Zugg Software :: View topic

Posted: Wed Dec 07, 2005 9:31 pm

Are you good with graphics? Do you have a clever idea for a logo for the new CMUD program? If so, this is for you!

We are sponsoring a graphics design contest for CMUD. We are looking for ideas for the CMUD logo, CMUD splash screen, and any other CMUD-related graphics. While we already have some things designed, we are looking for cooler ideas.

If we use your graphics in our design, you will win free Zuggsoft products for life. That means all upgrades and new products...CMUD, eMobius email, whatever. That's worth a lot. What we'd ask for in return is all rights to use your graphics in our software. And of course we'd still give you the credit for your work.

If you have artwork that you'd like to submit, email it to sales@zuggsoft.com and include "CMUD Logo Contest" in the subject.

In terms of specific formats: for the CMUD program icon, it should be 32x32 pixels with 256 colors. It can be either GIF, BMP, or PNG formats. For the program icon, we also need a 32x32x16 color version, along with the smaller 16x16x256 and 16x16x16 versions. For newer versions of windows, larger formats such as 48x48 are also useful. The PNG format is the ideal format since it can be easily resized.

For the CMUD Splash graphics, or CMUD banner art, any size is fine. We might even take multiple pieces of art and put them together (multiple winners of the contest). Or, if nobody sends us anything better than what we already have, then there might be no winners.

If multiple people send us the same idea ( or close enough to the same thing to be considered the same concept ) then we will only award the first that we receive as a winner.

And, of course, we will announce all of the winners on this forum and show the original work that they submit (with their permission).

So, get out your Photoshop programs and go to work! You have a couple of months to play with it until we need it before the first beta release. Good luck to everyone!

Wizard Joined: 03 Mar 2001 Posts: 1127 Location: London

No? Fine :(

Apprentice Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 121

I was wondering, is there a limit to the number of responses anyone may make in regards to this offer?

Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2005 6:21 pm

Nope, no limit. Although don't just spam me with silly stuff or I'll just get annoyed Razz

Also, if you are serious, keep the 32x32x256 pixel format in mind. It's actually quite difficult to design something that really looks good when it's that small (ever worse at the 16x16 size).

Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 9:02 pm

Oh, I need to mention one more important constraint for this contest:

Any graphics that you submit must be your own original work. You can't "borrow" copyrighted images from elsewhere on the Internet and then use them. You can use purchased "stock" images if you also send me the information on the image so that I can purchase it myself if I decide to use it.

Just remember that Zugg Software is a for-profit company and CMUD is a commercial project. Many MUDs "borrow" copyrighted graphics, and even though this is still illegal, it's often overlooked because most MUDs are free. But since CMUD is commercial, I have to be a *lot* more careful about where I get the graphics that I use.

Apprentice Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 121

well as far as my designing goes, i don't generally work on tiny anything, i leave the icons to others, but when i'm working on a splash logo for it, i'll keep in mind not to "borrow" anything that could get you in trouble, because as i said it before i <3 zugg and all he and his wife are doing for our text based gaming needs :D

Newbie Joined: 17 Jun 2005 Posts: 7

Do the different size/color resolutions of the program icon have to be the same design, style, etc? I have a few different ideas for the 32x32x256, but some of them won't fit/won't look good in the other formats, especially the 16x16 ones.

Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 6:47 pm

They can be slightly different. For example, look at the icons for zMUD. The 32x32 icon has the full zMUD title, but the 16x16 icon just has the blue Z. But they both have the same color scheme, so they work well together.

Newbie Joined: 17 Jun 2005 Posts: 7

Two more questions.
1. When's the deadline for the contest?
2. Is it ok if the 16 color versions are done like the different sized versions, that is, same general idea and colors but different specific design? The lack of niceties such as orange make it a bit of a pain :)

Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2005 5:32 pm

1) The deadline is the first beta release of CMUD, which doesn't have a specific date yet.

2) Yes, the colors of the 16-color version can definitely be different since the 16-color version is usually limited to the "standard" Windows colors. And honestly, I'm not even sure the 16-color versions are really needed anymore since CMUD is targetted at WinXP and future systems and I can't imagine *anyone* using WinXP in 16-color mode anymore.

More important than the color limit is the 16x16 pixel size. Honestly, when I'm doing icon design, I design the 256-color versions and then just tell PaintShop to change it to 16 colors and just let it make the ugly color selections.

Newbie Joined: 28 Dec 2005 Posts: 3

Simplicity is the best ;)

Banner, logo, or whatever you want :)