Decred | Blockchain, open-source software

Designing for Decred meant shaping how the project communicates trust and clarity in an industry that often lacked both at the time.

The DCR symbol was designed to be immediate and adaptable—simple enough to be drawn by hand but distinctive enough to stand alongside global currency symbols. Beyond the logo, the brand system was built as an open framework, enabling anyone – contributors and community members to use and adapt it without losing cohesion.

A big part of the project was about creating tools that made Decred easier to understand, represent, and build upon. The design system, launched in 2017, became a practical foundation for Decred’s growth. It provided consistency in communication, helped define product interfaces, and gave the project a visual presence that could scale with its ambitions.

Momentum existed—design gave it clarity and form.

We designed the DCR symbol to function like a global currency mark—instantly recognizable, reproducible by hand, and structurally solid across type styles and mediums. As an ambigram, it retains clarity even in rotated or mirrored contexts, reinforcing both its flexibility and unique form.

Beyond the logo, we developed a flexible design system: a set of tools, principles, and visual assets that empowered contributors to maintain consistency while adapting the brand for new use cases. This system served as a practical foundation for Decred’s evolution—supporting product UI, platform communications, and the ecosystem tools and products. Over the years, we went through several major iterations of the project’s main site—each one refining the way Decred was positioned as it matured. With every version, we got closer to clearly expressing the project’s unique vision and values to both technical and non-technical audiences.

We also created a range of visual materials—from a signature style for contributor to key release motion graphics. Over time, these evolved into a common style of 3D abstractions that helped represent how the technology works under the hood.

I co-authored the brand identity and managed the bulk of the project's design operations. Served as lead designer from early release and during key protocol developments, including the implementation of staking, Decrediton wallet, Politeia and consensus voting, Lightning Network, Atomic Swaps and CoinShuffle++, delivering cohesive design solutions that helped interact and communicate with complex blockchain concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Credits

Design Lead: Tanel August Lind

Design: Sander M., Jani R.

Illustration: Kärt Koosapoeg, Marcel Lustosa

Motion: BOP (Sander Joon, Mikk Mägi), Kyle Chivers 3D: 30000fps

Development: Mykolas Raižys

Case Study 01: Identity and Design Development for a Digital Currency

Case Study 02: DCR Logo Performance Update

Github: /dcrdesign

Animation library: https://lottiefiles.com/decred Figma: Identity and Visual comms. guidelines Case study: https://www.ta-lind.com/decred