Virtualizarr Logo

[norlandrhagen]

Wondering if anyone has come up with designs for a Virtualizarr logo. Might be nice for talks etc.

[norlandrhagen]

Very cool @maxrjones! I like the idea of integrating the xarray and zarr logos

[TomNicholas]

Thanks for the mock-ups @maxrjones! I agree it would be nice to have a logo.

My thoughts on this are not complete, but along the lines of:

• Logos should be relatively unique amongst related libraries
• Logos should be both simple and abstract
• There are huge number of array libraries with a logo that's just some kind of cube / array and otherwise not very distinct (see numpy / xarray / cupy / dask / zarr / pydata...)
• The logo above is fun but very array-like, and deliberately reminiscent of both xarray's and zarr's logo
• There are also a lot of logos that just graphically represent the library's name, but VirtualiZarr's name is very close to just Zarr

Alternatively:

• Another way to ideate a unique logo is to make some sort of analogy about what the library does or is for, then design a logo to represent that analogy. For example @dcherian's new logo for Flox, which is a sheep, presumably because GroupBy operations are a little like herding sheep.
  
  (It's also a pun on the package name, which is presumably what he had in mind the whole time)
• It would be fun to try to brainstorm analogies / metaphors / concepts associated with or indicative of what VirtualiZarr does or what problem it solves, then see if any of those could be used as inspiration for a logo.

Some free-association of analogies for virtualization I did a while ago:

• fetching, extraction, drawing out the essence or key information
• manifests, lists, inventories, ships logs
• keys unlocking efficiency
• virtualization, modernizing,
• making one thing look like another, disguising
• indirection, magic, misdirection, sleight of hand
• facade
• redirection, pointers, circumventing, navigation
• ephemeral, ghostly
• concatenation, slotting in, assembling, construction
• freeing, liberating
• pinpointing, locating, addressing
• delegation

These gave me a few ideas for things that can be represented graphically:

• stick pointing to entry in paper list
• netCDF in a trenchcoat
• disguising something as Zarr (Groucho glasses)
• masks
• pulling bunny from a hat
• needle (chunk) in a haystack (bucket)
• phonebook
• something synthwave (like 80's conception of "virtual")

Some of these bring me back to array-like shapes, but at least with some other kind of twist.

I'm not super happy with any of those ideas (of these I like needle in a haystack, and a synthwave laser grid-looking thing the most), but I think it would be fun to try to come up with a unique logo this way.

[TomNicholas]

What about copying this style (vaporwave-ish, like retro "virtual") but VZ on the sides instead?

[norlandrhagen]

Super SSB64 looking

[jbusecke]

What about leaning into the "piratey" part?

I have the vague feeling that there is something unique and maybe funny to create along the lines of a light and fast pirate ship with grappling hooks that resemble the pointers to big heavy legacy files?

Obviously it would have to be abstracted a fair bit...

Just a though.

[kcarini]

@maxrjones flagged this logo request since I am currently exploring some logo design contractors for other software packages. Would this group be interested in having some professional design support? Assuming the cost is reasonable, I can just cover it from my comms budget. If ya'll are happy with the direction you are headed on your own, then no worries! Just wanted to make the offer.

[TomNicholas]

I would be interested - I actually have a fairly specific idea that I would love to just hand off to someone more qualified...

[kcarini]

I would be interested - I actually have a fairly specific idea that I would love to just hand off to someone more qualified...

I'm working with Quincy Morgan on a couple designs. If that works out I could have him take a look at your ideas.