Downstream Branding
This page documents the current opportunities for downstream distributions to apply their own branding to GNOME 3. It also provides links and recommendations to GNOME design work, in order to allow distributions to brand their products is an way that is consistent and coherent with the GNOME 3 user experience.
This page is intended as a living document which tracks current usage, limitations and areas for further development. As with any documentation, it may not be 100% up to date in all places, and it is advised to
Branding opportunity |
Description |
Guidelines |
Examples / Links |
Supported branding opportunities |
|||
Background |
GNOME allows a wallpaper background to be set |
|
|
Browser bookmarks |
Distributions can add bookmarks to the default set in the browser. |
|
|
Distribution name |
Where UI text refers to the product or operating system, the distribution name should be automatically used by GNOME. |
The distro name is picked up from /etc/os-release. |
|
Details settings panel logo |
The details panel is designed to describe essential information about the system. It is therefore appropriate to replace the GNOME logo with a distribution logo. |
FIXME: what icon size and format? |
|
Downstream applications |
Downstreams can create their own branded applications and can optionally add them to the dash in the shell. |
|
|
First boot progress |
A branded video that plays on first boot is a pattern that's been used in some places; it's particularly appropriate for OEM situations. |
|
|
Tour |
Users are prompted to run gnome-tour when they log into their first session. The graphics on the first page can be customised, such as to add a logo. |
|
|
Initial setup |
The final step in the initial setup assistant has some artwork that a distribution could change. There is also some artwork in the first welcome page, which is shown in some (but not all) cases. |
The current GNOME artwork uses a standard style which is used in other places on the desktop, so while it's possible to change these visual elements it needs to be done with care. |
|
Login screen distro logo |
The login screen allows a distribution logo to be set. |
The logo can be set with the gsettings get org.gnome.login-screen logo gsettings key. Due to the position of the logo on the login screen, an image that does not need to be tall is recommended. Landscape orientation images can work well. |
|
Online accounts API keys |
GNOME provides API keys for online services, which may be overridden by distributions. Overriding an API key results in service providers registering users from the distribution. In some cases the distribution being used will be advertised to other users. |
|
|
Software - OS upgrades |
Software's OS upgrade feature allows artwork to be presented to users, along with a link to online information about the new version. |
Upgrade banners can be defined using a GNOME software plugin. OS upgrade banner artwork is created programmatically by cropping the default distro wallpaper. |
|
Branding opportunities to be avoided |
|||
Boot loader theme |
Menu for choosing which OS to boot into, etc |
It is difficult to style the boot menu so that it looks good, and it is often hidden from users. GNOME design generally recommends keeping the menu minimal and simple. |
The GNOME boot menu designs integrate well into the rest of the boot and login experience. |
Browser home page |
Most browsers default to showing a "speed dial" UI for common websites, which reduces work for the user. Setting a distro-specific home page overrides this. |
Keep the browser default behavior - this will usually be geared to delivering the best browser experience. Speed dial UIs can be prepopulated with some distro defaults. |
|
Hostname |
Visible on the local network, shell prompts, remote logins, and exposed as a setting in Sharing and Details. |
It is recommended to set the hostname to "<user's name>'s Computer", as this establishes the user's relationship with the device. Using a distribution name as the hostname risks feeling like an imposition over something that is personal to the user. |
|
To be determined |
|||
Boot, shutdown and update installation progress screens |
Existing designs are plain and unbranded. However, these are due a refresh. |
|
|
Help |
It would be good to provide a way to integrate downstream help resources into Yelp, even if it's just some prominent links to online resources. Another idea that we've had for some time is to provide positive documentation that helps to sell the product, and which could be modified downstream. |
|
|
UI font |
While some distributions do change the default UI font, it's not entirely clear to what extent this is supported. It could well be the case that some UI layouts are tweaked to fit Cantarell. It would be good to identify any GTK improvements that would help our UI adapt to different fonts and font sizes. |
It would be useful to have design guidelines covering the use of different font weights in UI design, and perhaps a list of features that fonts are required to have to be compatible with GNOME. |
|
UI theme |
Custom UI themes can result in incompatibilities with custom application theming. This area requires research and development. |
|
|
Sound theme |
The only sound effect used by upstream GNOME is the "drip" alert sound. |
|
|
Downstream references