I want to begin by saying that design is often understood and limited as a stand-in for artistic expression and this could not be further from the truth. Design is about solving problems! A sound design is about the number of issues it can crack and for how long that solution may not require revision. We recently undertook the task of rebranding AssetMantle. The experience could not be a better example of the principle spoken about above.
Why was re-branding required?
The old AssetMantle logo imagined curios placed on a mantel. It was an excellent metaphor to work with, except you would have noticed the spelling difference between mantle and mantel — the first being one of the Earth’s layers and the second one being a shelf above a fireplace. But also, there is the challenge of people colloquially using the two spellings interchangeably (which is how language evolves, but I digress).
The team wanted to create a logo that would make a more significant effort to appeal to the artistically inclined; however, a yellow line below the name was not entirely cutting it (refer the video below). So we set out to rebrand, and Sylvester took charge and marched on. Several sketches and approaches later, the exploration phase was over, and it was time to narrow down the field and start becoming opinionated in the decision-making phase. The process helped us narrow down to the letters “A” and “M” represented as shapes for the AssetMantle logo.
Presenting to a broader audience
While we could have worked on it more and refined it, we shared a relatively early cut with the leadership on the team and received their opinion. The design team internally thought the layout looked like an elephant, while others saw an expression of yin-yang, tangrams, and the shapes lava would make if it were to represent letters of the alphabet. In other branding projects, we have strived to have the shape represent one idea for the audience. Still, the power of the logo meant different things to different individuals. Surprisingly there was a unanimous buy-in for the logo, so Akshay jumped in and began the refinements and font pairings.
Thematic and Functional Names
We grounded the entire process in a theme. As development progressed, we realized that we might require names for products, platforms, blockchains, phases of the project, and other features. Akshay and Harman began brainstorming words to use in line with the theme we came up with for the product. The two things we needed to announce publicly were the marketplace where NFT artists could publish their NFTs (now called MantlePlace) and the store builder where the artists with multiple collections could create stores for themselves (now called MantleBuilder). During the process, we stumbled upon multiple challenges. Let us walk you through a couple of them.
After a thoughtful discussion, we came up with two sets of names: One based on the theme and the other on the product’s functions. We checked the words for domain name availability (with “.one” as the TLD) and presented the names to the leadership. The team wanted to go with one functional name and one thematic name as SEO concerns influenced their decision-making drivers. We suggested going for functional on both names. While the penultimate contenders were “AssetBuilder” and “MantlePlace,” AssetBuilder.com was already taken, and we had to switch over to MantleBuilder and MantlePlace.
Website Design Dependencies
Akshay worked out the design system while Rozann had begun infusing the system into the website design. We needed to work around challenges in finding illustration styles to express specific ideas in line with the theme. But this was also quickly worked out while keeping in mind tectonic plates and them floating over each other.
We have developed an entire brand and design system that will help with the several touchpoints we need in the future. We are working out the motion graphics styles and ensuring that we infuse the theme consistent with the way elements move around on digital platforms.
Watch the Video
More details and an open discussion are available in the accompanying video. Whether you are from the design field or a start-up owner, watch this video to learn about design’s impact on your organization. We hope it helps illustrate how we balanced business, marketing, and user experience design requirements to develop a solution that addresses all the needs and concerns.
Reach Out
We hope you like the new brand design. Do write to us and share your thoughts regarding the same if you would like to. We are available at design@assetmantle.one.
About AssetMantle
AssetMantle is a multi-tenant NFT marketplace framework that enables creators and collectors to securely mint, own, and trade digital assets on its fast-finality blockchain. The AssetMantle no-code toolset allows creators to create customized assets and marketplaces permissionless-ly . Likewise, collectors can own the assets minted across these marketplaces and compatible chains in a singular wallet with minimal gas and a lower carbon footprint. Built on the interNFT standard, AssetMantle implements an end-to-end stack of open-source modular tools that developers can modify to fit advanced use cases.
contribute to interchain NFT standards; currently being spearheaded by us & the interchain foundation: https://github.com/interNFT/nft-rfc/tree/main
Vision
Build an open-source, community-driven framework for inter-chain NFTs and metadata standardization by contributing to the ‘interNFT standard’.
Mission
Provide a platform that enables a diverse set of NFTs use cases that extend beyond arts and collectibles and can potentially change the representation of rights and ownership of real-world assets like real estate and other commodities.
AssetMantle is always on the lookout to connect with individuals or organizations who wish to take advantage of the opportunities present in the blockchain space and want to learn more about AssetMantle. If you wish to get in touch, please do not hesitate to reach out.
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