Baffled by blockchain?
That’s OK. Most of us are.
As we turn to today’s design case study, allow us to offer up a few words of explanation:
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You often hear Bitcoin and blockchain mentioned in the same breath—but blockchain is not Bitcoin. Rather, Bitcoin runs on blockchain technology, not entirely unlike the way an operating system powers your computer.
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The easiest way to think about blockchain is as a record-keeper—a theoretically super-secure one, at that (blockchain lacks a centralized computer or server, and instead exists on peer-to-peer networks).
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To see how it works in action, let’s consider an oversimplified financial example: Every time a transaction is made, a block is created. Each subsequent transaction creates a new block, and all are linked—thus the “chain.” The sum toll of the chain is a definitive record.
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Blockchain launched in 2008 with Bitcoin, but has since been adapted for an array of secure clerical uses, from other cryptocurrencies to the traditional financial industry, the contract world and even supply chains.
… Still baffled? Luckily, you don’t need to fully understand it to appreciate the branding that Mexico City–based agency Futura has created for BLOC.
Here’s more from Futura:
“BLOC is an independent blockchain studio that designs and develops digital infrastructures with the aim of making a positive global impact through generating meaningful change in society. The main brand is divided into three sub brands: consultancy, labs and products, all offering solutions using blockchain.
“Our graphic solution comes from the principle of blockchain, a data structure in which each block of information is chained to the previous one, therefore [they] all depend on each other to function, which, in a way, is a metaphor for how humanity works. We use the dot as the main element of the brand, representing a block of information that is reliant on the others. Highlighted dots refer to the people who stand out, who are redefining and breaking the grid; creating new connections, partnerships, products, solutions and formations.
“This pattern was modified to form the shape of a ‘B’ in the main icon, which takes different forms referencing the shapes created by flocks of birds while flying; the way they collaborate, look for each other and adapt to the wind is exactly what Bloc represents in its own context.”
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