Good Code Smell

How the ArduinoJson logo was made

ArduinoJson, my popular JSON library for embedded systems, finally has its logo!

This article describes how the logo was created.

ArduinoJson logo

Finding a designer

To design this logo, I used Fiverr, which is a website that allows creatives to offer their service for a reasonable amount of money.

In this case, the logo was designed by the user bcendet.

I chose him because:

  1. I liked the logos in his portfolio.
  2. He offered a package of 2 logos for $30.
  3. He offered an unlimited number of revisions.

The creation process

Here is how it happened:

  1. I contacted bcendet, explaining what I wanted.
  2. He accepted the challenge.
  3. I placed the order on fiverr.
  4. He sent the first design.
  5. I asked for revisions until the result was good.

This picture sums up the complete conversation between us:

Conversation with the designer

As you can see, my instructions were to create a logo inspired by the logos of Arduino and JSON. In total, six versions of this logo were made, plus another logo that I discard from the beginning. Each time I asked for a new revision I tried to be very specific; using attached pictures to spot the defects.

In the end, the contract is respected:

  1. The logo looks nice.
  2. It clearly references the Arduino Community logo.
  3. It contains a subtle reference to the JSON logo.

In brief, I’m really satisfied with the result.

What I’ve learned

This was the first time I used a service like Fiverr. Here is what I’ve learned:

  1. Fiverr is a good place to create a design for cheap.
  2. When you buy a package with several logos, it means you can choose between several designs, but you still get only one logo in the end.
  3. Don’t hesitate to ask for a revision of the logo. After all, he decided to offer unlimited revisions.
  4. It took more revisions than I thought because the logo had many imperfections. I assume that the designer didn’t want to spend a lot of time polishing the logo if that’s not what I wanted.
  5. Each revision takes roughly 24 hours, so you need not be in a hurry.

Conclusion

Next time I need a logo for this kind of project, I’ll probably use Fiverr again. However, for a professional project, I’d probably spend more money and use 99designs or Design Crowd where designers compete to win the project.

A great thank to the generous donators who ultimately paid for this logo ­ƒæì. I hope you like the result!

You can now see the logo on the GitHub project page and on the ArduinoJson website.