Apache Software Foundation is Retiring its Feather Logo

The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) has announced plans to evolve its corporate logo and brand system to better represent its "community over code" ethos and promote inclusivity. Why? Because the ASF took seriously concerns raised by Natives in Tech and other members of the open-source community regarding the appropriateness of using Indigenous imagery.

So, the ASF will retire its iconic feather logo, which has been a central part of the foundation's identity since 1999. The organization acknowledges that, as a non-Indigenous entity, it is inappropriate to continue using Indigenous themes or language in its branding. The group also realizes that the logo has been very popular for almost 30 years, but they feel this is the right thing to do. This comes after ASF  changed the name of its flagship event to Community Over Code from ApacheCon. 

The ASF's Marketing and publicity team, along with a Branding Steering Committee composed of ASF Members, is collaborating with branding and design vendors to develop a new logo. This new visual identity will embody the Foundation's history of providing software for the public good while reflecting its global contributor base.

The decision to update the brand extends beyond the logo. Changes also apply to ASF open-source projects that currently use Indigenous imagery. It will not--I and the ASF repeat--not change the Apache License or any released software.

While the logo and branding are changing, the Apache name will not change, for now, at least. That's because changing its name would cause too much legal, technical, and financial trouble. This may sound like a small matter to you, but  ASF leadership feels it would divert significant resources from the group's primary mission of providing software for the public good.

They're not wrong. I know enough about trademarks, logos, and names to know that changing an organization's branding is complicated and expensive. 

If it goes well, the new logo and brand identity will be unveiled at the Community Over Code NA conference in Denver, Colorado, in October 2024. Do you have any ideas for its new logo? The ASF wants to hear from you. 

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