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GSOD + NumPy Contributor Comics: Project Roadmap

Let’s make engaging comics about becoming a NumPy contributor!

Hi everyone! I’m Mars, a technical illustrator and open source contributor. This post is about how I would fulfill the NumPy’s Google Summer of Docs project proposal, the ‘NumPy Contributor Comics’.

The full details of the proposal can be found here. Here are the main details:

This project aims to document these various pathways to being a contributor. By reducing this initial friction and exciting the reader in their future journey of open-source, this project aims to increase the number and diversity of contributions in NumPy. Long-term contributors gained through this effort would also improve the project’s sustainability.

This project roadmap will outline how we’ll actually make that happen!

My prior work in open source and NumPy

My contributions focus on illustrations and cross-disciplinary community work.

I’ve been sharing these skills in NumPy community since 2021. In fact, I’ve tried something similar to this GSOD proposal before.

Last year, I’ve started making these NumPy Contributor Journey comics. When I sat as the community meeting note taker, I’ve noticed some repeating community concerns. I’ve shared these concerns in the form of comics in a few community meetings.

I’ve also gathered feedback on it when I hosted a NumPy Newcomer’s Hour.

GSOD provides the opportunity to continue and expand on this work.

Timeline

The project is estimated to take 6 months, between May and November 2023, working 4 hours per week on average. During these hours, the technical writer will:

  • Attend NumPy community meetings
  • Make drafts; revise and edit them according to discussions with community members
  • Publish and spread awareness of the project

Detailed Timeline

The first few stages focuses on exploration and gathering community input. The next stages would outline the visuals and script of the comics. The last few stages is for finalizing and sharing.

Throughout the process, the work will be open for reviews, with four reviews in total.

Stage Description Timeline
Exploration and Gathering community input Brainstorming and showing early work to NumPy Community Meeting and NumPy Docs Meeting. May
Outlining Outline full scope of comics, based on community input. Determine user persona and pathways. May
Review #1 Open 1st draft for review in community meetings. June
Writing Script, Thumbnailing Writing script and drawing thumbnails. July
Review #2 Open 2nd draft for review. July
Filing in with more detail Refine sketches. August
Review #3 Open 3rd draft for review. Finalize visual style, script, number of pages, and panel layout. August
Complete comics Make it work! Sept
Review #4 Open 4th draft for review. Oct
Make final changes to comics Oct
Preparing for publication Writing promotional messages for mailing list and social media. Prepare printable PDF version. Writing alt text Oct
Publish Publish on NumPy documentation website. Social media release. Oct 19 or late October

Details on stages

Check-ins

  • Throughout the project, I will check-in with the project mentors, Mukulika Pahari and Ross Barnowski.
  • I will primarily provide updates at the NumPy Docs Meetings.
  • Written updates in the form of NumPy Docs Meetings meeting minutes, which are archived on Github.
  • For asynchronous communication, it will be through the NumPy Slack channel.
  • Anyone can check the overall progress of the project at the gsod-numpy-2023 Github repository.

Blog posts

  • Every two months, I will publish blog posts on Medium
  • Cross-post to the ScientficPython blog, using the #numpy hashtag

Exploration

  • Gather input in both community meetings and asynchronously.
  • Invite discussion by using collaborative brainstorming tools such as Google Jamboard, where people can write comments, add pictures and draw on screen.

Outline

  • The outline phase combines these community ideas with my knowledge of the comic-making process.
  • See which ideas can be translated visually and the overall story.
  • By the end of the outline process, I should have a short pitch and concept art.

Illustration

  • The illustration process will be a mix of physical and digital mediums.
  • Brainstorm with pen and paper.
  • Final work will be made with Krita, an open source graphic software.

Reviews

  • Since this project is not text-based, it will have a slightly different review process.
  • For each review session, I will open an issue on NumPy Github page. The issue will link to a Google Docs containing the review material (images, pitch and script).
  • People can comment either on Github or Google Docs page.
  • Google Docs has lower barrier to entry, which makes it easier to invite people who may not have Github account such as newcomers or designers. Based on a previous experiment, it’s also much easier to comment on images on Google Docs than on Github
  • Share the review links to a variety of community meetings
    • the NumPy Community meeting to talk to maintainers and frequent users
    • the NumPy Docs for how this fit in the larger documentation
    • NumPy Newcomers for newcomers.

Cross-community sharing

  • While this project is crafted by and for the NumPy community, I would like to share the progress with other communities
  • Cross-post blog posts with other open source Python projects through ScientficPython blogs.
  • Share blog posts with the Open Source Design forums
  • Invite for review at one Turing Way Collaboration Cafe session

Publish and Share

  • Publish on NumPy website and documentation site.
  • Share the Krita source files, which will be available under an open source license such as CC-BY 4.0 licence and hosted on Github
  • With the source files, contributors could translate the text, modify size of speech bubbles to fit the translation, or even draw over and take pieces to make a comic for their own project!
  • Share a printable PDF, so people can print a physical comic book with their home printer

Deliverables

At the end of the project:

  • Digital comics on the NumPy website
  • Krita source files
  • Printable PDF version of the comics

Throughout the process:

  • Project landing page

  • 3 blog posts

  • Brainstorming document

    • A collaborative Google Jamboard

  • 3 Brainstorming mini-sessions

    • 10 minute session at NumPy Community Meeting
    • 10 minute session at NumPy Docs Meeting
    • 20 minute session at NumPy Newcomers Meeting

  • 4 review threads on Github

    • Share threads with:
      • NumPy Community Meeting
      • NumPy Docs Meeting
      • NumPy Mailing list
      • NumPy Slack, in the #docs channel

  • 2 review sessions

    • 1 hour at NumPy Newcomers Hour
    • 1 hour at the Turing Way Collaboration Cafe

  • Concept art

  • Pitch

  • Thumbnails and panel layout

  • Script

What is out of scope

  • Mass distribution of paper comics

    • While people can print and share personal copies, this project timeline has no plans to share paper comics at any events or conventions
    • Not available to order and ship from an online store
    • Open to possibility to wider distribution after project completion

  • Collaboration with other projects to adapt or make their own comics

    • I welcome people to create their own version of these comics, especially through the source files!
    • However, collaboration with non-NumPy project is out of scope for this project’s timeline.

I believe that powerful illustrations open the door to community and collaboration. Let’s get doodling!