[Digikam-devel] [Bug 201772] Slogan reflects poorly on the application capabilities

Fri Duh friiduh at gmail.com
Sun Oct 4 21:14:22 BST 2009


https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=201772


Fri Duh <friiduh at gmail.com> changed:

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--- Comment #6 from Fri Duh <friiduh gmail com>  2009-10-04 22:14:11 ---
Seems that there is some kind problem with the "like a professional" part. Like
it is saying "You need to act like a professional" or means that user would not
be a professional but just trying to be such.

First maybe we need to understand what means "professional". It is not matter
of skills but just about payment of job. Professional gets paid from what she
or he does. Amateur does not get paid, but can be as good, or even better than
professional on same job. Question is always only about payment.

The slogan does not say that "You are not good/skilled enough". In contrary, it
says "You are good/skilled enough as anyone else". It gives courage 

The digiKam is designed for everyone. Not just for those who are professionals.
Professionals should have enough knowledge already to understand that they are
not best ones whit greatest skills. But that they have always something new to
learn and develop their skills. 

digikam is marketed for normal users and hobbiers, all kind amateurs. They need
to know, that there is software available to manage their photos like
professionals can. It simple means that they have possibility to use software
what gives them a "hitech software". What gets developed for them by free and
open way.

The open source is not just somekind "tag" what you can add to software. It is
as well the "heart" of the software direction. Too many times there is used
"open source" by bad way just by tagging it to product without giving anykind
information what it's real meaning is. Too many times the "open source" is tied
to security as well. Like it's good side would only be the security (no
malware, no backdoors and stable). The Open Source has just more philosophic
meaning than just marketing and it would be nice to get people to understand,
what power it has.

If we slice the slogan "digiKam - Manage your photographs like a professional
with the power of open source" we can get what it means.

1. digiKam = Softwares name, what gives it's brand a name what people will come
to notice when mentioning "digiKam"

2. "Manage your photographs" = Information of what the applications is for.
Simply, just managing your photographs. There was reasons why not to use
"photos", "images", "pictures" and so on. Those can have much lesser meaning
for memories and whole professionality than the "photograph" itself.  

3. "like a professional" = seems to be MAIN problem here. It really does not
mean "you are just a wannabe who wants to be as good as professional". It just
informs that you can wait from the digikam the tools what you did not even
think you need or is there. It has nothing to do with the "you are not good
enough". It is not negative, but positive side.

4. "With power of Open Source" = ties everything together. The development, the
users, goals and current status. It is like saying "this is a good "way" how to
live our lifes".

And the current slogan can be sliced by three ways for different purposes.

1. digiKam
2. digiKam - Manage your photographs like a professional
3. digiKam - manage your photographs like a professiona, with power of Open
Source

You can use all three in different context like on tee cup, T-shirt, icon,
banner, subject and so on. 

Let me take the new suggested slogans and slice them:

 1 - "An open source tool for professional photographers" (might intimidate
beginners, but then it *is* a high end tool)

Ain't the amateurs good enough to use digiKam but only for pros? So if you do
not pay your bills by photographing, you are not good enough?
The Open Source is for good thing or is it just some kind stamp top of it?
I would dismiss this right away because the targeting only for professionals,
leaving out the biggest user group, amateurs.

2 - "High end photography management - and it's open source!"

 What is "high end"? If digiKam is "high end", what is then example the F-spot,
or Lightroom, a über hitech?. It is not wise to give user expections about the
technology itself, but more like what the other users use. It does not matter
how long the feature list is, if it does not meet the needs what most users
have (=amateurs + professionals. No matter of skills). The "and it's open
source" reminds me like "and it's free too!" commercial ;-) 

3 - "Full featured Photography Management - Open Source"

 This is almost exactly the one early slogans what I had. It did not give Open
Source and digiKam's spirit for the users when I asked from people. And again
it has same problem, what are listed on "full feature" list? Although it says
what the digiKam is for.

4 - "Your Photos - Your Data - Full featured Photography Management - The
Security of Open Source"

 Reminds as well from my early slogans. What were inspired around "Your
memories" type. But drops badly because "photos" word, the technology mumbo
jumbo about "data" (normal users do not want to care about "data"). And the
"security of Open Source" does only push to minds that the open source is only
about security and not the way of development what makes users to enjoy better
results by all ways. (+ too long to be cut from middle, like status quo is)


And in the end, we need to have somekind "twist" on the slogan, because it need
to stay in mind of user. It can not just be "here it is" what is someway
"washed out". It should have multipurpose and meaning. Somekind wisdom inside
it.

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