We’ve long sought an artistic direction that would solidify our standing as the go-to consultancy for developer tools. But how!? Then, a few years ago, it hit me: this quest was completely and totally misguided from the start. But there was nothing I could do… until now.
Editor’s note: This post was originally posted on April 1, 2025, which means it is not real.
You see, I had come to the conclusion that the best way to position our organization has nothing to do with developer tools at all, or even anything related to tech.
Instead, we needed to begin adopting illustrations with a sense of depth and complexity. We needed an artistic direction populated by a world of strange and sometimes grotesque creatures and illogical rules. We needed a brand which would embody the painful transitions that often accompany one’s coming of age.
Of course, implementing this would mean leveraging a subtle use of colors, clear lines, rich detail meshed with a realistic depiction of fantastical elements.
Ideally, everything would need to be hand-drawn, and crafted with the meticulousness of a master artist with an internationally-renowned stature.
Unfortunately, it turns out, those requirements on a job posting can sometimes turn a lot of applicants away. That’s not good!
But, the stars have now aligned, Mercury and Venus are in retrograde, and the day has come: recent advancements in image visualization technology have finally made this dream a reality!
Embracing creativity
Enough talk. Just take a look at these guys:
Safe. Familiar. Martian, yet, somehow, also human. Now, take a look at how I always envisioned they should have actually looked this whole time:
Now, some may be asking: “Isn’t this in extremely bad taste?” Well, from my perspective, it’s far too early to tell. (As long as you don’t look at something like this, this, this, this, this, this, this or this.)
Irina Nazarova CEO at Evil Martians
Just take a look at this image from our classic article on favicons:
Yes, I like it, but I’ve also always felt, wouldn’t it be a lot better if:
- A computer had made it.
- If the image portrayed a deep reverance for nature, the complexities of relationships, including loss, grief, and the search for meaning, and an exploration of the human psyche against the backdrop of wonderous circumstances.
Well, guess what, now it does!
Wow!
This is obviously big for us. You can’t imagine how excited I was when I realized the sense of creative possibility now within my grasp.
But get this: YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE TO IMAGINE IT, because it looked something almost exactly like this:
Sure, there are some kinks to work out:
- For example, for the image above, I distinctly remember specifying that there were supposed to be a lot more cans. But I only ended up with one can!
- Further, despite my expert-level prompting, not a single scratch-off lottery ticket made it into the final result, and certainly not “dozens” of them.
But really, these are minor issues.
Generic conclusion part of article
In conclusion, I’m proud to present this new direction, and assume that there is a 0 percent chance of any sort of backlash.
But even if there is, I have plan B here, ready to roll:
Fun! Yes, the Martian now has three arms, but this represents, uh… productivity. Yes, yes, …that’s it.
Anyway, stay hungry friends, and excelsior!