10 Replies Latest reply on May 18, 2012 8:44 AM by jmnarloch

    Graphics workflow for the Arquillian platform

    graphitefriction

      Hi guys,

       

      I want to create a workflow for the request, creation, evaluation, finalization and storage of graphics created for the Arquillian project. Up until now you've been stuck with images I've created at 3am in the morning for presentations you have to give in 2 hours.  Eventually someone is going to find a pineapple sitting on a beach chair in the middle of their slide when they were expecting an extension architecture diagram.

       

      So here's my initial draft of the graphics workflow:

       

      1. Request your graphic in the issue tracker (I'm happy to use github or jira, though github.com/arquillian/arquillian-artwork is probably better). Graphics include logos, icons, diagrams, figures, backgrounds, textures, photograph manipulations, text that needs some POW!, etc. Include in the ticket your ideas about what the graphic should be, what it should convey, color, size, what you want it to be used for (e.g. this graphic will only ever be on a computer screen versus this is going to be put on T-shirts, buttons, printed media). Links to other images that show some aspect (e.g. type of gloss, line thickness, etc.) that you want the proposed graphic to incorporate are good. If you need a diagram, sketch it out on paper, scan/photograph it, and upload it.

       

      2. Ideally, you and I will chat a little more about what you envision. Then I'll post some mockups on a branch in github and everybody can pile on their 2 cents regarding which image they like best, which image they hate best, and the changes/tweaks they'd like to see in the next round of mockups. After the comment period, I'd make the request changes, and we'd repeat evaluating the mockups.  Who gets to make the final decision of when an image is done...that's something you all need to work out amongst yourselves.

       

      3. Once a graphic is final, it will be placed in the main branch on github in various formats (if applicable) so that everyone can have access to the best source image. Various formats will include differenct sizes, transparent and solid backgrounds, etc. Then the ticket is closed.

       

      Questions the team needs to answer about workflow:

       

      1. Evaluate the above workflow. Do you think this process will work for the team? What steps would you add or change? (Does the github repository arquillian-artwork make sense?)

      2. How do we determine when a graphic's design is final and/or who makes that decision? Will it be Aslak, the extension lead that that graphic relates to, the person who requested the graphic or majority vote?

       

      Questions the team needs to answer about prioritization:

       

      At this moment, finishing some graphics for the website and finalizing Drone's logo are at the top of my priority list. However, this is a list of my own making. I'd prefer it if, as a team, we could:

       

      1. Decide what graphics we think are needed

      2. Which graphics need to be done sooner rather than later.

       

      Note: While I'm proposing this workflow and writing like I'm the only one creating the graphics, that's totally not the case! This is all about community participation, and if other contributors now or in the future want to do some designs, please jump right in! The goal is to create a team around the visual, content and messaging aspects of the project.

       

      You can find me in #jbosstesting as graphite6

        • 1. Re: Graphics workflow for the Arquillian platform
          aslak

          Excellent initiative!

           

          1.

          The workflow looks good to me. Thoughts might come up when we get some experience using it, but it's similar to how coding works now.

          Personally I could go either way on JIra or GitHub issues, I'm starting to dislike Jira more and more tho, but in this case I guess the big question is, which can show graphical content in a 'comments' section easier?

           

          2.

          I don't think we would need any massive structure to how this is decided. I'd say we do some simple votes, then let the Module Lead have the final say if there is a conflict. As long as they all capture the story line of the overall project, it's fine by me.

           

          Drone and Graphene logo are the first ones to spring to mind, in that order. Then I guess Persistence Extension could use some graphical lipgloss.

           

          On a more long term fuzzy undefined term, I would like to do more with Ike. We have the Emotional Ikes as is, but they could look better. We could come up with a few more, e.g. for use in a guide icon set(info, warn). Ike in the slides has a body, but nowhere else, maybe it's time he became a full character.

           

          Conference Fall is coming soon enough, and we have a few new talks lined up. Dough the content is still fuzzy, we should really start preparing in not to long so there is time for some graphical content.

          • 2. Re: Graphics workflow for the Arquillian platform
            dan.j.allen

            Aslak Knutsen wrote:

             

            Excellent initiative!

             

            +1000

             

            1.

            The workflow looks good to me. Thoughts might come up when we get some experience using it, but it's similar to how coding works now.

            Personally I could go either way on JIra or GitHub issues, I'm starting to dislike Jira more and more tho, but in this case I guess the big question is, which can show graphical content in a 'comments' section easier?

             

            We have some experience using a design workflow in JIRA from when the Arquillian logo and the Testing SIG banner were created. The main problem I have is that attachements in JIRA suck. They all get grouped at the top in random order. Here's an example:

             

            https://issues.jboss.org/browse/DESIGN-129

             

            I just get lost on that page. I think using a branch per issue in github makes tons more sense. Plus, github has multiple image diffing views, which makes it really easy to compare two versions of a graphic. For example:

             

            https://github.com/arquillian/arquillian.github.com/commit/0ce821cbf7271192aa7ec76ac7af4c31e03f0f19#images/feature_browser.png

             

            I'm all for commenting on the commit itself. If you refer to the issue in the commit or comment, they get linked automatically. I'm sure we'll figure out what works and what doesn't as we try it.

             

            On a more long term fuzzy undefined term, I would like to do more with Ike. We have the Emotional Ikes as is, but they could look better. We could come up with a few more, e.g. for use in a guide icon set(info, warn). Ike in the slides has a body, but nowhere else, maybe it's time he became a full character.

             

            I've brought that up with Sarah a few times, so we're on the same page there. The two main issues w/ emotional Ike is that the colors don't exactly match the palette (or maybe not at all, I'm not the artist) and the hands are just not fitting the face. Fortunately, we know a few hand-drawing specialists if more help is needed in this area.

             

            Conference Fall is coming soon enough, and we have a few new talks lined up. Dough the content is still fuzzy, we should really start preparing in not to long so there is time for some graphical content.

             

            Ugh, yes. That probably deserves its own thread. The short summary is "lightweight markup languages brought to life by HTML 5 and JavaScript". The first step is some sample 1 - 3 slide decks to feel out what the best foundation will be. The benefit of doing that research is that we can start making slides early on in that lightweight markup language w/o having to mess with design. As Sarah points out, if the presentation is well-scripted, there is a lot more you can do in the design dept.

             

            Overall, solid!

            • 3. Re: Graphics workflow for the Arquillian platform
              dan.j.allen
              • 4. Re: Graphics workflow for the Arquillian platform
                dan.j.allen

                ^^ Meaning that's where issues go.

                • 5. Re: Graphics workflow for the Arquillian platform
                  graphitefriction

                  Personally I could go either way on JIra or GitHub issues, I'm starting to dislike Jira more and more tho, but in this case I guess the big question is, which can show graphical content in a 'comments' section easier?

                   

                  I'd go with GitHub then, and it does have image diff capabilities. And Dan's already set it up

                   

                   

                  I don't think we would need any massive structure to how this is decided. I'd say we do some simple votes, then let the Module Lead have the final say if there is a conflict. As long as they all capture the story line of the overall project, it's fine by me.

                   

                  I agree. Bringing this up was to let people know that they can tell me they really don't like a design I created and it is okay to disagree with me. Srsly, I actually get suspicious when people don't want me to make tweaks.

                   

                   

                  graphical lipgloss.

                   

                  Absolutely love that turn of phrase! So stealing it

                   

                   

                  I would like to do more with Ike. We have the Emotional Ikes as is, but they could look better. We could come up with a few more, e.g. for use in a guide icon set(info, warn). Ike in the slides has a body, but nowhere else, maybe it's time he became a full character.

                   

                  Conference Fall is coming soon enough, and we have a few new talks lined up. Dough the content is still fuzzy, we should really start preparing in not to long so there is time for some graphical content.

                   

                  Yes, Dan has mentioned the emotional Ikes to me and I do like the idea of also adjusting them for use as icons. As for Ike the character, I have plans to shape him out. What's in the slides is a basic first pass that was done directly on the computer as fast as possible. I already have a few sketches on paper of an upgraded versions/and different body and head variations. Once those drafts are complete I'll upload them for evaluation. My long term goal is to get Ike and his crew into Blender so they're 3D. First though, I've got to finish the Aqueduct graphics. And I'm all for filling out the presentations sooner, that way graphics can be modified if they're not right or not applicable.

                  • 6. Re: Graphics workflow for the Arquillian platform
                    lfryc

                    It's great to seem such initiative and contribution outside of world of code! :-)

                     

                    I would really appreciate improving logo for Graphene project,

                    I have opened issue with details:

                    https://github.com/arquillian/arquillian-artwork/issues/1

                     

                     

                    Then, I would like to redesign of JSFUnit's logo, it really doesn't match the story well.

                    http://www.jboss.org/jsfunit

                    • 7. Re: Graphics workflow for the Arquillian platform
                      aslak

                      I assume the new JSFUnit logo will be for .NG ?

                      • 8. Re: Graphics workflow for the Arquillian platform
                        dan.j.allen

                        Aslak Knutsen wrote:

                         

                        I assume the new JSFUnit logo will be for .NG ?

                         

                        Yes, I think we need to be forward looking here. We will upgrade the JSFUnit logo in conjunction with the upgraded software design.

                         

                        Of course, we don't want to use the term JSFUnit if it's going to be framework agnostic, so we'll need a new name as well. That should be another thread, but just let your brain start a background task on that one. Something like "Web Situ" as a play on "web request" and "in situ". You are testing the web requests from inside the box.

                        • 9. Re: Graphics workflow for the Arquillian platform
                          lfryc

                          Yeah, new JSFUnit logo should be for NG.

                           

                          The discussion about a new name for the project was started here:

                          https://community.jboss.org/message/729920#729920

                          • 10. Re: Graphics workflow for the Arquillian platform
                            jmnarloch

                            Hi,

                             

                            I opened an issue at https://github.com/arquillian/arquillian-artwork for a simple logo or rather a mascot for Spring extension.