zarr-developers
Virtualizarr Logo
Wondering if anyone has come up with designs for a Virtualizarr logo. Might be nice for talks etc.
Very cool @maxrjones! I like the idea of integrating the xarray and zarr logos
Thanks for the mock-ups @maxrjones! I agree it would be nice to have a logo.
My thoughts on this are not complete, but along the lines of:
- Logos should be relatively unique amongst related libraries
- Logos should be both simple and abstract
- There are huge number of array libraries with a logo that's just some kind of cube / array and otherwise not very distinct (see numpy / xarray / cupy / dask / zarr / pydata...)
- The logo above is fun but very array-like, and deliberately reminiscent of both xarray's and zarr's logo
- There are also a lot of logos that just graphically represent the library's name, but VirtualiZarr's name is very close to just Zarr
Alternatively:
- Another way to ideate a unique logo is to make some sort of analogy about what the library does or is for, then design a logo to represent that analogy. For example @dcherian's new logo for Flox, which is a sheep, presumably because GroupBy operations are a little like herding sheep.
(It's also a pun on the package name, which is presumably what he had in mind the whole time)
- It would be fun to try to brainstorm analogies / metaphors / concepts associated with or indicative of what VirtualiZarr does or what problem it solves, then see if any of those could be used as inspiration for a logo.
Some free-association of analogies for virtualization I did a while ago:
- fetching, extraction, drawing out the essence or key information
- manifests, lists, inventories, ships logs
- keys unlocking efficiency
- virtualization, modernizing,
- making one thing look like another, disguising
- indirection, magic, misdirection, sleight of hand
- facade
- redirection, pointers, circumventing, navigation
- ephemeral, ghostly
- concatenation, slotting in, assembling, construction
- freeing, liberating
- pinpointing, locating, addressing
- delegation
These gave me a few ideas for things that can be represented graphically:
- stick pointing to entry in paper list
- netCDF in a trenchcoat
- disguising something as Zarr (Groucho glasses)
- masks
- pulling bunny from a hat
- needle (chunk) in a haystack (bucket)
- phonebook
- something synthwave (like 80's conception of "virtual")
Some of these bring me back to array-like shapes, but at least with some other kind of twist.
I'm not super happy with any of those ideas (of these I like needle in a haystack, and a synthwave laser grid-looking thing the most), but I think it would be fun to try to come up with a unique logo this way.
What about copying this style (vaporwave-ish, like retro "virtual") but VZ on the sides instead?
What about leaning into the "piratey" part?
I have the vague feeling that there is something unique and maybe funny to create along the lines of a light and fast pirate ship with grappling hooks that resemble the pointers to big heavy legacy files?
Obviously it would have to be abstracted a fair bit...
Just a though.
@maxrjones flagged this logo request since I am currently exploring some logo design contractors for other software packages. Would this group be interested in having some professional design support? Assuming the cost is reasonable, I can just cover it from my comms budget. If ya'll are happy with the direction you are headed on your own, then no worries! Just wanted to make the offer.
I would be interested - I actually have a fairly specific idea that I would love to just hand off to someone more qualified...
I would be interested - I actually have a fairly specific idea that I would love to just hand off to someone more qualified...
I'm working with Quincy Morgan on a couple designs. If that works out I could have him take a look at your ideas.
I don't think we were going to use them anyways, but all of my suggestions should be discounted (I'm going to delete the comments) due to https://numfocus.org/trademark-guidelines
but all of my suggestions should be discounted
Why?
https://github.com/zarr-developers/zarr-logo/issues/4#issuecomment-3312535942 + https://github.com/zarr-developers/zarr-logo/pull/5#issuecomment-3312576915
I unfortunately missed @maxrjones' comment before they were removed (I assume they were great) but to be clear: it is not that it is not possible for zarr & virtualizarr to have related logos. It's just that we should do so carefully together with NumFOCUS in order to protect the trademark.
