Crypto Rising

When creating a successful identity, I’m always looking to distil the subject to its simplest form – what could I boil crypto down to? The thought that came to the fore was of revolution; for better and worse, digital currency evangelists are believers in the revolution that the technology will bring about, in both commerce and wider society. However, there are also plenty of investors who are far more capitalist than socialist. For these people, it’s not so much the distribution and democratisation of wealth that interests them, rather the unfettered, relentless growth that crypto promises.

With themes of revolution and growth solidified, I had the raw ingredients to form the mark, with the iconic raised fist, repurposed and blended with lines to represent the circuitry of technology, with a finishing touch of an upward arrow deftly created from the negative space to represent growth. With revolution firmly established, I knew exactly where to go – Russian constructivist design, specifically revolution posters. The style is well known and understood by designers and non-designers alike with the thick display fonts and bold, simplistic motifs being instantly recognisable and associated with revolution.

I drew upon the digital art I’m well versed in anyway – bright, garish, tumblr-esque visuals which had recently come to represent the NFT art world. From there, it was a case of building out the visual identity, references of block chain, colloquialisms of the crypto world, all folded in with a visual nous to form a comprehensive brand. A truly representative identity built upon the tension between the old and new – modern visuals with traditional influences, all of which worked effortlessly across print and digital.