Theme Sets

This is a little look behind the scenes of the visual design process for openSUSE, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop and Server products. In the initial phase, I play around with various ideas for the look. Adjectives help to stay focused on the overall feel. Each specific idea is examined with mock-ups. The final result usually isn't a pure design based on these mockups, but a collage of the best ideas from each.

Below are some ideas that led to the design in the shipping Novell distributions.

NLD10 Air Harmonics

The theme can be best described by these adjectives:

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NLD10 - Bubblegum

Alpha1 shipped with this bubblegum as my previous attempts at a polished, studio-look were considered boring and too greyish :). I added all the things I usually try to avoid without making it bulky – dropshadows and glossy highlights.

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NLD10 Stripy

The theme can be best described by these adjectives:

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SLE11 – Green Wave

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop/Server 11. Less saturated colors for the more conservative distribution.

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