NodeFolk
EDUCATIONAL PLATFORM ADDRESSING THE KNOWLEDGE GAP IN WEB3 AND OTHER EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.
ContributionBRAND DESIGN UI / UX GRAPHIC DESIGN VISUAL DESIGN Design lead Creative direction Market Research
about this
project
CHALLENGE
Designing a digital product and brand that addresses the growing demand for education in emerging tech and web3 is no small feat.
The NodeFolk brand needed to visually reflect the cutting-edge technologies it teaches, such as Blockchain, AI, Machine Learning, and LLMs, while remaining approachable to its core audience of university and higher education students.
The product needed to be highly adaptable, offering a customisable interface that caters to the unique teaching needs of educators and supports diverse user knowledge levels and accessibility requirements.
APPROACH - BRAND DESIGN
To tackle these challenges, a comprehensive brand language was created, that conveys a tech-forward, innovative approach to education.
APPROACH - PRODUCT DESIGN
For the product, the focus was on providing the flexibility modern educators and students need across diverse subjects, teaching styles, and individual learning requirements, including neurodiversity support.
The solution was a customisable "bento box" grid system, enabling educators to drag and drop tools into layouts tailored to their specific needs and those of their students.
NodeFolk brand is designed to visually capture a sense of innovation, discovery, creation and optimism for the future.
It’s an amalgamation of modern tech brand sensibilities with a unique modular approach, inspired by key functionality of the product itself.
BRAND DESIGN DETAILS
Use of crisp, sharp typography, bold yet inclusive colours, and pixelated graphic elements symbolises the connection of Nodes on a Blockchain. Name typography was completely customised to capture a sense of modernity and subtle futurism.
A minimalist high impact logo mark was designed to serve as a foundational element for all aspects of the brand, representative of people and technology being connected through the power of educational knowledge.
A place where folk connect over their shared passion for emerging tech, just like nodes connecting on the blockchain - NodeFolk.
With university and higher ed students as the core audience, the brand needed a bit of attitude, something that tells its young users that NodeFolk isn’t your typical, boring learning platform.
RESEARCH & INSIGHTS
Research indicated that integrating gamification and AI assistance tools would be crucial for improving knowledge retention and reducing course drop-offs.
With a built-in “bento box” course creation studio feature, educators can drag-and-drop the tools they need into a simple bento box grid offering flexible and personalised layout for their content and resources.
This approach empowers experts on the NodeFolk platform to design courses without being constrained by a rigid, one-size-fits-all curriculum, while also making learning engaging and enjoyable.
ON-CHAIN CERTIFICATION
With certificates for course completion being minted on the Blockchain, they can be authenticated by anyone, anywhere, forever - even if NodeFolk disappears.
