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Why design the open source way?

Open Source is a form of licensing agreement that allows users to freely modify an existing project, generate a new project or even derive an existing project into a larger entity making the work more advanced.
Open However the definition of open source brings also broader cultural impact of working in the open, hence open source promotes a wide exchange of ideas within the community into making it more creative, friendly and flexible.

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Another important reason why you should aim for using open source software, is cost.
Using open source software generates a lower total cost of ownership when compared to closed source and proprietary alternatives. Converting into open source software generally has a lower up-front cost (because the software often comes at no cost or relatively low cost), and shifts the cost center from licensing (an operating expense) to customization and implementation (a capital expense). Additional costs like training, maintenance, and paid support are sunk costs.There are many online platforms where you can compose your project without having to download and install software on your device. In this manual you will find some of the most used online platforms to convert your work in free and open source

Open Formats

What are open formats?

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In contrast to open formats, closed formats are considered trade secrets. Open formats are also called free file formats if they are not encumbered by any copyrights, patents, trademarks or other restrictions (for example, if they are in the public domain) so that anyone may use them at no monetary cost for any desired purpose.

Why do open formats matter?

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As an alternative of the Office Packet Package we can mention LibreOffice (Write, Impress, Draw, etc.) as a free and open source office suite to help you creating different file formats which are adaptable with your project.

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Zamzar is an online file conversion platform that lets you convert documents, images, videos & sound and many more open formats. As you are not required to install it, you can use it from any browser, even mobile.

BatchPhoto Espresso

BatchPhoto Espresso is yet another free online image converter, which means you don't need to download any software to use it.

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BatchPhoto Espresso also lets you rename the picture and choose a quality/size before saving it in your device. It can be used on any operating system that supports a web browser, including Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Licensing

When you create a piece of software, it's automatically protected by copyright. This means that you retain all rights to your source code and that nobody else may reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from your work.

It may also lead to no one using your code which obviously defeats the purpose of sharing it.

So, if you really do want to share your work, but also want to protect it in some way, it's important to consider the options available for licensing your work.

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Creating design assets for openIMIS

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GIMP

GIMP is a free and open-source raster graphics editor used for image retouching and editing, free-form drawing, converting between different image formats, and more specialized tasks. GIMP can be used for opening and changing many types of file formats. GIMP is released under GPLv3+ licenses and is available for Linux, macOS, and Microsoft Windows. GIMP offers a Depending on the needs, various tools can be used to create visual assets. While the industry standard nowadays is Adobe Creative Cloud, we try to keep proprietary software to a minimum. Where not possible or harder to achieve, the minimum we will aim for is open formats. In the following we will go through recommended tools, the various file formats they support and limitations they pose in different conversion settings. Recommended project formats are file formats we suggest to use as source files for assets, while recommended export formats are those we suggest for file outputs

GIMP

GIMP is a free and open-source raster graphics editor used for image retouching and editing, free-form drawing, converting between different image formats, and more specialized tasks. GIMP can be used for opening and changing many types of file formats. GIMP is released under GPLv3+ licenses and is available for Linux, macOS, and Microsoft Windows. GIMP offers a Wiki page where it gives explanations and every detailed information one needs to understand.

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GIMP can also open and work with PSD (Adobe Photoshop files), albeit with a reduced feature set and less-than-ideal end results. We GIMP may not preserve all text information or layer styles but if you have no access to Photoshop it might be a good enough solution.

We recommend outputting to XCF (GIMP files) so they can be shared and reused easily in the future.

Inkscape

Inkscape is a free and open-source vector graphics editor. This multi-platform can be used to create or edit vector graphics such as illustrations, diagrams, line arts, charts, logos, icons and complex paintings. Inkscape's primary vector graphics format is Scalable Vector Graphics; however, many other formats can be imported and exported. It is licensed under the General Public License (GPL).

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This is going to be the software that openIMIS will use the most to create their digital assets, as its a well supported project and is now on a stable version. Be advised there may be plenty of other software that can output SVG (Illustrator can output SVG), proprietary or free software, but we recommend Inkscape the most. If is advised that your team slowly starts by trying Inkscape and building up some knowledge around the software. If that is not an option, Illustrator can still be used but by carefully outputting to SVG only.

Following the past example, after outputting these kind of files from Adobe Illustrator, it is advised to use another tool (offline/online) such as Vecta Nano to sterilize and clean the SVG files produced by Illustrator as they may contain metadata and non-standard elements.

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LibreOffice Draw

LibreOffice Draw is a free and open source vector graphics editor. Draw lets you produce anything from a quick sketch to a complex plan and gives you the means to communicate with graphics or diagrams, flowcharts and even technical drawings.

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LibreOffice Draw uses by default Open Document Format for Office Applications (ODF) (.odg graphics extension) as an international standard file format.

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Diagrams.

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Diagrams.net (formerly draw.io) is an open source online platform created to help you design in the most simple way flowcharts, process diagrams, org charts, UML, ER diagrams, network diagrams and much more. You can create your own custom shape libraries or use their large collection of shape libraries which offer hundreds of visual elements, making it plain and easy working with metadata to pack more useful information into your diagrams.

With numerous shape libraries offering hundreds of visual elements, drawDiagrams.io net covers every usecase you can think of for creating diagrams by embedding them within Confluence and Jira.

Draw.io lets you import and export files into open formats such as .svg, .png, .jpeg, .pdf, .xml etc.

Publishing Documents

LibreOffice Writer

LibreOffice Writer is a tool that lets you insert graphics and objects from other components into Writer documents. Writer can export files to HTML, XHTML, XML, Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), and several versions of Microsoft Word files. It also connects to your email client.

The key difference between LibreOffice and Microsoft is that LibreOffice is an open-source, free suite of office products while Microsoft Office is a commercial office suite product package that requires users to purchase a license. Both will run on multiple platforms and both offer similar functionality.

Google Docs is also a platform that is compatible with open formats like .odt and .pdf files.

However, running Microsoft Office on Linux is not possible.

LibreOffice Impress

LibreOffice Impress .

We recommend using diagrams.net in conjuction with its native Confluence integration. Especially in situations where you might be unable to install software on your device, you can use it from the web browser and store files on the cloud or your device. While designed as a flowchart and diagrams application, it can also replace the need for a vector editor as Inkscape, especially for basic communication design tasks

Publishing Documents

While not specifically exclusive to design, text documents are a crucial part of openIMIS work processes and often require tight compatibility with design tools. Whilst these formats are often overlapping, we will go through the primary types of documents which often have an impact on how design processes are too.

LibreOffice Writer

LibreOffice Writer is part of the open source LibreOffice suite and can export files to HTML, XHTML, XML, Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), and several versions of Microsoft Word files.

The key difference between LibreOffice and Microsoft is that LibreOffice is an open-source, free suite of office products while Microsoft Office is a commercial office suite product package that requires users to purchase a license. Both will run on multiple platforms and both offer similar functionality.

However, running Microsoft Office on Linux is not possible.

LibreOffice Impress

LibreOffice Impress is a tool for creating effective multimedia presentations in slide shows.

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It is integrated with the advanced graphics capabilities of LibreOffice Draw and Math components. Slideshows can be further enhanced using Fontwork special effects text, as well as sound and video clips. Impress is compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint file format and can also save your work in numerous graphics formats, including Macromedia Flash (SWF).

Confluence

Confluence graphics formats, including Macromedia Flash (SWF).

Confluence

Confluence is a online proprietary publishing platform, purpose-built for growing teams that need a secure and reliable base from which to collaborate on projects. It is also compatible with multiple software or open platforms, from writing a document in markdown language to organizing team meetings in the same cloud. Confluence can be also used to convert office documents including but not limited to .docx and .odt file formats. This is ideal if you need to edit Microsoft Office or LibreOffice documents without any installed software while still avoiding Google services.

Cryptpad

Cryptpad is an online open source platform that helps you make quick collaborative documents. It offers different possibilities where you can work your project on and expand it. Cryptpad offers a writing pad where you can import and export your paper in .html format or .doc format. It offers a sheet pad and a presentation pad equivalent to LibreOffice Impress where you can export the file in an .md format.

If your project is more advanced you can also use their pad for creating code files, a smart board where you can design your ideas, polls or even a task manager so you can keep track of your To Do list. Everything is compatible with open formats if you want to export them and attach into different projects or even to share them with your team, or even using an embedded code by attaching it in your file.

Cryptpad offers a drive where every record is stored, encrypted and you can see all the projects you have been working on and other projects your teammates have shared with you.

Scribus

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Scribus is free and open-source desktop publishing software available for most desktop operating systems. It is designed for layout, typesetting, and preparation of files for professional-quality image-setting equipment. Scribus can also create animated and interactive PDF presentations and forms. Example uses include writing newspapers, brochures, newsletters, posters, and books. It is released under the GNU General Public License.

Scribus is an alternative software to Adobe InDesign, used for preparing brochures, lay-outing, print files etc. It can work with CMYK and outputs standard format files. The interface is easy and non-complex, which should make the switch smooth for the users.

CMYK color model is a subtractive color model, based on the CMY color model, used in color printing, and is also used to describe the printing process itself. CMYK refers to the four ink plates used in some color printing: cyan, magenta, yellow, and key, brochures, newsletters, posters, and books. It is released under the GNU General Public License.

Scribus is an alternative software to Adobe InDesign, used for preparing brochures, lay-outing, print files etc. It can work with CMYK (used for print) and RGB (digital).

Design Resources

Open Source Fonts

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Vectr lets you to quickly and intuitively create vector graphics. It is used to create 2D graphics and graphics for business cards, greeting cards, websites, illustrations, resumes, brochures, posters, presentations, and icons. It imports and edit SVGs and bitmaps that can be used as a background. It imports in AI, EPS, PNG, and JPEG file formats.

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Unsplash is one of the best hosting sites to get open source images. Every single image uploaded to Unsplash is an image that you can use in any activity and vise versa.
Unsplash It provides an API for developers that allows them to access the uploaded images programmatically which is well documented and maintained.

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