UPDATE: 12 Jan. 2014 – I’m so excited to announce the launch or FreeBlogImage.com where we are giving the blogging community the Brand New Universal Blogging Image.
This is a call out to all bloggers for your help in finding an international blogging image or graphic that anyone can use to represent blogs and blogging – a blogging symbol. We have the standard image for many things like the RSS feeds and it would be nice to have a royalty free image that anyone can use for blogging. The image could be used to build on for any post, avatar, or icon.
Help Create A Universal Symbol For Blogging That Anyone Can Use
What To Consider
- I think we need something very simple that anyone can build on or even use as icons & avatars.
- The image should not come anywhere close to infringing on anyone’s copyright.
- Since blogging is about people and interaction, it seems like a generic image should encompass that basic ideology.
- The design should be universal enough to cover the entire range of blogging, not just “blogging blogs”.
What Is Being Used Now?
As far as I know, there isn’t an official blog image or symbol to represent a blog or blogger. A lot of people use faceless doughboy or game piece images but they are not just for blogging and most of them are copyrighted and sold on various stock image websites. In fact, many bloggers use them not realizing they may be setting themselves up to legal action later on.
How Can YOU Help?
We need ideas; something that bloggers can agree on and appreciate. Leave your ideas below and feel free to link to an image of YOUR creation if you have one to share. Please do not link to or use someone else’s graphic. Keep in mind; we want a royalty and copyright free image in public domain so any ideas will need to be freely given without retaining rights or compensation. This should be a community effort that helps the entire blogging community.
Share, Share, Share… This is an idea that will require a ton of blogger participation so please share this post in every way you can; without spamming, of course. Help create a universal image that represents the blogging community. Need sharing ideas? A call to action? Share on the social networks and go through the social share buttons. Blog about it. Feature the idea in a post, video or podcast. Need an Empire Avenue mission idea? Well, here ya go. 🙂
What Happens After We Have An Image?
Once we have a nice idea and/or image to go with, I will hire a graphic designer to create several images for anyone to use for blogs and blogging. We’ll make the images/graphics in popular formats freely available for download. If the idea catches on, we will have a standard image and symbol that represents blogging. I will ask popular blogs and websites to use and share the graphic so it will become globally recognized for the blogging community.
It’s Your Turn
Now we need your help. Post your ideas in the comments below and please share this with other bloggers.
About Brian D. Hawkins
It’s a nice effort to get a symbol for blogging. Hope you find success.
Here are some ideas that I have:
It should involve a pen, since writing is important part of blogging. Then, we need people, since community is important. Maybe two or more people holding a pen!
What do you think?
Thanks for that Ishan, it’s a start. I’m thinking once we have a handful of common themes or ideas we might be able to put it to a vote or something.
Yes building on the last suggestion why not a cartoon drawing of a keyboard, after all we spend our lives sitting in front of one. There are lots of images there if you Google it.
Cheers John
Yes we do John, not a bad idea. 🙂 Thanks for that.
Hey Brian,
Your plan of having an international image for blogging is some what very interesting. It’s more like your making a unified blogging community where in international bloggers can freely post anything within the community. The concept is good but the problem lies on how to decide what image to choose. The question for me right now is who decides what because making a big project like this wherein a lot of bloggers will probably be attending would mean that a lot of people will have an opinion about what things should be considered.
I don’t know that it’s really a “decision” to be made Farrell, the blogging community can decide by using the image and sharing it. As far as developing an image to use, I hoping to use feedback from other bloggers.
What a brilliant idea, Brian. I love the idea of an easily identifiable international blogging symbol would help so many people. I’m not a creative designer but I bet someone will rise to the challenge.
Best of luck with your endeavor, Brian!
Thank you Carolyn, I appreciate your support. 🙂
I am using images from Google search and I took so many pics to attach with my blog post for 2 year. Am i doing any illegal thing? If yes, then can you tell me how to find those copy righted images in Google Search and do you know any pic-shop, where can i find image in free without crossing any illegal limits?
Guarav — You can get up to 5 free images a day from http://www.qualitystockphotos.com/. There are similar sites out there that give you the rights to the photos you use. You really don’t want to just pull images from Google search as you are very likely to be violating someone’s copyright.
Lynn is right Gaurav, just using an image from a search can get you into a ton of trouble, even if you credit the source. I try to use my own images but I know that’s not easy for everyone. There a a lot of quality stock photo sites but I have a tough time trusting any of them; especially when I see the same images on different sites.
Coming up with something as clean and simple as the examples you showed is tough. Blogger already took the type treatment of a “b”.
A few ideas…
** megaphone, possibly coming towards viewer out of a stylized computer screen
** a pic or graphic of the letter “b” key from a keyboard
** maybe a graphic that starts with one pen or “b” key and repeats the same image to create the amplification effect. (visualize a triangle on an angle)
** a “b” made out of pencils
I keep trying to think of something building on a soapbox or the Speaker’s Corner in London, but can’t think how to simplify it enough to turn it into an icon.
Nice ideas Lynn, I appreciate the thought you put into it. When I first thought of the idea, it seemed like a simple matter but it’s turning out to be a challenge.
gosh, thats a great idea but i dont have a clue except somethig that relates digital, the web and writing, pen paper, keyboard all rolled into one
cant wait to see the results!
It’s weird I found this page because I was actually looking for a logo to represent blogging today for a browse page I am creating. I came up with a pen and a pad because I could best attribute blogging to writing even though it is so much more than that.
It will have to be a logo that helps to encompass all the things that make up a great blogger!
Thanks for the article and hopefully someone comes up with something.
That’s pretty cool Corey. And I couldn’t have put it better myself, “It will have to be a logo that helps to encompass all the things that make up a great blogger”.
So you are talking about some kind of universal logo of blogging. Or something basic that anyone can add to depending on what their blog is about? I don’t have any ideas about this at the moment but you I hear there are a lot of talented designer that work as freelancers on many sites on the web. Cheers!
Thanks Dan, I think we need a simple symbol that represents blogging, any type of blog.
Have you had any luck in this contest? It would be interesting to see what would be made. RSS is a good indication that your a blogger. But, an official symbol would be better ultimately. – Scott Craighead
I’m waiting for replies from a couple of designers Scott but we’re definitely moving forward.
I’m still hoping for something! Maybe I’ll just have to make it myself. If you want something done, you got to do it yourself!
I’m good with that if you want the project. One never answered and the other turned it down. I actually forgot about it. That’s after the first designer wanted $750 – that ain’t happening.
Thank you for sharing such informative information. I look forward in using this tips.