[maemo-community] Who and how works on the maemo.org design

[From: Quim Gil]

This is one task of the current sprint that anyway needs urgent
clarification, since yesterday the confusion was clear in the sprint
meeting:

Who and how works on the maemo.org design

What I have proposed and still propose:

- The community works on the planning and specs through maemo.org sprint
tasks as we are doing currently.

- These specs include site structure, basic layout and topics/content of
homepage and secondary pages. That is, the plan needed to proceed on the
implementation of code, graphics and words.

- Work with http://www.openbossa.org/ on a paid basis to get the
graphics needed to implement the plan.

- Nokia funds but is not in the way. OpenBossa labs (coordinated by
Marcelo Oliveira) discuss and work openly with the community. Whoever
commits to the task coordinates from the maemo.org site.

WHY

Why paid: After several community web projects I am certain that it
relatively easy to get some people to volunteer for some mockups, but
delivering a full graphic set going through a community process is
another story. I have seen many attempts failing and I don't want to see
another one in maemo.org.

Why OpenBossa: they know the Maemo platform and community. They deliver
good design: Canola, Carman, websites, video, the maemo.org winning
logo... They know how to work releasing soon and often, implementing
feedback. They are part of INdT and it is easy to deal with them for
budgeting and payments. It's a no brainer to me but if someone comes
with a best alternative all the better.


WHAT NOT

They are not supposed to come with the magical homepage layout we are
looking for, or for the detailed plan we still lack. This is our work as
community. Once we have good and flexible specs they will work on the
design, of course being able to suggest as many ideas as they wish. But
it's the community who retains the control of what will be the final
accepted design.

They are not supposed to code. In principle this is what Nemein does
but, again, nowadays this is more up to you guys than to us Nokia. We
have planned budget for someone to code whatever needs to be coded for
the redesign.

They won't work on textual content. Up to you to decide if you want to
use their skills for illustrations, graphics, videos... Also of course
up to them if they can take such work, since they have other ongoing
activities.

There is not a signed plan. Nor anything close to that. In fact I guess
Marcelo (OpenBossa) and Tero (Nokia) are reading this email with as much
interest as you. It's the first time I put all my toughts about this
together in written word.  :)

And it's a proposal.

PS: Dave was commenting yesterday about repeating the logo contest
setting for (I guess) some kind of web design contest. I strongly
discourage anything like that. If it's about seeing the design skills
and style candidates have it should be enough to look at their portfolio.

-- 
Quim Gil
marketing manager, open source
Maemo Software @ Nokia