Provide consistent user experience (style)

[davidak]

Issue description

We should provide a consistent user experience when it comes to design. In this issue i focus on graphical design.

Right now it's a total mess.

Desktop background

Some desktops use their default background (GNOME, Plasma5, Xfce, MATE, Enlightenment, LXQt, Lumina). Others use a NixOS background (Pantheon, Cinnamon).

There is a PR for GNOME to use a NixOS background, but it's a different background: #166096

It would be great to have a simple background (logo in middle, color background, optionally with gradient) and a more complex (like https://github.com/NixOS/nixos-artwork/blob/master/bootloader/isolinux/bios-boot.png). In light and dark mode.

NixOS Logo

There are many versions of the NixOS logo used all over the place. We should stick to official logos and use them consistently.

Have clear rules when to use which version and follow them.

We need color and monochrome version, for bright and dark background.

This is a start, but i think it needs improvement: https://github.com/NixOS/nixos-artwork/tree/master/logo

Theme / Style

There are many different styles used.

For example in boot screens. GRUB, systemd-boot, isolinux look completely different. I think they should look the same when technical possible.

Related: #168434

The style should be in line with website, documentation, videos, twitter profile picture, ...

[jtojnar]

GNOME Shell does use the same dark NixOS background. #166096 just sets the dark background for dark mode as well to support the dual-mode backgrounds from GNOME 42. And it switches to light blue one for the light mode to distinguish them.

[davidak]

@jtojnar for consistency, it would be great if light and dark mode wallpaper are the same except the colors.

[mkg20001]

Cinnamon uses nixos dark. The menu logo is the generic cinnamon one. May or may not be changed to the nixos logo.

[vlinkz]

A bit more complex, but have you considered using the nineish wallpapers? At least for GNOME with dark and light theme I think the transition is less jarring. Maybe would be good as another option to go along with a more simple, centered version.

nixosgnomewallpaper.mp4

[milahu]

this is the first impression of booting a nix iso

have fun doing this in the middle of the night, in a dark room : D

my humble wish is to use a dark theme for the grub menu
to make the boot process consistent (bios screen is dark mode)

example (gimp: invert, colorize)

bios screen is dark mode

also, after grub menu, the screen is dark