We invite you to design the 2026 PyTorch Foundation flare pin for PyTorch Conference North America.
The winning entrant will receive one complimentary ticket to PyTorch Conference North America in San Jose, CA, in October.
PyTorch Foundation will produce the winning design as a 1-inch die-cut soft enamel pin for PyTorch Conference North America.
Submit an original design by August 14, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PT by posting on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or Bluesky using the hashtags #PyTorchPin and #PyTorchCon.
Design the 2026 Flare Pin
Each design must:
- Be original and suitable for a 1-inch die-cut soft enamel pin
- Include “26” or “2026”
- Include the official PyTorch Foundation symbol
- Provide the final design in SVG, PNG, or PDF format
Designs may use any shape, typeface, and color palette appropriate for distribution at a professional community event.
Use only official PyTorch Foundation assets and follow the PyTorch Foundation Brand Guidelines, Linux Foundation Trademark Usage Guidelines, and Linux Foundation Terms of Use. Official assets must remain intact and legible and must not be redrawn, distorted, or modified.
How to Enter
Each entry must include:
- One clear image of the complete, standalone design
- A brief description of the concept and its connection to the PyTorch community
- The entrant’s name or social handle
- Disclosure of any AI tools used
Post the entry publicly on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or Bluesky using #PyTorchPin and #PyTorchCon. The post must remain public until PyTorch Foundation announces the winner.
Selection
The PyTorch Foundation Marketing Committee will select the winning design based on originality, legibility at 1 inch, use of the required symbol and year, brand compliance, and suitability for production.
The winner will be contacted on August 19, 2026, and must respond and provide final artwork by August 24, 2026. The committee’s decision is final, and PyTorch Foundation may decline to select a winner if no eligible entry meets the requirements.
PyTorch Foundation may adjust the winning design to meet production, brand, or trademark requirements.
Contest Rules and Submission Details
Show the flat design clearly without cropping, watermarks, overlays, or mockup effects that obscure the artwork. Additional mockups are permitted.
Social entries must be published by the deadline. Entrants unable to submit through an eligible social platform may email the required materials to marketing@pytorch.org with the subject line 2026 PyTorch Pin Design Submission. Email entries must be received by the same deadline.
AI-assisted and AI-generated designs are permitted. Entrants remain responsible for ensuring that their designs meet all contest, copyright, brand, and trademark requirements.
Entrants must be at least 18 years old. Joint or group entries are not eligible.
Entrants must own or have permission to use every element in the design. Entries containing unauthorized third-party trademarks, copyrighted material, or obscene, sexually explicit, hateful, discriminatory, harassing, threatening, or otherwise inappropriate content are not eligible.
Permission to use PyTorch Foundation assets applies only to creating and submitting an entry. It does not authorize entrants to manufacture, sell, or distribute PyTorch Foundation-branded merchandise.
Artwork Rights
Entrants retain ownership of their artwork but grant PyTorch Foundation and its event and production partners a nonexclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to reproduce, publish, display, and promote submissions in connection with the contest.
For the winning design, the license also covers adaptation, production, distribution, photography, and promotion of the pin.
Prize and Travel
The complimentary ticket may not be sold, transferred after issuance, or redeemed for cash.
The ticket covers conference admission only. PyTorch Foundation will not pay or reimburse travel, lodging, ground transportation, meals, visa-related costs, or other attendance expenses.
Eligible community members may separately apply for The Linux Foundation Travel Fund. Applications close August 23, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PT, and applicants will be notified by September 2, 2026. Travel funding is separate from the contest and is not guaranteed.
Questions may be sent to marketing@pytorch.org.
PyTorch Foundation and the PyTorch Foundation logo design are registered trademarks of the Linux Foundation.
Facts Only
PyTorch Foundation is hosting a design contest for the 2026 PyTorch Conference North America flare pin.
The winning prize is one complimentary ticket to the conference in San Jose, CA, in October.
The pin is specified as a 1-inch die-cut soft enamel pin.
Submission deadline is August 14, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Entries must be posted on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, or Bluesky using #PyTorchPin and #PyTorchCon.
Designs must include "26" or "2026" and the official PyTorch Foundation symbol.
Final files must be provided in SVG, PNG, or PDF format.
AI-assisted and AI-generated designs are permitted.
Entrants must be at least 18 years old.
The winning design will be announced on August 19, 2026.
Final artwork for the winner is due by August 24, 2026.
Email submissions are accepted at marketing@pytorch.org.
Executive Summary
The PyTorch Foundation is soliciting community-led designs for a commemorative "flare pin" to be distributed at the 2026 PyTorch Conference North America in San Jose. The contest invites artists and community members to create a 1-inch soft enamel pin that incorporates the official foundation symbol and the year 2026. To ensure brand consistency, participants must adhere to the Linux Foundation’s trademark and brand guidelines, though they have freedom regarding shape, typeface, and color palette.
Submissions are primarily handled via social media to encourage public engagement, though an email alternative exists for those without eligible accounts. The process allows for AI tool usage, provided the entrant ensures copyright and trademark compliance. The prize is limited to conference admission; it does not cover travel or lodging, though participants may independently apply for a separate Linux Foundation Travel Fund. The PyTorch Foundation Marketing Committee retains final decision-making power and the right to modify the winning design for production requirements.
Full Take
SKEPTICAL MODE:
The strongest version of this narrative is a community-engagement initiative designed to foster ownership and creativity within the PyTorch ecosystem. By gamifying the creation of a small piece of conference merchandise, the foundation leverages "crowdsourced" creativity to build anticipation for its North American event.
The framework is a standard corporate community-outreach model. The "prize"—a single conference ticket—is a low-cost incentive for the organization but holds high perceived value for a dedicated developer or student. By requiring public social media posts with specific hashtags, the foundation effectively turns every entrant into a marketing agent, amplifying the conference's reach across multiple platforms through the participants' own networks.
The root cause is the ongoing need for open-source projects to maintain "developer mindshare" in a highly competitive AI landscape. The assumption is that aesthetic contribution correlates with community loyalty.
The implications for human agency are minimal, though the legal terms are precise: the foundation secures a worldwide, royalty-free license to the artwork, ensuring they can utilize the community's intellectual labor without long-term financial obligation.
Patterns detected: none
Bridge Questions:
How does the inclusion of AI-generated designs affect the "originality" criteria for selection?
In what ways does the requirement for social media promotion shift the nature of the contest from an artistic competition to a marketing campaign?
Would a different prize structure (e.g., a cash prize or a scholarship) attract a different demographic of contributors?
Counterstrike Scan:
If this were a coordinated influence campaign, it would use "community participation" as a veil to harvest user data or force a specific political hashtag into trending status. This content does not match that pattern; it is a routine corporate call-for-entries with standard legal protections.
Sentinel — Human
This text exhibits the highly structured, legally precise language typical of official contest guidelines rather than typical journalistic writing.