Current icon does have some minor attributes that could use refinement like oversized head to body or hanging shoulders.
In comparison the updated Material icon
And comparison with other platforms:
Most of the above fail in our context for various reasons, besides probably Material icon.
We definitely want to continue following our icon guidelines, but should consider going further than the most simple geometric forms to “humanize” the avatar slightly more while remaining universal.
| Project | Branch | Lines +/- | Subject | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mediawiki/core | master | +484 -1 K | Update OOUI to v0.29.1 | |
| mediawiki/core | master | +451 -1 K | Update OOUI to v0.29.0 | |
| oojs/ui | master | +3 -3 | icons: Refine 'userAvatar' slightly |
| Status | Subtype | Assigned | Task | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | None | T55733 Use the same icons to represent the same things (tracking) | |||
| Resolved | Volker_E | T123810 Update avatar icon | |||
| Resolved | RHo | T205472 Revisit user avatar icon |
hi @Volker_E - here's a few variations tweaking to the avatar icon to be a bit more humanized. My preference is alt3:
@RHo In a side-by-side comparison I'd had a slight preference to 1, but in the application in one of the most prominent places, I agree with you on 3
 |  |
(2nd screen only has help lines for visual orientation, it also shows alternative 3)
Trying to think about some criteria to help the evaluation here, otherwise maybe it's just personal preference for a certain body shape? The main thing that stands out to me (and I agree that currently the head is too large) is that in the ones you posted, @RHo, as compared with our current one and Material design one, the shoulders have a more rounded curve to them. I do prefer the more shallow curve of the other two here:
Hey @alexhollender – agree it is probably a body shape preference but I refrained from replicating the Material contact icon since their head is a bit separated in from torso, and the shouldered felt too square and slightly more masculine. So in the end basically just kept the simple shape of the current avatar with the more proportional smaller head and showed more of the torso.
Trying to think about some criteria to help the evaluation here, otherwise maybe it's just personal preference for a certain body shape? The main thing that stands out to me (and I agree that currently the head is too large) is that in the ones you posted, @RHo, as compared with our current one and Material design one, the shoulders have a more rounded curve to them. I do prefer the more shallow curve of the other two here:
It's funny that you state that, as for me it's more about body posture than anatomy. The “more shallow” shoulders as sign of confidence (which our users should be as part of Wikimedia movement ;) ).
Anyways, I'm much happier with the updated one in alternative 3 as stated above and if no new arguments are brought forward, I'll provide a patch against OOUI.
Change 464043 had a related patch set uploaded (by VolkerE; owner: VolkerE):
[oojs/ui@master] icons: Refine 'userAvatar' slightly
Change 464043 merged by jenkins-bot:
[oojs/ui@master] icons: Refine 'userAvatar' slightly
Change 464370 had a related patch set uploaded (by VolkerE; owner: VolkerE):
[mediawiki/core@master] Update OOUI to v0.29.0
Change 464607 had a related patch set uploaded (by Jforrester; owner: Jforrester):
[mediawiki/core@master] Update OOUI to v0.29.1
Change 464370 abandoned by Jforrester:
Update OOUI to v0.29.0
Reason:
Replaced by Ie847465af6762.
