Accordance branding

[Kit]

Hi there,

I am a long term user and really appreciated what Accordance have been offering so far; i also see the great improvement and performance of the desktop app and mobile app.

However, i am wondering why the aesthetic of the Accordance branding and graphics seems to still stay behind. The typography (font, leading, kerning, spacing), graphic consistence, use of colour, the new logo and how to arrange content, UI and UX and much more looks amateur. Knowing that Accordance is a family business, but i do think and hope they will do a better job in the future.

Chris

[EricC]

Hi, Chris,

Actually none of those things ever occurred to me, and I'm happy with the graphics and design and aesthetics as they are.

 

But probably I am a minority in the general population.

[Kit]

Hi ETC,

Thank you for your comment. And glad that you are happy with the current aesthetics.

Since my background is a professional graphic artist, web design and web developer from a big corporation, I would spot something that is not on a par in this area.

Just hope that Accordance is thriving in every single area.

My 2 cents,

Chris

[Solly]

I always liked the 3D-style icons with reflective light effects and shadows of the late 1990's early 2000's era. I find the current styles rather uninteresting.

 

I will agree that any icon is better than ASCII only interfaces.

 

—Joseph

[A.D. Riddle]

While I can appreciate the concern, for my part, it does not matter at all if the appearance is dated. That is not why I use Accordance, nor does it affect my ability I use it.

 

A.D.

[Daniel L]

I agree with Kit. Please don't underestimate the value of aesthetics, which permeates the entire Accordance experience. There's much to consider: gradients, shadows, quality fonts, spacing issues, satisfactory size for clickable elements, visual responses to clicks/drags/hovering, enjoyable colors, impressive widgets, and consistency of these things.

 

Visuals affect usability as well. I was very disappointed that the lackluster icons for tools and folders in v. 12 were remade to be even worse in v. 13. They look like 1984 Macintosh icons -- extremely minimalistic, monochrome, crude sketches. Why?? The alpha for Greek Texts and aleph for Hebrew Texts are unreadable. Whatever is on the Dictionaries book is illegible. Is that supposed to be a shin in Semitic Studies? It looks like half a heart. And there are other issues. I could go on... They should all be totally rethought and remade. Increasing the size would be beneficial.

 

Also, the thumbnail images of resources are too small to be of much use. Since v. 13, the title for one of them is badly garbled text on the icon. The problem occurs on one computer but not another, so I think it's a resolution issue. I think this problem could be avoided if you converted those PNG images to SVG. This can be tricky, but see here: https://elearning.adobe.com/2020/02/convert-your-png-to-svg-images/

[William Cross]

I agree with Kit's assessment. Having majored in Graphic Design and worked in the field for years with an emphasis on typography and logo design, I think Accordance could do better and that efforts in this area would serve them well. These issues matter because they represent the face of the company and can display either great care or carelessness. Using Accordance for over 20 years, I know they care a great deal.

 

The new logomark simplification and loud color choice/fade are an example of where there is plenty of room for improvement. The relationship of elements within the logomark give the appearance of an idea that was not thought through and executed well. The narrow spaces between the flame and lamp as well as the extremely small parts of the lamp that were kept in the background, create an image that does not reduce in size well or present a clean appearance. 

 

The typeface and letter spacing used, paired with the logomark, seems to be a step back from previous editions of the logo and looks a bit awkward. I think these elements could be greatly improved.

My 3 cents,

Bill

[SWallace]

I completely agree with Kit et.al that have shared some concern over the rebranding shown here. At first glance, I actually thought it was Accordance reverting to an "old" logo from years past to celebrate their 25 year anniversary. That's how outdated it appeared to me. When I realized that it wasn't a throwback, I must be honest, there was a bit of a cringe when seeing it. My support of Accordance continues, regardless of any logo changes, but I would have to believe that we could reconsider these changes and look for alternatives. Thanks for listening!

[John Robinson]

I see this is where I should have posted my branding concerns. I agree, Accordance is great in almost every respect but some of the branding efforts have been suboptimal. This 13.3 version is truly head scratching. 

[Erhard]

Some thoughts on the subject here. I suspect that Accordance has limited human and financial resources and they are likely focused on the more functional aspects right now. I wonder if some of you that have expertise in this area could come up with some logos and other visual items that Accordance could use if they are interested?

[Daniel L]

On 9/22/2021 at 9:11 AM, Erhard said:

I suspect that Accordance has limited human and financial resources

 

I've suspected this for a long time. It's hurting them in every area and has led to lots of frustration on these forums. They ought to make the software open source. The license could be one more restrictive than the GPL.

Edited September 23, 2021 by Daniel L