Since the debut of StarRocks' new mascot, Rocky, many members of the community have wanted to learn more about how this furry little guy was created. While a community-wide effort to develop, there were a few key players behind the scenes working to take Rocky from an idea to a fully formed representative of the project. We connected with one of those key players, Wenlong Liu, to provide some more background into what it took to bring Rocky to life.
Below is a transcript of the entire interview with Wenlong. Read on to learn more.
Who are you? What was your role in the creation of StarRocks' new mascot?
I am Liu Wenlong, the head of design for StarRocks. I oversee all design aspects of the project, from initial planning to the actual execution of designs. I regularly engage in ongoing discussions with the community to ensure a smooth and collaborative process in everything we do.
Aside from you, who else was involved in the creation of Rocky? How was the wider StarRocks community involved in his creation?
During the early planning stages, community colleagues including Kate Shao, Johnson Meng, and Andy Ye played essential roles. They contributed to the selection and naming of the mascot and provided suggestions for the alpha version. Following the initial release, we received extensive feedback from other community members and designers. This led to significant revisions in the second version.
Why does StarRocks need a mascot? What is the value of a mascot for an open-source project?
Initially, it was brought up that the project needed a mascot to embody the spirit of the community and provide a friendly, approachable face to users and developers, who typically enjoy cartoon-like images that facilitate communication.
Following this discussion, it was agreed that the mascot should not only be cute but also effectively represent the community’s values.
The real challenge arose when defining our “community values.” Many wanted to initially emphasize speed, which led us to conduct a community-wide survey: “What represents the SR community?” we asked. The results showed a preference for fast-moving feline animals like cheetahs and leopards, according to our design research.
However, despite their speed, feline animals are generally seen as fierce, which contradicts the open and inclusive image we were going after. This also presented challenges with our desired traits of cuteness and friendliness. This realization led us to discard the idea, marking the end of our initial discussions. The project at this point hit a temporary pause at the "what" stage.
Why was now the time for a mascot?
Initial designs for Rocky
The project was initiated about two years ago (mid-2022) and we spent a long time grappling with the "what" component.
Subsequently, after receiving suggestions from community colleagues Kate and Johnson and aligning with our strategic shift in the roadmap towards the data lakehouse, we pivoted our discussions towards aquatic animals.
This led to the discovery of the charming otter species. Prompted by these discussions, I quickly produced several prototypes, culminating in the release of the first version modeled on otters by the end of 2023.
What was the development process for Rocky like? How long did it take? How would you explain the process?
After the first version of the otter mascot was released, we experimented with some more mockups and held discussions with the community. During this process, we identified several issues with the design. Firstly, the colors were overly saturated, limiting their application; secondly, as we delved deeper into the species, we realized there were distinctions between river otters and sea otters. Our initial choice was based on data indicating that river otters use rocks as tools and live in water, which made them very cute. However, it turned out we had embarrassingly confused river otters with sea otters. Further research also revealed that sea otters, with their distinctive diamond-shaped noses and gray-white fur, were cuter and had higher recognition value, making them more practical for a mascot.
Seeing a need for a redesign, we decided to base the new version entirely on sea otters.
For this next round, we used AI-generated content tools, specifically Midjourney, to create an array of cartoon sea otter images to jumpstart the redesign.
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AI-generated drafts of Rocky
These served as references and were designed with simplicity and distinctiveness in mind, culminating in the final design draft.
In terms of how long this all took? The project kicked off around mid-2022, following an inspiring trip by Andy to a convention where he noticed the widespread appeal of mascots. These mascots, particularly popular with programmers who tend to have an affinity for anime and cartoons, sparked the idea to develop our mascot to bolster the open-source community's image.
Initially, we faced challenges in pinpointing exactly what our mascot should symbolize. During our initial survey, opinions varied widely—some suggested cute marine animals like starfish, while others leaned towards symbols of speed such as leopards or rockets. However, despite their popularity, feline figures were ultimately considered too fierce for the friendly and open image we wanted to project.
Progress was further slowed by other pressing projects which led to a six-month hiatus in mascot development. Once these projects wrapped up, we resumed our discussions, this time zeroing in on freshwater animals, and eventually settled on the sea otter. Known for its intelligence, ability to use tools, and inherent cuteness, the sea otter resonated well with our brand's values.
Although there were initial worries about our mascot resembling those of other well-known open-source projects, we managed to carve out a unique identity for ours and released the first version. Feedback suggested that while the design was cute, it lacked distinctiveness. This led us to delve deeper into the differences between river and sea otters, helping us refine our mascot's design to better highlight his unique traits.
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Rocky's latest form
After reworking the mascot in the spring, we began rolling out community gear featuring the new design, keeping an eye on potential future expansions like custom plush toys and other items for conventions. This journey has been a testament to our adaptability and commitment to capturing the essence of our community through our mascot, constantly refining our approach based on community feedback and brand alignment.
Was Rocky always going to be an Otter? What other animals were considered?
After deciding to focus on otter species, we had to choose between river otters and sea otters. We also briefly explored other ideas, including a cartoon version of a stone (suggested by Andy) and a cartoon database icon (my suggestion). However, after creating some initial sketches, I decided against these options because they didn't achieve the friendly and approachable image we were aiming for.
Alternative designs of the StarRocks mascot
Why the name Rocky? One would guess because it's similar to the StarRocks name, but were any other names considered?
The name "Rocky" and the character's basic backstory were provided by our community member Kate Shao. The name not only connects well with our open-source brand, StarRocks but also emphasizes the animal's characteristic of using rocks, cleverly aligning with both the brand and the mascot's traits in one neat package.
Does Rocky have a particular personality? If yes, why was that personality chosen? What does that have to do with the StarRocks community?
Certainly, here are some interesting facts about him:
Nickname: Rocky
Species: Star Otter
MBTI: ESFJ
Traits:
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Enjoys making friends and is eager to help and support others.
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A walking knowledge base of StarRocks; learning from him makes you the next big data master!
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Full of wisdom but appears cute and whimsical, lacking the airs of a typical master—which might just be the relaxed demeanor characteristic of true experts.
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Hobbies: Enjoys writing SQL, fixing bugs, sharing knowledge, and occasionally indulging in a bit of cuteness.
Explanation of ESFJ:
ESFJ stands for Extraverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Judging. It is one of the 16 personality types identified by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). People with the ESFJ personality type are often described as sociable, nurturing, and supportive. They are highly attuned to the emotions and needs of others, making them excellent team players and leaders. ESFJs value harmony and cooperation and are typically very loyal and considerate. They are often focused on organizing social events and maintaining traditions, striving to create a positive, structured environment around them. This personality type fits Rocky’s character as a friendly and enthusiastic mentor, embodying traits that foster a supportive and educational community atmosphere.
Additional note: Although the prototype for this species was based on a sea otter, Rocky is a fictional creature called a "Star Otter" from outer space. Initially, we even considered giving him an astronaut sea otter image. The name "StarRocks" easily conjures up images of "the vast ocean of stars" and meteorites, reflecting StarRocks' grand vision: "To the stars through hardships".
Rocky's character is somewhat akin to Master Yoda, playing the role of a wise, knowledgeable, and respected mentor within the community. His ESFJ personality type highlights his friendly, warm, and helpful nature.
Rocky is pretty cool, are there any design guidelines or files members of the community can access if they want to use him in their own StarRocks-related activities and documents?
You can refer to the current designs which include standard three-view diagrams and some application examples available through this Figma link:
Future design updates will also be made available in this Figma file.
Do you have any other interesting facts about Rocky that people might like to know about or that you find interesting?
In the initial version, Rocky did not wear pants, which Kate found somewhat indecent. Consequently, I was compelled to add pants to his standard image.
Share Your Thoughts About Rocky
Now that you're a Rocky expert, let us know what you think about him on the StarRocks Slack community. We'd love to hear your thoughts about Rocky, if his design resonates with you, and where you'd like to see him show up next.
