Competition: Create our forum's next favicon

[Manwe]

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🥳 As part of the new year, we have decided to have a competition to refresh our site's favicon 🥳​

What is a favicon even? 🤔 ​

A favicon is a tiny icon you can see in the browser tab before the site name, as well as shown in search results:

It is also visible on the home screen if you favorite the site on your phone/tablet...

Why make a new one? 🤔 ​

The current one has a few problems:

• Is quite blurry in the small size (also actually the larger size doesn't have the best quality...)
• Has small details that aren't visible when shrunk down
• Has quite bad contrast against a white/grey background (see above example pictures)
• Could be a bit more colorful and "attention-grabbing" in the search results

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🏆 The competition​

🗓️ Timeline:​

• The submission deadline is 14.1.2023
  • After this, the mods will select the icons that have strong enough contrast, and look "sharp enough" when shrunk down
    • We also reserve the right to not include submissions that don't fit our site's theme or are offensive, etc...
• From the selection of submissions, we will do a 1-week poll to vote for the best submission
  • The winning submission becomes the new favicon for TTF

✔️ Submission requirements:​

• The submitted image should be a minimum 512x512 px resolution and must be square
  • If you know how, please also attach an image of the "preview" from https://realfavicongenerator.net/ (see my submission example below)
• The submission should not have too many small details, as it should still look good when shrunk down to 16x16 size (you can test this at: https://realfavicongenerator.net/)
• It can be partly transparent
• The color contrasts should be strong enough that it doesn't go too blurry/unclear when shrunk down to a smaller size
• If you use some material/clipart from somewhere, make sure you're allowed to use it in your work
• By submitting an image/icon you agree that your icon can be used as TTF's new icon, should it win the vote

🙋 How to make a submission?​

• Post a reply to the thread and include:
  • The full-sized source icon
  • An image/screenshot of the "preview" from https://realfavicongenerator.net/ (If you don't know how to do that, ping a mod and we will add it for you)
  • (optional) A motivation/text about the icon and how it relates to TTF, if not clear

🤔 Q/A:​

• Q: Can I submit multiple submissions?
  • A: Yes, there is no limit on the amount of submissions you create, as long as the quality doesn't suffer

Have a happy new year everyone, and may the best submission win!

 

[Manwe]

To get this started, I'm throwing my hat in the ring (pun intended) with a submission:

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Motivation
The image of a ring holds profound significance in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien, making it a fitting and symbolic icon for our forum.

Preview:

 

[Server Room Gremlin]

Preview:

The 'T' is for 'Tolkien', and the four coloured circles represent the Three Elven Rings and the One Ring.

 

[Manwe]

View attachment 28585

Preview:
View attachment 28589

The 'T' is for 'Tolkien', and the four coloured circles represent the Three Elven Rings and the One Ring.

Thanks for the contribution ❤️

I think it currently falls under the threshold for being clear enough when shrunk down, but that can be solved with slightly stronger color differences and thicker circles & T...

I took your contribution and played with it for ~5min to increase the color contrast and line thickness, and it already became much clearer in the small version:

Maybe the outer ring could also be a bit thicker? 🤔

Would you mind playing with it a bit longer to get stronger/more visible elements in the small version?
If not, I can also help with it once I find a bit more time

 

[Server Room Gremlin]

Thanks for the contribution ❤️

I think it currently falls under the threshold for being clear enough when shrunk down, but that can be solved with slightly stronger color differences and thicker circles & T...

I took your contribution and played with it for ~5min to increase the color contrast and line thickness, and it already became much clearer in the small version:
View attachment 28590
Maybe the outer ring could also be a bit thicker? 🤔

Would you mind playing with it a bit longer to get stronger/more visible elements in the small version?
If not, I can also help with it once I find a bit more time

Edited the original post. Seems a bit clearer now.

 

[Ent]

Here's a thought: pretty common Tolkien image. Not exactly square though, don't know if it would work. A square variation on it also provided.

VARIATION

 

[Tyelkormo the Fair]

@Server Room Gremlin I wonder what would it be like if the background was black or maybe a bit darker, with the red and blue circles a bit brighter.🤔

 

[Server Room Gremlin]

@Server Room Gremlin I wonder what would it be like if the background was black or maybe a bit darker, with the red and blue circles a bit brighter.🤔

Might make another one with a black background. It can be difficult to make red and blue brighter. Since 'lighter' makes the colours paler, and 'more saturated' makes them darker (and they may not stand out from the background as much).

 

[Server Room Gremlin]

Made a second one. A black background allows the red and blue colours to be slightly more saturated.

Preview:

 

[Ent]

Made a second one. A black background allows the red and blue colours to be slightly more saturated.

Better, and more what I think Mazzly's striking for in a 'click-through' recognition thing.

 

[Ent]

2nd offering:

MaZZly edit (added preview)

 

[Manwe]

Made a second one. A black background allows the red and blue colours to be slightly more saturated.

View attachment 28600

Preview:
View attachment 28602

Nice!

How would it look if the "blue ring" and the T are moved down a little bit, so that the space between the large ring and the blue one is the same distance as between the red/white ring and the large ring? 🤔

 

[Ent]

Third and final thought:
An issue with this one is while "TTF" is very meaningful to us, it's not so meaningful to 'browsers' so it's 'click-thrugh' value may be limited.

Anway, I'm done.

MaZZly edit (added preview):

 

[Áramandë Amaniel]

Made a second one. A black background allows the red and blue colours to be slightly more saturated.

View attachment 28600

Assuming that one were to ignore the great yellow circle, the three smaller circles remind me of the Silmarils as well.

 

[Manwe]

Here's a thought: pretty common Tolkien image. Not exactly square though, don't know if it would work. A square variation on it also provided.

View attachment 28598 VARIATION View attachment 28599

That one has way too many details, but it is a good idea/inspiration

I tried to have a crack at it and create something simple, still not happy with it, so if someone wants to take a run at it and try to get it clearer you are more than welcome

Edit: Tried doing a lazy screengrab of "the eye of sauron", but then I would rather prefer a simple ring icon

 

[Manwe]

An issue with this one is while "TTF" is very meaningful to us, it's not so meaningful to 'browsers' so it's 'click-thrugh' value may be limited.

To clarify here, and this is mostly my wild guessing:

A person searching on e.g. Google for something related to LoTR/Hobbit/Tolkien, would probably be familiar with "the ring", so a search result with an icon of the ring would probably make them a bit more likely to click that result, rather than a result where the icon is unclear/unfamiliar or random letters

And the more clicks we get, the higher up in search engines we go, and the more our community grows

But also, any "attention-grabbing" favicon will be better than what we currently have

 

[Ent]

Variations... final from Ent.

 

[Fingon_Findekáno]

Maybe it’s just me being too serious, but do we really want the Eye of Sauron to be a symbol for our friendly little community?

 

[Áramandë Amaniel]

Maybe it’s just me being too serious, but do we really want the Eye of Sauron to be a symbol for our friendly little community?

Even as a fallen Valie, I would not say so!

 

[Glorfindel Goldtress]

Eye of Sauron to be a symbol for our friendly little community

Jokes aside, I am fond of SRG's creation the most. The others are intriguing, but the second one SRG sent is most eye-catching, I think.