Possible new color scheme for Edgy

[ZephyrXero]

As I've heard that Ubuntu may go with a completely different color scheme in the next version (Edgy Eft - 6.10), I've made a proposal for what it could possibly be, and I'd like to know what the users think ;)

There is a mock-up and info available at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Artwork/Incoming/Hybrid

**Do note that I just changed colors in the GIMP, so such a theme does not actually exist yet ;)

[bruce89]

But the main point in having different colour themes for each one is that they all look different, and it's more interesting that way. Mabye this would be a good colour theme for Xubuntu actually. Ubuntu should have something more red if anything (as that's where the colours seem to be going, (brown->orange)

[ZephyrXero]

But the main point in having different colour themes for each one is that they all look different, and it's more interesting that way. Mabye this would be a good colour theme for Xubuntu actually. Ubuntu should have something more red if anything (as that's where the colours seem to be going, (brown->orange)

Well, some people think we should go further than that it seems (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=191011). I personally feel that having all the different desktop environments use a common theme would make the entire Ubuntu family feel more unified, visually. Last time I checked, Fedora uses a very similar theme as it's default no matter whether or not you use Gnome or KDE ;)

And then again, there's always the option of including a unique theme as an option. Dapper included a "legacy" version of the Human theme ;)

[RAV TUX]

As I've heard that Ubuntu may go with a completely different color scheme in the next version (Edgy Eft - 6.10), I've made a proposal for what it could possibly be, and I'd like to know what the users think ;)

There is a mock-up and info available at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Artwork/Incoming/Hybrid

**Do note that I just changed colors in the GIMP, so such a theme does not actually exist yet ;)
No offense meant but your color scheme proposal is Awful! like a sick and muted windows theme.

I like the human theme but would like to see the browns go more towards orange.

Orange is the new Brown.

[ZephyrXero]

No offense meant but your color scheme proposal is Awful! like a sick and muted windows theme.

I suppose I could see that, the default WindowsXP theme is pretty much the opposite though, with a common coloring of beige (muted orange for the most part) and a bright blue accent color... however, I hate beiges, creames and browns myself. When it comes to colors, themes, and art in general it's extremely hard, if not impossible to find something everyone likes, so all we can go with is what the majority prefers ;)

[Lord Illidan]

Not too bad, but not spectacular. No offense, but that colour, blue, or lilac, whatever it is called, doesn't look too good with orange, imho.

Some greens would look good. Not too bright though, or we'll have to go to the optician again.

[RAV TUX]

I suppose I could see that, the default WindowsXP theme is pretty much the opposite though, with a common coloring of beige (muted orange for the most part) and a bright blue accent color... however, I hate beiges, creames and browns myself. When it comes to colors, themes, and art in general it's extremely hard, if not impossible to find something everyone likes, so all we can go with is what the majority prefers ;)
This theme of yours does look good in general and I do appreciate your hard work. I just don't think it is a good option for the default desktop. It would be great added to the dafault library of desktop themes and I hope they do include it for those who want a change.

[Brunellus]

gah--a single gnome-panel, at the bottom? how un-GNOME-like.

Not a bad theme in itself, but reminds me of a Win2k theme.

[lapsey]

i like how this is vvery similar to my current orange-icon blue-window setup

[Rhapsody]

I don't like it. You call it 'blue-ish slate grey', but I just see grey. I actually use Kubuntu, but I'll admit to liking the revised Human scheme (with more orange) too. This just looks dull.

[G Morgan]

Probably a good option as a secondary theme but I really like the orange theme. I used to find the brown depressing but the orange as really grown on me. Best decision I made was going back to human just for a peak.

Related (slightly) is there a page where people have put together their own Ubuntu themes. I know there are GNOME and KDE theme pages but an Ubuntu oriented one might be nice.

[Carrots171]

I think that the theme is awesome. I like the slickness of gray themes, but I don't use them because they lack contrast. The orange highlights in this theme make it perfect. I hope that this theme makes it out of the mockup stage and becomes something I can use. I don't think that it should be the default theme, though, because I like the orange in Dapper.

[WildTangent]

Eww...too bland ](*,)

-Wild

[kassetra]

Hmmm.... well...

I have to say that if Ubuntu moved to a new slate-based theme, I'd have a hard time distinguishing it from Gentoo... or fifty million other IT-based companies all using the same color scheme.

I think Ubuntu should stay with the browns, reds, and oranges for it's main colors, as shown by the logo/human palette. Not everyone may like it as their default, but it's not generic-when-all-else-fails-copy-windows-mac-XYZ-blue-colors either.

As my design professor used to say, "Blue is SOOOOOOO 1990s." :rolleyes:
LOL

[nbound]

I like neither a green colour would look nice in my opinion. its not overbearing like the human colour, and not dull like the hybrid colour

[carl13]

I think it looks nice. I hope that at some point Ubuntu offers a few different options such as your color scheme as well as some others.....orange, blue, green in addition to the default brown.

[RAV TUX]

Hmmm.... well...

I have to say that if Ubuntu moved to a new slate-based theme, I'd have a hard time distinguishing it from Gentoo... or fifty million other IT-based companies all using the same color scheme.

I think Ubuntu should stay with the browns, reds, and oranges for it's main colors, as shown by the logo/human palette. Not everyone may like it as their default, but it's not generic-when-all-else-fails-copy-windows-mac-XYZ-blue-colors either.

As my design professor used to say, "Blue is SOOOOOOO 1990s." :rolleyes:
LOL

Funny you mention Gentoo I am on the Gentoo live CD now and it looks exactely like Gentoo.

[RAV TUX]

I think it looks nice. I hope that at some point Ubuntu offers a few different options such as your color scheme as well as some others.....orange, blue, green in addition to the default brown.

I'm back on Ubuntu now and...

I really don't know what everybody is talking about here, I just looked at the default themes that come with Ubuntu and counted 22 different themes. Most of them in this slate bluish grey color proposed here.

Slate blue is not needed we already have it by default in the theme library.

system>preferences>theme

[mattisking]

I like it alot. I hope you go ahead with it, excepted as "default" or not.

[skull_leader]

The Ubuntu guys look awesome in gray. If gray doesn't go default, there should at least be an optional theme with the gray ubuntu logo.

But I thing the scheme needs more color. It's just too neutral, functional, sharp, and not "human" enough.

[Kouya]

Eh i dunno abt the colour but i like the highlights!

[tsb]

I'd like something with lots of purple and pastels.

[awakatanka]

I like it but i don't like the orange icons.

But as said it does look to much like zillions of other distro's.
I would like it if all (*)ubuntu had the same color scheme. And had a choose of 3 colors scheme ourso.

Goodwork, but i think the colorscheme needs to be unique. ( hate the brown orange but its unique).

ps. Could be a good theme for kubuntu ;)

[m0gsi]

Well i love the theme , The orange and brown is just nice and warm.
The hybrid theme looks well cold and uninviting. Maybe it's just me.
I think Going towards orange is a better idea. The breezy them was just too brown.

http://m0gsi.awardspace.com/linux.html
If you look at the screenshot on there you can see how much i like the orange :P. Also i think the gnome panels on the top and bottom , make the os more user friendly.

[jc87]

I personally hated the hybrid look:???:

Ubuntu artwork pre-dapper was ugly , post dapper is nice , i personally think that Ubuntu should keep and improve the current look.

[bruce89]

I'll say what I said in the other thread about this.

If people don't like the default, just change it. This is another example of the "I don't like the default, so change the default." The default has to be something that the majority of people like, not what you want. It's the same with applications, I use Epiphany, but I realise other people hate it, so that is why it isn't the default (yet!).

[lizardking]

hybrid si original! well done!

[v8YKxgHe]

hybrid si original! well done!
Original, but that doesn't mean it's nice. Imho I would change that theme straight away because it looks sort of girly with the purple/lilac =\

[OrganicPanda]

Well i love the theme , The orange and brown is just nice and warm.
The hybrid theme looks well cold and uninviting. Maybe it's just me.
I think Going towards orange is a better idea. The breezy them was just too brown.

http://m0gsi.awardspace.com/linux.html
If you look at the screenshot on there you can see how much i like the orange :P. Also i think the gnome panels on the top and bottom , make the os more user friendly.

i agree completely, as soon as i saw that screen i was thinking, cold, hard and steril ... i love the human theme, it is as the name suggests very human and ties in well with the ubuntu philosophy, if they change it to any other colour then there better be a guide on howto change it back from day 1 lol, i would like to see a nice browny-green theme because in my head it seems like it could work but i dobt it would on-screen.... anyway viva la human

p.s your desktop is very nice but dont transparent panels look funny when running a maximised program?

[curuxz]

yuck

[Vidar]

As a graphic designer, this proposed theme makes both my head and eyes hurt...

Imo, What canoical should do is to bring in a professional advertising agency, or atleast an artist with several degrees in communication and design, so that the desktop/theme is as thought out as the ubuntu logo (which is great). We need some more thought behind important visuals like these, since it's what's gonna separate us from other distros and give us a unique identity.

[v8YKxgHe]

As a graphic designer, this proposed theme makes both my head and eyes hurt...

Imo, What canoical should do is to bring in a professional advertising agency, or atleast an artist with several degrees in communication and design, so that the desktop/theme is as thought out as the ubuntu logo (which is great). We need some more thought behind important visuals like these, since it's what's gonna separate us from other distros and give us a unique identity.

Agreed! That would be the best thing for Ubuntu to do.

[curuxz]

As a graphic designer, this proposed theme makes both my head and eyes hurt...

As I graphic designer my self I 100% agree. hence my comment yuck. I mean Im up for a debate on an alternative but blue, orange, yellow together i mean Com'on its just bad.

Im not knocking peoples hard work but you cant seriously put something like this forward to a group when it will have limmited appeal at best...

[OrganicPanda]

i dont know if hiring flashy graphic artists is what we need and degree's dont mean style, sure this idea isnt great but we have excellent designers within the community, im sure we can pull something tohgether that not only is in-keeping with the original style (which most agree is the way to go) but is also a bit different and edgy to suit this new and edgy distro

[Mathias-K]

I don't really it. I think the way to go for Ubuntu is orange and Kubuntu blue.

[GuitarHero]

It's not inviting enough and doesn't mesh with itself. I think the design should be decided by a contest held on these forums. There are a ton of talented artists on here, im sure we could come up with something.

[Mathias-K]

That would be interesting. Look what it did to the look of FreeBSD :)

[zenwhen]

I pretty much hate it.

[catinsnow]

very like the color scheme! it's too comfortable than current brown or orange.

[bsantos]

Hmmmm... What about picking up the various themes used on each version and add them to a theme selection on install?

[Vidar]

i dont know if hiring flashy graphic artists is what we need and degree's dont mean style, sure this idea isnt great but we have excellent designers within the community, im sure we can pull something tohgether that not only is in-keeping with the original style (which most agree is the way to go) but is also a bit different and edgy to suit this new and edgy distro


Perhaps, but since these great designers mostly are one-man teams they will have a hard time to come up with a consistent look for ubuntu. Especially since the teams working on ubuntu-desktop/kubuntu-desktop and xubuntu-desktop teams dont seem to open to bring in their ideas.

But maybe youre right and it isnt nessecary to make this an organized effort, and instead hold our breaths for a few excellent designers within the community to step up.

[OrganicPanda]

who says it has to be un-organised, all that is needed is common area for the designers to share ideas and show off their work for community feedback and without a doubt some good work will be done, i mean i'm pretty bad at shiny rounded dsktop graphics but even i feel like having a go, i think many community people would... just my 2 cents, i guess the big C could just hire a whole bunch of people who have never used ubuntu and whos company use small fluffy bunnies to make martini holders for the upper-crust to get the job done and it would probably be very good but i know i wouldn't support it.

[benplaut]

i don't really like it, but one point to be made:

Muted colors mix very well. It's possible to have a theme that mixes blues, greens, even reds, as long as they are muted enough.

Personally, i'd like a nice, muted forest green theme ;)

[Virogenesis]

to have four seasons of the year would be quite smart.....
Not only will you be able to please quite a few BUT you'll have a purpose aswell.
You'll be able to cover white for winter, a nice muted buttercup yellow for summer with possible some shades of blue or that could be used for spring, you could also cover red and green.

[Virogenesis]

Have a look at http://www.sxc.hu do a search on: summer, spring, autumn & winter

[yaztromo]

I think it looks a little too feminine for my tastes.

[fluffington]

I don't much care for Hybrid (I happen to like Dapper's orange), but I'm all for having a unified theme across all desktops.

[ZephyrXero]

Original, but that doesn't mean it's nice. Imho I would change that theme straight away because it looks sort of girly with the purple/lilac =\


I think it looks a little too feminine for my tastes.

Ok, I'm still trying to figure this out here.... the theme is a blue-grey and orange, how is that feminine and where is this purple/lilac stuff coming from? I know I'm red-green color blind and all, but I couldn't have been that far off :/

[ZephyrXero]

Okay....I think my original mock-up is doing my idea injustice, so I've taken it down from the wiki page till a better representation can be created.

I've never made a Metacity nor GTK theme, so any tips? Is there a GUI tool for creating one out there? I've looked but haven't found one :/ ...also, what is this "widget factory" I'm always seeing in theme screenshots?? Thanks for all you comments, complaints and support :D

[curuxz]

Okay....I think my original mock-up is doing my idea injustice, so I've taken it down from the wiki page till a better representation can be created.

I've never made a Metacity nor GTK theme, so any tips? Is there a GUI tool for creating one out there? I've looked but haven't found one :/ ...also, what is this "widget factory" I'm always seeing in theme screenshots?? Thanks for all you comments, complaints and support :D

Doing it an injustice?!

Dude no offence but you used yellow,blue and orange together. There aint any good way of that idea being displayed.....

[Virogenesis]

Okay....I think my original mock-up is doing my idea injustice, so I've taken it down from the wiki page till a better representation can be created.

I've never made a Metacity nor GTK theme, so any tips? Is there a GUI tool for creating one out there? I've looked but haven't found one :/ ...also, what is this "widget factory" I'm always seeing in theme screenshots?? Thanks for all you comments, complaints and support :D
bvc is the guy to ask about themes...etc... personally I think Canonical should pay bvc I know he would do an outstanding job all his themes are of the highest quality.

[ZephyrXero]

Doing it an injustice?!

Dude no offence but you used yellow,blue and orange together. There aint any good way of that idea being displayed.....

Last time I checked, blue and orange are complementary colors, and it's one of the first things they teach you in any art school, so I fail to see your point...

[benplaut]

The Widget Factory is a theme preview program, it shows most (all?) of the gtk widgets.

http://www.stellingwerff.com/?page_id=10

[curuxz]

Last time I checked, blue and orange are complementary colors, and it's one of the first things they teach you in any art school, so I fail to see your point...

Complementary PAINT colours, have you never herd the HID rule about using the rules of light colour not paint colour.

And as a designer my self I think there is far more to colour schemea than weather or not they complement. Tho I can see why you would repute my point your defending your design, but im saying your design is far to taste dependant and therefor not at all good for a mainstream theme like the default. If you would like me to 'do better' I would be happy to put my money where my mouth is. :)

[ZephyrXero]

...for a mainstream theme like the default. If you would like me to 'do better' I would be happy to put my money where my mouth is. :)

Please by all means! Just remember, even though people on this thread appear to still love the oranges, browns and beiges it's already been stated that Mark and the guys think it's time to move in a new direction... I've merely posted what I think would be a good direction to go, so if you've got a better idea please submit a proposal. I'm more interested in the greater good of the community than my own personal whatever :D

Also, I was not aware there was a seperate color wheel for light based colors rather than pigment based ones...if you could please provide a link, I'd be very interested to learn more ;)

[nrwilk]

I like it a lot. I like the idea of unifying them, and the color scheme itself.

[%hMa@?b<C]

i prefer the Human, but would like more of an orange tint. I HATE the idea of a single gnome panel to start off with. I would change it back, but it wouold just look aweful on the screenies, especially with the bottom panel, at least, put the panel on the top.

[curuxz]

Also, I was not aware there was a seperate color wheel for light based colors rather than pigment based ones...if you could please provide a link, I'd be very interested to learn more ;)

http://www.omsi.edu/visit/tech/colormix.cfm

Here you can play with light colours (primary being RED, GREEN and BLUE) and paint colours (primary being RED, BLUE and YELLOW)

This should explain why you often see red, green and blue themes but almost never yellow themes. HID always works on the light scale as does the colour refrence codes in HTML ie #FF 42 24 is a refrence to the 3 channels of light.

[graigsmith]

i already use a gray theme. check neutralorange on gnomelook.

i change the default so that i only have one bar. having 2 bars is confusing. and they are in opposite places which makes mouse usage heavier. 2 bars was never an optimal configuration.

[ZephyrXero]

i already use a gray theme. check neutralorange on gnomelook.

i change the default so that i only have one bar. having 2 bars is confusing. and they are in opposite places which makes mouse usage heavier. 2 bars was never an optimal configuration.

That's fine, I never meant to suggest my idea was horribly original, but the point of the whole discussion is for what the default theme is, as there can always be numerous optional themes. If my idea was for just a stand alone theme, then it would be pretty worthless. I too already use a theme similar to my proposal. I use Human for my window borders and icons and then "Water Vapor" (http://art.gnome.org/themes/gtk2/112) for my GTK theme ;)

[ZephyrXero]

http://www.omsi.edu/visit/tech/colormix.cfm

Here you can play with light colours (primary being RED, GREEN and BLUE) and paint colours (primary being RED, BLUE and YELLOW)

This should explain why you often see red, green and blue themes but almost never yellow themes. HID always works on the light scale as does the colour refrence codes in HTML ie #FF 42 24 is a refrence to the 3 channels of light.

That just demonstrates how light colors mix together as opposed to pigments, it doesn't discuss at all that colors won't work well together the same way... Light based colors and pigment based colors create different colors differently, but the human eye is going to pick up the result in the same exact way. I still don't understand how you can say that two colors that work together in ink or paint won't work together on a monitor.

Interestingly enough, I've been doing some color expirements mixing my proposed colors together with different tones and values, and I've actually found the more blue I make my greys they better they look against the oranges ;) ...although I do have to admit most monitors still do a crappy job of representing them properly. Orange seems particularly hard to get to look right on a screen. I really wish we'd finally go beyond 24bit color (http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1975596,00.asp?kc=ETRSS02129TX1K0000532), it's still not nearly enough :/