Kuru
Jon Spectacle
Overview
Kuru, the first central limit order book on Monad, came to us as a protocol on testnet. The technology worked, but there was no brand and nothing user-facing. That's a problem in DeFi. People decide whether to connect a wallet in seconds, and a new exchange has no history to point at. Launch was one month out.
Duration: 11 months.
Category: Web3.
Scope: Branding, UX/UI, Website.
Kuru social media template
Kuru laptop mock up of the swap interface
Approach
Built the identity from nothing, because a protocol on testnet has nothing a user can recognise
Mapped the information architecture first, so the screens had a structure to sit in rather than the reverse
Designed swap, positions and vault strategy on conventions traders already knew
Shipped launch-ready in one month. The date was not moving
Stayed 11 months past launch, iterating on what real usage showed
Kuru spot exchange interface design
Kuru brandmark, logo and symbol
"From concept to launch in 1 month, Jon and Mat's work on our brand kit and DEX design was exceptional. We announced our raise on it four weeks after kickoff and everyone loved the branding. The UI carried us through testnet and every user we interviewed liked it. Talented, responsive, and they pushed back when we were going down a rabbit hole."
Fravashi, Co-Founder, Kuru (backed by Paradigm and Electric Capital)
Kuru temporary homepage design
The Call
Kuru was the first central limit order book on Monad, and it combined DEX features in a way nobody had shipped before. When you've built a genuine first, the obvious move is to make it look like one.
We didn't. New mechanics plus a new interface means learning two things at once, while deciding whether to put money into a protocol with no track record, on a chain with no track record. Unfamiliar reads as risky when funds are involved.
So the interface uses conventions people already know. Familiar patterns, familiar placement, nothing that makes a user work out where they are.
It means the product doesn't stand out in a screenshot. First movers usually want to.
Kuru dark mode swap UI design
Outcomes
Kuru went from testnet protocol with no brand to a launch-ready product in one month. The visuals have changed since. The information architecture and product structure we set are still what the exchange runs on. It has since raised $11.6M from Paradigm, Electric Capital and Credibly Neutral.
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Posted Aug 22, 2024
No brand, one month to launch. Shipped on time, and Kuru has since raised $11.6M.
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