You have probably noticed the new logo on the web. It could also be seen on posters and flyers at LinuxTag about a month ago.
Back when we decided to change the project's name, we also wanted to change to a new logo. Manhole Tux is cool and symbolic, but just like the old name he is not a great fit for the project since coreboot has much more general and generic potential than was anticipated.
A few of us started thinking hard about the logo. We came up with some important requirements:
* No obvious connection to other products, because coreboot is quite generic. In particular no connection to any operating system. * Something a little bit fun that complements the name * A clean and simple design that is widely applicable: + Web + Bootsplash + Posters and flyers + Case engravings and stickers * Ideally conveying advantageous properties of coreboot
We tried to brainstorm over the course of two years or so, throughout the name change discussion, and continuing on after the change. There was some discussion and logo ideas on the mailing list.
When we could not find an idea that we really liked, we finally gave up. After securing sponsorship to cover the cost, I sought help from an old friend who is a terrific artist and runs a design house called Breakfast Design near me. He was able to come up with a great idea very quickly and the design was reviewed and finalized just days before LinuxTag.
I managed to get a good deal. My friend Jens does not normally engage in such small projects and customers (his usual clientele includes IKEA, book publishers and international record labels) but because he thinks our project is cool, and because we were able to finish the design quickly with only very few changes neccessary after each review, he agreed to do it!
After some research on uniqueness, the hare was proposed.
Early comments included "playful", "slick", "distinct", "a sense of speed" and "professional." Ever since I got used to the new shape (it took me about a week) I have grown quite fond of the hare.
I've created http://coreboot.org/Logo where the logo is available in SVG and PNG format. The logo kit also includes a 4-colour PDF.
The license could be debated. CC by-nd and by-sa were discussed, but by-sa would let anyone do anything to it, which I don't think is a good idea. I would prefer that we created any neccessary variations ourselves, and made them available for reuse. CC in general may not be such a good fit for a logo.
The current license is modeled after the OpenOffice.org logo license.
Special thanks to the sponsors who made it happen:
Konsult Stuge coresystems GmbH Kitchener Waterloo Linux User Group and Richard Weait
Best regards
//Peter