🎨 Design & create a distinctive application logo #1961
Description
📌 What is this about?
Back In Time is a FOSS (aka open source) backup tool. It finally needs a proper logo!
This is a follow-up to Issue #215, where some ideas and early drafts were shared.
We’re looking for a designer who can help us create a strong application icon and possibly extending to tray icons and a banner image.
We know this is a big ask, so we want to be transparent about everything from the start.
🎨 What we're looking for
- A main application icon. This is the first priority. Think of how it appears in the About Dialog.
- The icon should also work as a tray icon in light and dark themes.
- Minimum supported size: 22×22 px
- Bonus: a banner image (1500×500 px) for our Mastodon presence would be lovely.
- We would also like access to the source file (e.g. SVG), in addition to rendered formats (PNG, ICO, ...).
- Creative freedom: We have a few ideas and sketches (see below), but we’re open to new, fresh concepts!
- Inspiration and further resources:
- Gnome Icon Guidelines
- AppIconPreview – useful tool for previewing icons
- Blogpost: Designing a GNOME App Icon
- SVG favicons + dark mode
- Also consider this comment Use distinctive application icon/logo for Back In Time (icon proposals) #215 (comment) .
⚖️ Legal & Licensing
We know this is the boring part, but it’s important.
If you're familiar with licensing creative work, feel free to propose your own approach. If not, here’s what we suggest:
- You remain the copyright holder.
- The logo, including its source file, should be released under a license that’s compatible with GPL-2.0-or-later (the project’s license).
- Preferred license: GPL-2.0-or-later, but we’re open to other free licenses that work well for artwork.
- Important: We don’t own a trademark or plan to register one. That means it’s theoretically possible for others to re-use the logo under the license terms. But we’re not worried about that in practice.
Some related discussions and resources:
Please don’t waste your resources and start creating the logo before we’ve agreed on licensing.
💡 Sketches & Previous Ideas
These are just ideas. You’re free to ignore or remix them.
🔘 Discs
- A stack of 3 discs, representing storage space and backups.
- An arrow wrapped around to symbolize backup or time.
📁 Hardlink Visualization
- Three backup levels (discs), with vertical "file" columns.
- Visualizes how files change across backups:
- Cuts = modified files
- Solid blocks = unchanged
🔤 "BIT" Abbreviation
- Using the acronym B-I-T, with an arrow motif.
- Concern: might be confused with Bitcoin.
🔄 The Arrow
- An arrow circling the logo, symbolizing time or backup.
- Can go counter-clockwise to emphasize the "back" in Back In Time.
- Starts thin and gets thicker: suggests motion and time travel.
🔗 Related Threads
🤝 What We Offer
We can’t pay you, but:
- You will be clearly credited in the project (e.g. README, website).
- Your work will be seen and used by thousands of users.
- You’ll help improve the visual identity of a long-standing FOSS project.
🧵 Want to contribute?
Comment here. If you have questions or suggestions, especially around licensing, let’s talk!
✍️ Feedback welcome!
We want this process to be transparent and respectful. If you’re a designer reading this and think we could improve how we’re approaching this: please tell us. We're open to honest feedback.