Affiliations Committee/RFCs/Wikimedia user group logos

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The following request for comments is closed. Affiliations Committee will post best practices on user group logos in coming weeks. --Varnent (talk)^(COI) 18:10, 26 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]
The best practices are now online: Wikimedia movement affiliates logos best practices

Summary

The Affiliations Committee has requested comments on the best practices for Wikimedia user group logos.

The committee will seek community input until Saturday, May 24, 2014. After considering the community's input, the Affiliations Committee will publish on Meta-Wiki guidelines for Wikimedia user group logos.

Background

The Affiliations Committee has received a number of inquiries seeking guidance on the logos of Wikimedia user groups.

There is already a standard format used by chapters, and that format is being applied to thematic organizations as well. Chapters and thematic organizations have also worked with Wikimedia Foundation legal in the past on custom logos.

Examples from proposed best practices for chapters and thematic organizations
Wikimedia community logo
Basic
Wikimedia logo
Example of a
thematic organization logo
Example of a
chapter logo

Wikimedia user groups may also create custom logos or logos based off the community logo, and the new trademark policy allows for logos to be based off the Wikimedia Foundation logo. However, there remains a question of the best practice for standard user group logos.

The Affiliations Committee is committed to supporting equality amongst movement affiliates, but recognize that branding and legal considerations must also be taken into account when discussing best practices for logo usage. Wikimedia user groups have indicated to members of the Affiliations Committee their desire to utilize a variation of the Wikimedia Foundation logo in a manner similar to Wikimedia chapters and thematic organizations. However, chapters and thematic organizations have pointed out that implications of using such a logo format may put an unwanted amount of extra work and expectations on user groups - which are generally meant to be more free of bureaucracy and expectations of broad movement representation.

To seek a compromise, the Affiliations Committee would like to seek relevant feedback from Wikimedia affiliate stakeholders on this topic and these proposed best practices:

Approved Wikimedia user groups can pick from one, or a combination, of three options:

Similar to chapters and thematic organizations, user groups may create a custom logo, within Wikimedia Foundation's trademark policy and other relevant trademark policies and laws.
Similar to chapters and thematic organizations, user groups may utilize a variation of the Wikimedia community logo (see examples 1, 2, and 3).
User groups may also utilize a variation of the Wikimedia Foundation logo with a uniform Wikimedia user group tagline (see examples 4, 5, 6 and 7). This varies from chapters and thematic organizations, which do not have a uniform tagline. We are also considering options include color variations to help better distinguish user groups (see examples 8, 9, and 10).

Examples from proposed best practices for user groups
Example 1
Variation of Wikimedia community logo
Example 2
Variation of Wikimedia community logo
Example 3
Variation of Wikimedia community logo

Example 4
Variation of Wikimedia Foundation logo with tagline
Example 5
Variation of Wikimedia Foundation logo with tagline
Example 6
Variation of Wikimedia Foundation logo with tagline
Example 7
Variation of Wikimedia Foundation logo with tagline

Example 8
Color variation of Wikimedia Foundation logo with tagline
Example 9
Color variation of Wikimedia Foundation logo with tagline
Example 10
Color variation of Wikimedia Foundation logo with tagline

Examples of custom logos for user groups
Example 11
Possible custom Wikisource Community User Group logo
Example 12
Custom LGBT Wikimedians User Group logo (name and group not yet approved - logo graphic has been approved)

Comments

While most of this seems reasonable, "Wikimedia User Group Pakistan Wikimedia User Group" sounds a bit weird. Wouldn't it be better to just require "user group" to be included in the logo somewhere? --Tgr (talk) 01:41, 12 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]
- Just to clarify, the group's name would remain "Wikimedia Community User Group Pakistan" - so the tagline idea was to have it be outside of the name and universal to all WUG logos. Are you suggesting that the requirement be modified to just make sure it includes user group in it somewhere? --Varnent (talk)^(COI) 14:22, 12 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]
  - The tagline in "Wikimedia Community User Group Pakistan - A Wikimedia User Group" is superfluous and it is bit of a mouthful. I am not particularly keen about examples 5 to 7, it is already very clear that they are user groups. Samar ^Talk 18:38, 12 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]
    - I'm going to have to agree with this one, as we are just restating the obvious here with the last part, so it probably isn't necessary in the long run. Kevin Rutherford (talk) 22:19, 12 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]
      - We are testing out the tagline idea above, but an obvious difficulty is that most user groups already have "user group" in their regular name. The UG Agreement has " “an independent group of volunteer Wikimedians” " as the standard tagline, which would not clash with "user group" in the name, but is quite long. --Bence (talk) 20:44, 14 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]
        "Volunteer Wikimedians" sounds rather redundant, so I wonder if we could just shorten that down to "An independent group of Wikimedians" since that makes sense and is a bit shorter. Kevin Rutherford (talk) 03:22, 15 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]
        Why not "PAKISTAN wikimedians" and below "User Group"? Or "PAKISTAN" and below "Wikimedians User Group"? I think that "wikimedians" instead of "Wikimedia" could be good to distinguish from chapters and thorgs that are more "institutional". --Dvdgmz (talk) 08:21, 15 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]
How about creating custom logos based on Community logo for project-related and thematic user groups and having a version of community logo for geographical located User Groups? For these could be something suggesting a group of people like File:Wikimedia user groups logo - proposal 1.svg or File:Wikimedia user groups logo - proposal 2.svg --Dvdgmz (talk) 08:21, 15 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]
- I like the idea, but having "New England" and "Wikimedians" on two separate lines looks rather odd from our perspective, especially since they are two different colors. Additionally, we don't actually call ourselves "New England Wikimedians User Group", since it is a bit of a mouthful to say and we are trying to go with the shorter name in terms of branding. Kevin Rutherford (talk) 18:26, 16 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]
  - Is it possible to have a simple "Wikimedia User Group - Pakistan" (Pakistan in a separate line). I was never keen about the long name which is cumbersome and inconvenient for advertisement/marketing purposes. If a tagline is to be added, I'd prefer "an independent group of volunteer Wikimedians" over "a Wikimedia User Group". Samar ^Talk 20:01, 17 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Wikisource CUG logo

For the Wikisource group this logo was proposed. Would it be acceptable according to the guidelines? Maybe you could put the footing text and add it to the examples? Thanks--Micru (talk) 06:05, 12 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]

It would be an example of a custom logo, and we have a couple dozen examples already. Would it be helpful for folks if we illustrated what the custom logos could look like? To answer your questions, yes, it would be permitted as a custom logo. --Varnent (talk)^(COI) 14:32, 12 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]

I have added it and the LGBT one as examples of custom logos. You are welcome to use it for your group, and if so, I will upload a SVG version of it to Commons. Until your group decides, I have left it just on Meta-Wiki as a variation draft file. --Varnent (talk)^(COI) 17:43, 12 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]

I think that custom logos based on Wikimedia Community logo is a good option when the User Group is "thematic" or "wiki-project" related, like LGBT or Wikisource. When the User Group is for a geographic/political area could be the Community Logo; the same basic WM logo as chapters & thorgs or it with some distinction. But I don't like the Example 8 solution, looks like a poor version of the 'basic' logo. --Dvdgmz (talk) 07:32, 15 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]

I like this proposed logo, and mostly agree with Dvdgmz's comment. I disagree with the WM logo, because then we end up having the same logo for all affiliates, whereas user groups have in reality at least a slightly different scope and structure compared to chapters & thorgs. --Pakeha (talk) 11:35, 15 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Wikimedia Community User Group Pakistan logo

I would like to share with you some of my thoughts as one of the agent of Wikimedia Community User Group Pakistan on the issue. First of all, thanks for bringing up this important issue. I believe all of the proposed options are in the best interests of the Wikimedia movement but I've some concerns on the examples (8-10) which is too retro in my opinion and unorthodox. As for community logo (examples 1-3), in my humble opinion this logo still widely represents the Meta-Wiki project and the global Wikimedia community whereas majority of the UG's are actually country-oriented. On the other hand, I don't think that geographically distributed UG's should have a different visual identity other than that of chapters. After all, both share the same mission and those who are concerned that usage of Wikimedia Foundation logo by UG's may lead to confusion recognising between a chapter and UG's, I think the tag line under logo very well serve the purpose. As for custom logos, I'm fairly neutral on it as long Affcom help preparing the custom logo. So overall, my preference is for the Wikimedia Foundation logo for geo-oriented UG's but I'm willing to undertake whatever the Affcom and Wikimedia's Legal and Community Affairs decides on. --Saqib (talk) 16:10, 12 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, any decision is up to them. Unlike you, I just think that the logos should indicate what chapters and UGs stand for. A tagline wouldn't be necessary then. --Pakeha (talk) 11:44, 15 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]

NEWM

Personally, I like Example 4 for our group, since it makes the most sense and will fit us perfectly in the short time between us being a user group and a chapter. Kevin Rutherford (talk) 17:51, 12 May 2014 (UTC)[reply]