Introduction
As part of Flock to Fedora 2025, @madelinepeck and I hosted a ‘Getting Started with the Fedora Design Team’ workshop.
Why we did it & expected outcomes
Over the last few releases, the Fedora Design Team has seen a decline in contributor activity. We wanted to find a way to attract new contributors to the team and demonstrate our workflow and how they could get involved. Flock to Fedora seemed like a great place to start.
Abstract of the workshop
Design plays a crucial role in the Fedora community, shaping its visual identity and user experience. This hands-on workshop will provide beginners or those interested with the knowledge and tools needed to effectively engage with the Fedora Design Team.
Participants will learn:
- How to get started as a Fedora Design contributor.
- How to navigate and manage design requests.
- What software and tools are used for different design tasks.
By the end of this workshop, attendees will have a clear understanding of how to contribute to Fedora’s design efforts and collaborate with the team.
Workshop Content
The agenda was as follows:
- What is the Fedora Design Team?
- Examples of our work.
- Software and tools we use.
- Let’s work on a ticket!
- How you can get involved.
What is the Fedora Design Team?
The Fedora’s Design Team acts as the project’s in-house design agency. We provide artwork, user experience, usability, and general design services. The team’s contributions include the release wallpapers, logos and icons, UX mockups, and Fedora branding and swag.
Software
The Fedora Design Team uses a wide range of software and tools depending on what needs to be done. The following are the different software used and what task it is best suited for:
- Inkscape: vectors, icons, logos.
- PenPot: mockups, user flows, brainstorming.
- Krita: digital painting.
- GIMP: photo editing.
- Blender: 3D modelling.
- Kdenlive: video editing.
- Pen and paper: ideation and sketches.
Many attendees were familiar with Inkscape, GIMP, and Blender, but the other tools mentioned were less well-known.
Other Tools
Depending on the task, we also need open licensed photos for mind maps or inspiration. Some helpful free image sites include:
Let’s work on a ticket!
For this workshop, we focused on the release wallpaper for Fedora Linux 44. The wallpaper is probably the most visible product the Design team produces and tends to draw a lot of attention - good and bad. It is also a long process that has numerous steps. We are always looking for input and ideas, especially at the beginning stages - so we decided to utilize the workshop as a space to get people exposed to those early steps! First, we have to go through the wallpaper process.
Wallpaper Process
Every Fedora release’s wallpaper is inspired by either an inspirational figure or a word, starting with a specific letter. This letter progresses alphabetically with each release, so we can get a wide variety of themes. Examples include:
- 42 (this current release) was Quest
- 43 (coming soon) is going to be inspired by Sally Ride, American astronaut and physicist.
- 44 (next up) will be the letter ‘S’.
The complete wallpaper process looks like this:
- Creating a list of inspirational figures or themes starting with a specific letter.
- Creating a vote on discussions, so the community can decide.
- Running a brainstorming session.
- Calling for contributors to work on initial ideas.
- Choosing a path to pursue.
- Iterate!
- Beta wallpaper.
- Final wallpaper.
Theme selection for Fedora Linux 44 wallpaper
Since we wanted to run a poll live in the workshop, we thought it would be easier to go with words rather than an inspirational figure. This minimized the need for real-time research by participants and allowed for greater creative flow.
To facilitate this, we prepared a few options and participants were invited to add their ideas, followed by a vote. The chosen themes were:
- Space
- Sustainability
- Science Fiction
We went with three words, so the broader community would still have a choice in deciding the final word. We hope that the mind maps created during the session would help community members decide what direction the design team will go in for the final wallpaper.
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” - Pablo Picasso
Mind map time!
The next step is the brainstorming session! This can seem daunting at first, but it is actually a very accessible step to get involved in. All you really need is a piece of paper and a pen, maybe some colours if you’re feeling fancy. A quick tutorial was given on how to mind map:
- Start with a piece of paper or drawing tablet.
- Begin a brainstorm/spider map with the keyword. In this case, it would be one of the chosen words.
- Write down words you associate with the chosen word.
- Some ideas might seem unclear, but don’t judge or edit anything yet. Try not to think too much about what you are writing, and do not try to ‘pre-edit’ your thoughts.
- Continue until the page is filled with different words/phrases.
- Add quick sketches as you go if helpful.
- The goal is to have a page full of diverse ideas.
Outcomes
From the mind maps created, we can see some popular themes emerging, as well as some interesting concepts. Below you can find the mind maps that were created:
Sustainability
- Wall-E - Links to space and science fiction, with themes of hope in a dystopian future.
- Tech impact on the environment - Links to themes of growth and a ‘Clean world’ garden.
- Ozone layer - Links to collaboration.
- Sustainable spaceships / space cities
Space
- Supernova explosion - A colourful visual.
- An astronaut wearing a Fedora uniform.
Science Fiction
- A crew uniform or astronaut suit with Fedora branding - Represents contributors as a crew.
- Hand-drawn movie posters used for early sci-fi films.
Conclusion
You don’t need to be “artsy” to join the design team. Everyone is creative in their own way. Different perspectives lead to interesting and diverse ideas and concepts - all which can make for an interesting wallpaper!
What’s next?
Following this write-up, there will be a poll posted to Fedora Discussions (that’s here!) to decide on the theme for the F44 wallpaper. Following that, we can begin our planning and iterations for the wallpaper!
If you would like to follow along, keep an eye on the #design-team tag on Fedora Discussions. You’ll find all the polls and calls for participation there.
To join our meeting or conversations, can also join #design:fedoraproject.org on Matrix or check out our Get Involved page on the Fedora Docs website.
Thanks for reading!