[Redesign]:Django Debug Toolbar

[VeldaKiara]

Areas for Redesign

a. Logo & Branding

• Evaluate the current logo for modern aesthetics and recognizability.
• Consider a logo that visually conveys speed, insight, and debugging.
• Ensure compatibility with light/dark modes and different sizes (favicon, toolbar icon, etc.).

b. Design Colours

• Define a cohesive colour palette for branding, toolbar UI, website, and documentation.
• Ensure colours support accessibility and WCAG 2.1 contrast standards.
• Include primary, secondary, accent, and neutral colours to maintain consistency across all touchpoints.

c. Website & Documentation

• Improve documentation layout, readability, and searchability.(Keep as much of the existing language)
• Highlight quick start, integrations, and community contributions.
• Use the new colour palette and visual language for a cohesive experience.
• Accessibility: Ensure all content is WCAG-compliant, including colour contrast, font sizes, and semantic HTML.

d. Toolbar Interface

• Review current panels for usability: are key metrics and actions easily accessible?
• Explore improvements to colour, typography, spacing, and visual hierarchy for better readability.
• Consider responsive and adaptive designs for different screen sizes.
• Allow custom theming or light/dark modes that align with the new colour palette.
• Accessibility: Ensure keyboard navigation, screen reader support, and clear visual indicators for interactive elements.

e. Accessibility & Inclusivity

• WCAG 2.1 AA compliance for colour contrast, font readability, and focus states.
• Keyboard navigation for all toolbar panels and controls.
• Screen reader support for metrics, tooltips, and interactive elements.
• Inclusive language and design choices across the website, documentation, and toolbar.

[VeldaKiara]

Hi @tim-schilling @matthiask @elineda

I had shared the above via email and decided to add it as a discussion here so they could be morphed into issues later on.

Based on the previous discussions, we all agreed that the priority would be on the logo redesign.

@tim-schilling since you know how Django commons is doing this, would you share insights with me on how to move forward?

[tim-schilling]

@VeldaKiara I would suggest putting together a short timeline and set priorities on deliverables.

Then you can tag @django-commons/designers and ask for people to review, ask questions and/or volunteer to help. I suspect it's possible we'll have more than one person responding they are interested, so we'll need to find a way to identify who is going to lead the project from a design perspective. It may be worth having a plan in place before messaging people. It could be as simple as asking people to submit their portfolio and a few sentences about how they'd like to approach the project. You could also set up meetings with people to chat with them to see if you'll work well with them.

[VeldaKiara]

Hey @tim-schilling, a penny for your thoughts?

Django Debug Toolbar - Logo & Branding Redesign

We are looking for a designer to lead the redesign of the Django Debug Toolbar logo, which will expand into a full branding refresh.

Scope

Priority 1 (Now):

• Logo redesign (works across light/dark modes, various sizes)
• Color palette system

Phase 2:

• Website/documentation refresh
• Toolbar UI improvements
• Full accessibility audit (WCAG 2.1 AA)

Timeline

• Logo + branding: 2-3 weeks
• Full project: 8-10 weeks total

How to Apply

Fill out this form by December 10th: DJDT

We need:

1. Portfolio (2-4relevant projects, preferably dev tools or open source)
2. Brief approach (2-3 paragraphs on how you'd tackle this)
3. Your availability

We will schedule calls with interested parties

[tim-schilling]

Looks good to me! It might be helpful to indicate that it's an unpaid contribution and that we'll add a credit to them in the documentation.

[VeldaKiara]

Here's an update! I spoke with Robin, who will assist us specifically with branding and logo design. Our deadline is set for 4th February. We will stay in regular contact to ensure he is not blocked. I will share updates as progress is made, but our tentative goal is to have something ready by then. If any decisions are required, we will handle them via email.