Wallpaper will have to be an original Mint wallpaper and icon set will have to be customized for Mint.

And the prize? bragging rights and a mention in the release notes! Maybe also a shiny new printed Mint CD of the release in which your artwork is used...

[jobastr]

The price is secondary, made that a version of Linux Mint goes out with your creations is already indeed.

So that it is possible, it would be necessary to subject the idea to Clem.

I have already realized a set, icons, to wallpaper, GDM ect for the site Linux Mint-fr

[midas]

Perhaps what is more important than color-scheme is the consistency of the art-work. And I think surely openSuSe is a good example of a distro that is very consistent from loginscreen to GDM to wallpaper. Even the startscreens of Openoffice and Gimp do show this. I mean...we all change the wallpapers once in a while and perhaps the icons...but I don't want to see that brownish (Ubuntu) OO-startscreen again and also not the outdated Carbonlook. Perhaps it's helpfull in the first place to know what you don't want...

[jobastr]

If we organize a competition, we shall know especially it wants the majority of the users, it is them who will decide.

[Zwopper]

Personally, I always prefer a transparent or semi transparent wallpaper, so everyone can set whatever color/gradient they like even to a "default" wallpaper.

[clem]

Hi,

It's not decided yet whether the default artwork will change or not, but it is decided to spend time investigating two things:

- an alternative theme which looks radically different (can't tell you more yet)
- a new feature in mintDesktop to switch from one theme to another, switch desktop layouts etc.. (again I can't tell you much more since work hasn't started on this yet)

also, some good news:

- GTK comes with a lot of nice little touches in the new Gnome 2.26, and these are really noticeable. A lot of widgets, combos and checkboxes in particular look much nicer than before. So even with the same old theme, things look a little enhanced already.

Clem.

[clem]

By the way, there is no plan to renew the artwork with every release. Other distros tend to do that, we don't. The plan here is to try and improve things with each new release, so until we get some artwork which is actually "better" (not just "different"), then we'll stick with the old one. I know this can be disappointing, especially since people are used to new wallpapers and all, but it makes sense all the same. Artwork is just like everything else, it's a feature we try to improve, not something linked to a particular release which needs to change over time.

Clem.

[jobastr]

It is pity, that would have been able to accelerate the broadcasting especially in France, or Linux Mint is not still very popular.

Not sure of broadcasting

[clem]

"adoption".

France is a very conservative market. Funnily enough it's also quite vulnerable. I guess mouth-to-ear models have a lower impact there than they have in let's say the USA or the UK, and to get visibility in France one needs to make a name for himself before people start giving it attention. Our product is good, it can always be improved, the background can be changed of course, but the reason Mint isn't getting popular in France IMHO is simply because it hasn't made it to the French media yet.

Don't get me wrong I love the French market and I have a lot of respect for French consumerism (we French people have a unique way of making our market dynamic, bringing our prices down and always demanding better quality... if only that could happen here in Ireland, I'd be happier everyday).. but we also tend to ignore newcomers and favor established brands. Mint is relatively new and it's still being ignored in France. It will take time or marketing/PR efforts on our side for this to change.

PS: I made a study on the Linux related press in France last year and found out it was led by just few companies (minority of which were actually French). So far we've been very passive in promoting Mint and almost all promotion was done by the community itself. I guess sometime in the future we'll need to get in contact with the American and Polish agencies which are in control of the French kiosks. Anyway, bottom line is: It's got nothing to do with the artwork, and changing the background image isn't going to change anything here.

Clem
75% French

[midas]

Mmmmm...Clem's statement leaves the door open to a new opportunity perhaps:

Improving the official artwork as best as possible each release. Meanwhile a 'single-click-install' for new artwork like installing a program by Software-Portal or the Mint-desktop-tool. The best of both worlds and very flexible and simple enough for newbies like me

[jobastr]

Vous avez sans doute raison, mais notre toute petite communauté fait des pieds et des mains pour essayer de faire connaitre Linux Mint, et il est vrai qu'il n'y a pas un très grand echo.
Les nouveaux venus sont souvent conquis par l'esthétique de Linux Mint, c'était surtout pour cette raison que je pensais qu'accentuer le développement de Mint Artwork en organisant un concours pourrait ammener de nouveaux "disciples" ne serait ce que des graphistes en herbe.

Oups sorry it's in French...


You are probably right, but our community is very small feet and hands to try to spread Linux Mint, and it is true that no great echo.
Newcomers are often captivated by the beauty of Linux Mint, it was primarily for this reason that I thought accentuate the development of Mint Artwork by organizing a competition to bring new "disciples" if only for graphic designers

[AK Dave]

Gloria needs a green and purple psychodelic tie-die or batique look to the desktop background, something sort of 60's hippie throwback Jim Morrison look, as homage to the Doors and their song of that name (Gloria).

[jobastr]

I do not think my proposal will be chosen, but I think this topic should be discussed and then it would be a way of getting the Artwork Linux Mint value.

[alexxx24887]

Wasn't here in the forum every month a community submission for "wallpaper for the month". We could do something like that for gdm, gtk themes, icons and so on, that could increase the artwork for mint. any thoughts on that?