Design Evolution AMA Transcript

Vali Tronaru — Head of Design — presentation:

Hi there! Friends call me Vali and I’m the Creative Lead @Coreto.

Basically, I’m in charge of everything visual with Coreto and it’s my responsibility to create a seamless experience for users on the platform.

At my very core, I’m a designer. I also enjoy tweaking HTML & CSS (and any kind of code I can understand) and my formal education was in engineering. I hope this problem-solving mix will allow me to create and oversee the Coreto platform.

I also worked in the past with Iustina and Andrei, so we go a long way back. Having such a good relationship so far is truly something to be grateful for.

Is design evolution an actual rebranding?

Q1: How will the CDL bring more exposure? Wouldn’t an influencer do a better job?

A1: Great first question!

As I said before, CDL creates the personality of our platform and our brand. It allows it to stand out in this overcrowded space.

In a few months, people will quickly associate the blue-pointed hexagon with Coreto. CDL gives Coreto more personality and prepares the ground for influencers.

If we want them to join us, we need to step up the game and speak their language. That’s Coreto Design Language.

Q2: Why did you choose these new colours? Do they have a meaning?

A2: The colours have their source in the old Coreto palette. Yellow is the only new colour, the rest are derived from the old Coreto shades of blue — but more intense, more in sync with each other.

The colours were created with two things in mind: a recognisable communication and a crystal-clear experience on the platform.

While various graphic elements are needed to be masterfully integrated, colour is by far, one of the essentials to convey a logo’s meaning. We mainly chose blue as a base because of accessibility and its role in UI.

Q3: I saw the differences between the two. I saw that initially, the C had gradient colours. Is there a reason you decided to “get rid” of the gradient?

A3: The gradient evolved in transparency. The new logo still has that 3D look where the top C seems underneath the bottom one. So we didn’t get rid of the gradient, we just use it differently now.

Q4: Why was a rebranding necessary at this point?

A4: First of all, this isn’t a rebranding. This is a brand evolution and I have already explained what this means.

As Alpha is progressing, CDL completes it and comes as a natural step forward of our brand. Our platform is not a simple website, it’s a complete digital product that will be capable of onboarding millions of users. A design system was needed so that we could deal with this level of intricacy.

With Alpha developing rapidly and with Beta in mind, there was no better time to create our own design language than now.

Coreto Design Language benefits

Q5: I didn’t quite understand what CDL does. What benefits does it bring to the project and to the community?

A5: Technically, the definition says that “a design language is a set of guidelines and standards which guide the creation of products underneath a brand.”

Translated into Coreto’s main purpose, CDL is our way of stepping up the game.

Why is this so important?

Coreto Design Language backs up Coreto’s vision by improving every important aspect that will help us get to the next level:

• a more efficient communication (both online and offline);
• brand awareness improvement leading to exponential growth;
• better user onboarding;
• it serves as a binder in this entire ecosystem created by Coreto (investors, content creators, project teams).

Let’s take an example. CDL brings us recognizability, which benefits our project by making it more visible; you’ll know it’s Coreto when you’ll see that blue-pointed hexagon for instance. By being easily recognizable, people can connect faster and easier with our project. More awareness means more analysts and traders on the platform; more influencers, more projects. The more, the merrier. You definitely got the idea.

Design evolution adaptation and implemeting CDL

Q6: When will the new website be ready? Will it be fundamentally different from the old one? What to expect from it?

A6: We have planned to launch our new website at the end of May. As you may have already seen in the sneak peek that I shared yesterday with you, the new website will be adapted to the CDL in terms of design.

But, you will also discover new pages with information like the roadmap, tokenomics, community and much more.

Let me be more clear about the new website: we want to give all of you a place where you can understand the project (and its status) and navigate easily through information.

Q7: What will be the biggest USP for this design evolution (CDL) and how will it benefit Coreto in the next 12 months in terms of exposure/awareness?

A7: Simple:

For the community — A clear and unique brand that will stick in the user’s brain!

Internally — We will move faster.

Q8: I would like to know a few things — will the Coreto community be able to create its own content? ( GIFs, memes, etc. ) Meaning — will there be an open platform/app for creative users to experiment with?

A8: Special executions are always on our list. This will be so fun to make and we’re actively trying to make room for these types of projects. You’ll know when we’re cooking something.

Q9: Will you give the community high-resolution PNG to create marketing materials themselves?

A9: Of course! I’ll grab a media pack and share the link here. These materials will also be available on our new website.

Q10: Will there eventually be a Coreto app that could be downloaded in the App/Play-Store?

A10: The first version of the platform will only be web-based. We’re working on mobile optimizations, so it will be usable on mobile devices. But we do have native Android/iOS versions planned for the future.

Q11: Have you previously worked on a project/brand similar or close to Coreto’s scale?

A11: Short answer, no. Why do I think I’m a good fit for Coreto? Well, the main reason is that I’m on the technical side. I know just enough programming to get me in trouble and my formal education takes me to engineering. This means I’m built for problem-solving — the core of the design.

I worked in two agencies. In this timeframe, I got the chance to work with clients like Coca-Cola and Apple, so I got a good grasp of what a big client means. I also designed a ton of websites. They’re not crypto, of course, but fundamental human behaviour doesn’t change so much over time.

Q12: I do have some concerns about the push towards a blue hexagon being the symbol of Coreto. The Chainlink logo is already a blue hexagon and I (and probably others) associate a blue hexagon with Chainlink, which is a very large (top 15 market cap) and well-known project. I think the previous Coreto logo (without background) was more unique because of the focus on the C instead of a hexagon. What are your thoughts about this? Would you consider shifting the focus back to the C instead of the hexagon background?

A12: Our main logo is still the C. We chose the token symbol to be a single-pointed hexagon to better control our appearance in dark/light modes. In time, we plan to communicate both of them so we don’t interfere with Chainlink.

The hexagon is not new in crypto, that’s for sure. But our version, along with the C, should make for a good identifier for our brand.

Q13: How big is the team? Are you guys working full-time on Coreto?

A13: Yes, we’re full-time (the core team) and we also have different partners that handle part of the tasks that don’t need a full-time job.

As we are approaching beta, more members will be added to our team.

Behind the scene are developers, a SEO specialist, PR, marketing people, a growth hacker, and other designers.

Q14: Was there anything(s) in particular that inspired the design element choices? ie physical objects? Artists or engineers? Film/music/cinema?

A14: Yes! And I think the choices we’re made mainly by the engineer in me: math and Interstellar. The hexagon is the perfect mathematical shape — so satisfying.

The movie Interstellar plays a big role when I design. Since I first watched it, it changed something in me. A masterpiece. I often play Hans Zimmers Interstellar soundtrack on Spotify when I design.

Q15: Why did you choose Coreto? What did you see in this project?

A15: The story is long, but let me try to shorten it. Iustina worked with me a few years ago. She was COO there I was just starting as a designer. The way she inspired me to create without limits stuck with me — my engineer brain exploded.

So we grew together professionally and then I had the chance to work on a project with her. Score! So this is my why, a good relationship with a mind I treasure.