With our origins rooted in GitLab, Inc, we looked to GitLab’s Tanuki logo for inspiration. The GitLab Tanuki (a Japanese raccoon dog) logo symbolizes the GitLab mission of “making it possible for everyone to contribute” with a smart animal that works in a group to achieve a common goal. This felt like a great starting point for the GitLab Foundation’s own brand development.
In Japanese folklore, the Tanuki is typically shown with a leaf on its forehead, which it eats to shape-shift into another being. By embodying another person, the Tanuki has the power to empathize with others, solve problems, and help them achieve success. For the Foundation, then, the leaf is a symbol of our mission to support people to grow their lifetime earnings through education, training, access to opportunities, and systems change on a global scale.
We opted to use a Momiji, a red maple leaf, with its bold, vibrant colors. The red leaf comes in the autumn, and for us signifies change and the resilience of nature. It’s a constant reminder to us to strive forward and facilitate change in the world.
The logo was created by astralize.
