by Julián Bruno


Creating the Apache Beam firefly was the first opportunity I had to contribute my skills as a designer and illustration artist to an open source project. I didn’t know anybody working in open source until I moved to San Francisco from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I knew about open source software for video games, like Unity or Unreal Engine... This allowed gamers to make modifications, like adding new levels or creating new character models, and upload them to the same engine that hosted the original game for other gamers to use. This practice enabled a sense of community, where users can share ideas, passions, and express creativity. There are so many things you can do when you work in collaboration with others. This spirit of community is one of the things that made me excited about contributing to Apache Beam. 


Living in an area where technology is everywhere really piqued my interest and drove my curiosity to understand how technology evolves. When the opportunity came to contribute to Apache Beam, I was interested right away. I didn’t know about the project before I got involved, and I certainly didn’t know there was a community behind it, working together to build this amazing solution. Building a mascot for a group of people is different from working for a brand because this firefly represents a group of people and what they find valuable. There is an extra layer that makes it more human. For this type of work, designing a mascot is usually a decision reserved for a small group, and the larger community is not involved. It is refreshing and very meaningful that the community had a chance to step into the process. I saw it as an opportunity for self-expression,participation, and one more exercise in community building. 


In order for this process to be inclusive, I built a group-wide communication system for the community to input during the process. I think that having open and frequent communication was key because, ideally, I wanted everyone to feel that the mascot represents them. I created questions that would help Apache Beam contributors understand what I needed as an illustrator. The questions helped me understand what they liked. This ensured that the mascot was aligned with the community’s taste. Some questions were about colors and visual styles they preferred, if the eyes are too big or small, and preferred line art style. There were 4 rounds of feedback, plus a final vote, where 18 people participated. Engagement increased with every new round. The Apache Way for communities to operate reminded me of a lot of animation forums I participated in the early 2000s. I’m glad to see that some of these practices are still around, because they help make processes more inclusive and build a sense of community.




This communication with the Apache Beam community helped me to create a mascot with features that are unique to the project. When I started, I was given a few concepts that I needed to work with, such as: cute, innovative, fast, data processing, and futuristic. The first few decisions, like making the mascot look as aerodynamic as possible were easy to make. Conveying "data processing" was a bit harder to figure out, butI eventually chose to communicate this concept by changing the mascot's color. What really gave the mascot its unique identity came from using Pokémon-like character style. I built the rhetoric for Apache Beam's logo by combining two concepts that have nothing to do with each other, Pokémon and data streaming, and created something new. 





In the end, I created the Apache Beam mascot and its model sheet, so that anyone can reproduce it, a version of the mascot learning (a key focus for the project at the moment), and a version of the firefly doing what it does best… stream data! I really enjoyed working for Apache Beam and contributing my skills as an illustration artist to open source. I think the most interesting part is the community: creating something in collaboration with others adds a lot of value to what you are making for the world.



Julián is a digital artist based in San Francisco, California. He has spent over 10 years in the animation industry and has developed his skills in art direction, 2D animation, illustration, and visual art development. My passions include art and cartoon animation, as well as connecting with people and creating new projects. He was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he studied Graphic Design at University of Buenos Aires (UBA). Find Julián's work on Artstation and Instagram.

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"Success at Apache" is a monthly blog series that focuses on the processes behind why the ASF "just works" https://blogs.apache.org/foundation/category/SuccessAtApache