The Next Chapter: Unveiling Alation’s New Mission and Brand Evolution

The world knows Alation as the company that created the data catalog category and led its evolution into the platform for data intelligence. 

We’ve grown through our market-leading product, an incredible customer base including 40% of the Fortune 100, and an unrivaled culture consisting of talented and ambitious Alationauts. As our mission evolves with our product, we reflect that growth in our visual brand identity. Today, we're excited to unveil our refreshed brand -- and reveal how it ties to our refreshed mission.

We’ve always been passionate about connecting people with questions to answers, whether those answers spring from data or colleagues. To that end, we’ve helped nearly 600 organizations build data cultures and improve data-driven decision-making. Now, the next step in our journey is to empower organizations to realize value from their data and AI initiatives. In order to bring this mission to life, we needed a modern bold look and feel. 

Our new visual identity embodies Alation’s evolved mission and company values. Alation plays a unique and critical role in helping organizations worldwide realize value with data and AI. This evolution is reflected in our refreshed brand, which you’ll see manifest in:

• An overarching theme of connection, constant movement, and flow

• Beauty in the exchange of data, new viewpoints, and perspectives

• A ripple effect: how using trusted data and AI to generate business value drives success

With these aesthetic changes, we convey how the exchange and understanding of trusted data empower connection, innovation, and success. In this blog, I’ll walk you through how these branding updates reflect both our refreshed purpose and long-standing core values. 

Reimagined logo

The Alation logo, our most important brand asset, comprises two elements, wings and the Alation wordmark. The word Alation means the state of having wings. It also conveys keywords like "relation" and "constellation." When the company was founded, we sought to build a product worthy of the name. Our original logo was inspired by the join symbol in relational algebra, a theoretical language used in database management (we’re nerdy and we embrace it!), and we slanted it to make it look like wings. On the one hand, Alation gives data users the "wings" to zoom out and perceive their data landscapes from high. On the other hand, it surfaces hidden details that connect data and its key users- much like how ancient astronomers connected the dots of stars to make shapes that reveal stories and surprising connections. 

Our refreshed wings present a more balanced design, building on the refined personality of the original. The new rounded edges and forward tilt exemplify momentum and progress. Our value, “Move the ball,” motivates us to act with professional urgency, often taking a small step instead of a big one. The wing changes illustrate this value, slight and subtle, refreshed yet recognizable. Small actions pave the way for significant progress.

We refined the Alation wordmark to reflect our innovative, modern, and trusted brand. It strikes a balance of legibility with a bold personality.

Reinvented typography

What we say is just as important as how we say it. Our new typeface, Public Sans, is friendly and allows for flexibility and a hierarchy of messages conveyed with clarity and confidence. We selected this typeface because it personifies Alation. We’ve always strived to provide individuals and organizations with the ability to access and understand their data. Public Sans provides greater readability, accessibility, and inclusivity for the stories we tell.

Expanded color palette

Our value, “Build for the long-term,” is a counterbalance to “Move the ball,” as it reminds us to also take time and care to lay solid foundations for the future. We’ll never forget where we came from and have built upon the foundation we’ve laid. Thus, our new color palette still includes our OGs - Alation Orange and Neo Navy - yet we’ve incorporated fresh energy with Vivid Purple, Sun Yellow, and Sea Foam additions. The bold and inviting new colors add flare and allow high contrast and dynamic layouts that reflect our vibrant brand story, exuding innovation, excitement, and engagement. 

You’ll also see the use of gradients, conveying change and fluidity across a spectrum. Similarly, data reflects a world in flux, leading us to a deeper understanding of hidden nuances – and more probing questions. The gradients are meant to extend the idea of connectedness and community and capture the importance that access to the right, trusted data can create.

New graphic elements

Our new graphic elements are purposeful and thoughtful, bringing depth and dimensionality to our visual storytelling and path forward.

The use of the Alation Amplifier is an expressive metaphor meant to tie back to our core value of “Measure ourselves through customer impact.” The strokes within the wings convey the impact and power that Alation brings to our customers around the globe, enabling them to reap the benefits of the value they derive from their data and AI initiatives.

Data Waves symbolize the steady flow of data, the lifeblood of every organization. 

Our last value is “Listen like we’re wrong.” It reminds us that there’s always more to learn and no shame in reversing an opinion, but it is a shame to cling to an unjustified opinion in the face of mounting evidence. By seeing a new viewpoint or perspective through the window of our wings, we help users see new, perhaps unexpected ideas. The window enables us to use the negative space within the wings to contain visual references to themes relevant to key brand moments.

A thank you to my team

This work is a culmination of tireless effort from our small but mighty team. Committing to a brand evolution in three months was aggressive and arguably a bit crazy. Your passion and dedication to pushing boundaries and thinking outside the box have helped lay the foundation for Alation’s continued success, especially as we head fearlessly into this next chapter. Thank you for your hard work, creativity, and determination.  

This is the new Alation, and as of today, you’ll see these changes come to life on our homepage. They represent an evolution of our business. We were a data catalog company, and now we’re a company helping organizations realize value from data and AI. This is just the start, and there’s so much more to come in the future, so stay tuned! View Alation’s new brand guidelines here.