Case study / Citus Data
A character that
grew with
the product.
From a coloring-book sketch to Eli, a familiar face for Citus. A story of nurturing a brand, one release at a time.
Meet Eli ↓
2018 / The beginning
Before the launch campaigns,
there was a sketch.
Eli began as an idea for a coloring book. Those early studies gave us room to explore expression, silhouette, and personality—and the beginnings of a character with a much bigger future.
An idea worth nurturing
A little playfulness.
A lot of possibility.
We kept returning to the character. As Citus evolved, the sketches became the starting point for a continuing brand story: an approachable companion who could make each new release feel like an adventure.
2020–2021 / A release story takes shape
First, speed.
Then, another dimension.
By 2020, Eli had become a recurring face of Citus releases. Racing imagery gave the character momentum. For Citus 10, the creative brief called for a vehicle that could move horizontally and vertically—a visual expression of scaling in new dimensions.
The details carry the idea
Even the rotors
had a reason.
For Citus 10.1, independently adjusting fans hinted at rebalancing. Aviator sunglasses made Eli a more confident pilot. Small changes connected the product update to the character’s own progression.
Creative rationale from the original 10.1 proposal.
2022–2023 / A new point of view
Out of the cockpit.
Into a wider world.
Citus 11 prompted a bigger creative shift. The brief connected querying from any node with freedom and flexibility. We moved Eli onto a summit: a moment of achievement, a clearer view, and new possibilities ahead.
The vehicle gave way to a landscape. The rendering became simpler, the character more central, and the world around Eli more expressive.
2023–2025 / The journey expands
A bigger universe.
The same familiar face.
The Citus 12 concept linked a moon and orbiting objects to schema-based sharding. The next chapter took Eli into space. By Citus 13, the astronaut was riding a PG17 rocket—carrying the story forward with Postgres 17 support.
New worlds give the brand room to grow.
Eli gives the story continuity.
From illustration to experience
A character that works
beyond the canvas.
Each release needed a family of assets: homepage artwork, product-page graphics, blog and social images, and presentation resources. The archive shows how the same character and setting adapted across formats while remaining part of one visual story.
The release archive
One character. Many chapters.
Follow the artwork from Citus 9.4 to 13.
Select a release to explore its story.
Citus 9.4
A familiar face gets behind the wheel.
The racing concept brings Eli into the release story. The front wing carries “EXPLAIN ANALYZE”—a product detail built directly into the illustration.
Release artwork · 2020Citus 9.5
The next release stays in the race.
A green vehicle, a new release number, and a Postgres 13 front wing evolve the racing concept while preserving the pilot and the sense of speed.
Release artwork · 2020Citus 10
Scaling gets a new dimension.
The original concept brief links the flying vehicle to horizontal and vertical movement: a way to express columnar capabilities and “Postgres at any scale.”
Release artwork · 2021Citus 10.1
A more confident pilot. A more capable vehicle.
The design notes call for independently adjusting rotary fans to hint at rebalancing. Aviator sunglasses add a small character detail: Eli has grown more confident in the cockpit.
Isolated illustration from release resource deck · 2021Citus 10.2
Refinement becomes part of the story.
The familiar vehicle gets another pass. Color studies explore a revamped engine, brighter highlights, and a stronger green glow.
Color study from the release development archive · 2021Citus 11
Eli steps out into a bigger world.
A shift toward queries from any node inspired a different visual idea: freedom. The summit gives Eli a view of new possibilities, and the character now carries the story without a vehicle.
Release artwork · 2022Citus 11.1
The same summit, a new atmosphere.
Night, stars, and fireworks extend the landscape. Eli’s pose and the numbered flag keep the release recognizable as the surrounding world changes.
Release artworkCitus 11.2
Product milestones become part of the scenery.
The summit returns in daylight, with a PG15 flag joining the release flag. A small addition gives the continuing story a specific product milestone.
Release artwork · 2023Citus 11.3
The horizon starts to look otherworldly.
Planets appear beyond the mountain. The illustration extends the established landscape toward the space setting that follows.
Release artwork · 2023Citus 12
A new capability. A new world.
The concept deck explicitly connects the moon and orbiting objects to schema-based sharding. Eli becomes an astronaut, keeping the character at the center of an expanded visual world.
Homepage application · 2023Citus 12.1
An established world keeps evolving.
Constellations, a new numbered flag, and a PG16 rocket refresh the planetary setting. Each update adds another chapter to the same adventure.
Homepage application · 2023Citus 13
The journey continues with Postgres 17.
The Citus 13 brief sends Eli beyond the moon, riding a PG17 rocket. The suit, flag, and familiar face carry the earlier story into the next release.
Release artwork · 2025The value of staying with an idea
A brand grows through
the care you keep giving it.
What began as a sketch became a continuing creative relationship. We nurtured Eli through changing product capabilities, new visual directions, and the practical demands of each launch.
The result is a body of work with a recognizable thread: a character that can change, explore, and mature alongside the product.