Process for Using the Plone Logo in Ways that Do Not Comply with the Guidelines

The process to review how the Plone logo may/may not be used in a manner inconsistent with the Plone Logo Use Guidelines.

Before engaging in this process, review the Plone Logo Use Guidelines and thought about how you might be able to use the logo in a manner consistent with those guidelines.

The Process

The designer will send a copy of the design to the Plone Foundation.  The format can be .gif, .jpg, or PDF and show the proposed logo in the context in which it is porposing to be used.

There will be a group of 3-5 people who who could look at designs and who would get the emails requesting a review. Each design should be looked at by 2 or more reviewers; but there is no requirement for all reviewers to see each design.

If the reviewers have suggestions, they should make them via email in a clear and helpful way, not a simple "NO," but specific reasoning why not, and a path to fixing the design which is a tweak, not a redesign (if possible).

  • The default position will be to allow designs to be used based on a common sense principle.
  • Designs requesting a variance must be submitted a at least three days prior to a date which allows for changes to be made (if necessary) to have the logo used within the guidelines. To be clear - If you have a deadline with a printer for October 10th, and it will take your designer 2 days to revise the logo into compliance if your variance is denied, your deadline for submitting it for review would be October 5th. If a design variance is not approved, "not having time to be in compliance" cannot be a reason not to correct the logo prior to publication.
  • If no response is recieved by the submitter within 3 business days, the design is considered to be approved.
  • A very low bar will be set for approval, with acceptance as the default.

That said, the reviewers have to protect the brand from devaluation - designs can be rejected if they could cause confusion among viewers, if they don't follow the guidelines without a good reason not to, or if the proposed usage would cast Plone or the Plone brand in a negative or controversial light.

The goal of this review committee is specifically NOT to discourage creativity or interesting new ways of portraying the logo, but to serve as a reality check and protect the brand equity and enforcability of our logo trademark.