Contest: Design buttons for “I disagree but I recommend”
First I’m going to tell you the challenge. Then I’ll tell you what’s behind the challenge, and then what the winner wins.
The Challenge
I’d like to come up with graphical icons to be placed next to buttons that will let readers indicate that some post or comment they just read is one that they recommend to others (what we usually see represented as a thumbs up, at least in countries where that does not have an obscene meaning) even though they disagree with the content. These icons should be compact (16×16?) and should convey as much of the meaning as possible, although I acknowledge that there’s going to have to be some text somewhere (perhaps only visible when you hover) explaining what the heck they mean.
The Motive
I keep trying to get the creators of participatory sites to try including these two buttons so that content that is highly recommended by those who disagree with it can be ranked higher than “recommend and agree” content, and thus can be made more visible. My not-so-hidden aim is to see if we can encourage civil engagement by rewarding the recognition of merit in expressions with which we disagree. I’d like to see if this has a beneficial effect on posters, who will have an incentive to write in ways that respect those who hold opposing views, and a beneficial effect on readers who are reminded (simply by the presence of the options) that one can find value in opposing viewpoints.
No one has taken me up on this.
The reward for winning this contest
None.
In fact, I’m not really going to pick a winner. But you suspected that all along, didn’t you?
How about a glass of water: important to life, but not necessarily the most preferable thing to drink. It’s got to be something nuetral like that so people don’t over interpret it. I was also thinking of rain icon. People don’t always welcome rain but they understand it is important to continued existence.
OK, here you call.
The icon (and type of response) is called the “yesbut”
The image is a stylized Y shaped to include a ram’s horn (it also looks like a P, which can be said to stand for ‘pass’ (which has a nice double meaning).
icon 16×16 version: http://www.downes.ca.images/yesbut.gif
A bigger version: http://www.downes.ca.images/yesbutbig.gif
Maybe someone with actual artistic ability can make this into a nice professional icon.
Usage: as an icon, with alt text=”Yes but…”
Enjoy.
Correction on links…
http://www.downes.caimages/yesbut.gif
A bigger version: http://www.downes.ca/images/yesbutbig.gif
(*sigh*)
Dammit…
Correction on links…
http://www.downes.ca/images/yesbut.gif
http://www.downes.ca/images/yesbutbig.gif
Start with a square.
Divide square horizontally, resulting in top and bottom rectangles.
Top half is recommend/neutral/don’t recommend.
Bottom half is agree/neutral/disagree.
If you don’t recommend something, then the top rectangle is filled with a large V-ish shape whose extent matches the rectangle’s size. Empty is neutral, an inverted V signifies recommend.
For the bottom half, it may be beneficial to use a slightly different shape. So, perhaps instead of a V, use a shape that is more rounded, like a ( turned sideways.
Here’s a simplified version of the same concept (I’ll try to do the links for these in one go)
http://www.downes.ca/images/yesbut2.gif
http://www.downes.ca/images/yesbut2big.gif
What about (and I’m actually being serious) a middle finger icon? Might not set the right tone for the WSJ, for example, but I think it gets the point across that the content is something worth reading and potentially getting upset about.
How about some visual merging/combination of icons expressing: “bullshit” + “thumbs up”
What about a picture of George Will?
I’m sorry to have missed you when you were in Columbus David, although my colleague Carrie Phillips saw and enjoyed your presentation.
How about a simple open hand, like somebody putting their hand up in a classroom? Like Wingdings character 0×49, which is just along from the thumb up/down characters.
Tim Bonnemann reminds me correctly that a problem with ideation platforms is that, unlike ideal brainstorming, they lead you to judgement much too quickly.
I’m not a graphic designer, but you might think of having a “+1-1″ symbol (red and green, irrespectively) or a green “E” (i.e. “E for effort”). I’m pretty sure anyone but me, armed with Paint, could whip these up no problem.
Joho the Blog » Contest: Design buttons for “I disagree but I recommend”…
Joho the Blog » Contest: Design buttons for “I disagree but I recommend” Joho the Blog » Contest: Design buttons for “I disagree but I recommend”…
How about either the yin/yang symbol?
Or a derivative of the yin yang with a plus and minus sign inside a circle divided diagonally in half. One half is red, the other is green. The plus sign is in the green half and the minus sign in the red half.
Red and green are universal stop/go colors.
Joho the Blog » Contest: Design buttons for “I disagree but I recommend”…
Joho the Blog » Contest: Design buttons for “I disagree but I recommend”…