[JDEV] artwork/UI

[Jeremie]

[note: wow, this is quite the thread I missed :-]

> How would you feel about using a standard set of icons
> for things like users, groups, IMs across all graphical clients?  I'm
> not suggesting they be required, but it
> would a) make implementing a new client easier and b)
> give Jabber a stronger identity for the non-programmer users.  I know
> it's a client UI implementation issue and therefore out of the scope of
> the Jabber specs but
> like I said, it would just be a set of icons that implementors are free
> to use if they so desire.

Yes!  This has been in the back of my head, but I've been waiting for a
few things to fall into place yet...(below)

> Another related issue is a logo.  Gnome = foot, Linux = penguin, BSD =
> devil, Apache = feather - It's not just an issue for commercial
> products to address.  What would a "Jabber Now" link button look like? 
> ICQ's has that flower on it.  I think the other buddy lists have them
> too.

Definately, we need a logo/theme badly...

> Sorry if the marketing questions make you ill.  Now I need to go write
> some code, repent for my sins.

:)  No prob, marketing is good(as long as I don't have to do it, *g*).

Here is what I've been thinking:

Based on the "team" model I've been working on for the tools and such, I
want to create a special "marketing" or "showme" team.  This team would be
responsible for coming up with a Logo(likely via a contest they can hold),
the structure/layout of the web site, press releases, introductory
material, info at jabber.org, etc...  There are quite a few people that have
already volunteered for this type of work, getting all of them together
and moving forward would be a good thing.

As far as the icons go, the same team could come up with a reccomended set
of icons for clients to use.  I've always also wanted to be able to have
status icons change dynamically, so based on the upcoming file transfer
proposal I'm writing, status packets could contain a reference to a new
status icon to download in the <icon></icon> field.

This is definately something that needs to get moving quickly here... I'll
include this team in my list of teams to form next week.

Oh, and as far as graphic buttons, some that I really like for their
style/look/feel are: 
	http://www.iol.ie/%7ealank/xml/icons.htm#Palm1

Jer