It’s also interesting to consider how design could help eliminate some of the stigma surrounding web3. For example, when you’re using Stepn it’s easy to forget that “crypto” is even involved, could be further abstracted away, etc.
The retro look aligns with mainstream appetite for throwbacks — Stranger Things being the most obvious example. Nostalgia marketing is a tried-and-true mainstream marketing play, so I’m not so sure its design that’s holding crypto back.
Rather, it’s our focus on unique selling points that don’t resonate with the mainstream; ownership, decentralization and immutability will never be as important as convenience, ease-of-use and novelty to mainstream consumers. We really need a wholesale rethink of web3’s core brand messaging, alongside its visual identity.
Love the perspective here!
It’s also interesting to consider how design could help eliminate some of the stigma surrounding web3. For example, when you’re using Stepn it’s easy to forget that “crypto” is even involved, could be further abstracted away, etc.
The McKinsey piece reminded me of the “design value index” (https://www.dmi.org/page/DesignValue).
The retro look aligns with mainstream appetite for throwbacks — Stranger Things being the most obvious example. Nostalgia marketing is a tried-and-true mainstream marketing play, so I’m not so sure its design that’s holding crypto back.
Rather, it’s our focus on unique selling points that don’t resonate with the mainstream; ownership, decentralization and immutability will never be as important as convenience, ease-of-use and novelty to mainstream consumers. We really need a wholesale rethink of web3’s core brand messaging, alongside its visual identity.