Fold7Design’s ‘limitless’ identity for Near holds a mirror to the Blockchain OS’ infinite potential — The Brand Identity – Home of the Greatest in Graphic & Brand Design

London-based Fold7Design has created a limitless identity for Near, a pioneering Blockchain Operating System. Near stands out as an infinitely scalable blockchain and an ecosystem for various applications. The new visual identity, inspired by the theme ‘Show the Way,’ features an infinite canvas made up of grid points derived from their infinity ‘N’ symbol, that represents the brand’s scalability and creativity.

“In static applications,” notes Creative Director Tom Munckton, “the grid points bleed off the edge, implying there’s more to discover beyond the extremities of each format. But the limitless nature of our canvas truly comes into its own in motion, where we can transition and dive around different segments of our infinite playground. There’s no restrictions or limitations, making each and every application unique – whilst allowing for consistency in the grid that underpins it.”

In contrast to the existing ‘N’ infinity symbol, which had had a lot of equity for the company, the wordmark felt disconnected from the symbol and the wider brand. Harnessing “every angle, corner and perspective within the symbol,” the team developed a custom wordmark that not only feels cohesive with the other brand elements, but also avoids any mispronunciation or confusion by being set in lowercase.

For the lead typeface, Fold7Design chose Florian Karsten’s FK Grotesk – a precise and mechanical typeface that showcases technical expertise without falling into clichés. It works well in different sizes and maintains legibility while also having unique characteristics that add personality. Additionally, each weight of the typeface includes subtle ink traps, a feature that is also reflected in the Near wordmark. “Longer term,” Senior Designer Ben Gibbons continues, “we’ll be developing an entirely custom typeface for Near, for use from the smallest applications in UI, to large scale billboards. It’s a typeface that will also sit on the blockchain, for open source use by the whole community, elevating the quality and consistency of design output across the board.”

The previous Near brand lacked an ownable colour, so after competitor research and workshops, a vibrant green tone was chosen. This green represents Near’s presence at tech events, contrasts well with white and black backgrounds, and aligns with Near’s goals. “Near is on a mission,” Gibbons says, “to engage developers from other blockchains with easier and more effective development methods, as well as showing how energised the Web3 space is to developers currently stuck in Web2, and this is the colour to do it. Green is also positive in the crypto space, representing upward trajectory in value.”

The design language focuses on human-centricity and familiar UI-inspired elements, reflecting Near’s commitment to accessibility. “The most interesting aspect for us,” reveals Munckton, “is the open-source nature of it. As is the nature of a Web3 brand – it’s been really exciting seeing where the identity is taken, and how the community of developers, founders and creatives within the Near ecosystem are exploiting it to its full extent,” he concludes.