Circle
Circle is redefining our financial world. We created a visual ecosystem that brings their technology and brand values to life, integrating 2D, 3D, and motion design.
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Circle is a financial technology that represents the future of money. Digital dollars, stable-coin, a new internet financial system—they’re building it.
Circle came to us with an exciting mission: to create a visual ecosystem that humanizes the technology that is redefining our financial world. We were excited to take on the challenge of creating a fluid and flexible system that integrates 2D, 3D, and motion design to communicate the technology in a way that people can understand.
The 3D illustrations are designed to communicate the value of the company’s technology and an ethos that embraces growth, inclusivity, prosperity, freedom, and possibility. We conceived, sketched, and illustrated the entire visual world and then brought it all to life in motion.
Creating design for emerging technology is a huge creative opportunity because, without the precedent of a prevailing design aesthetic, we have the freedom to create a design system that springs from strategic design thinking. In this instance, instead of having to adhere to a specific prior case or paradigm, we got to explore like crazy, building an entire design system that will evolve right alongside the technology it represents.
A System Built On Fluidity
We focused on the theme of 'fluidity' to reflect the adaptability of digital currency. Our goal was to balance the brand's technological innovation with visuals that also convey trust and responsibility. To achieve this, we strategically paired realistic, familiar materials with playful expressions.
Problem
Circle needs to communicate its technology's value in a simple, warm, and understandable way to a broad audience.
Insight
The technology underlying Circle enables smooth financial transactions in a sector that is often plagued by friction.
Solution
Create a design system that communicates Circle's themes, humanizes the brand, and balances innovation with responsibility.
Result
We created a flexible and customizable ecosystem that can adapt to the growth of the Circle brand.
Illustration System
At the heart of the project is a uniquely abstract 3d illustration system. These key visuals became the cornerstone of the brand's visual communication, conveying financial concepts like security, freedom, growth, and accessibility.
Object Library
The object library consists of shapes that represent finance, currency, banks, growth, transference, and blockchain themes. These shapes, such as portals, paths, and stairs, portray growth and fluid exchange of value.
Materials Library
We created an extensive library of materials and colors to convey brand values: stability, transparency, and freedom.
Social Media Toolkit
Our social media toolkit shows how elements can be used in various ways, providing multiple layout options with maximum flexibility.
Styleguide
We created a comprehensive style guide for both internal and external use, highlighting the hero visuals as the key component of the illustration system. The guide demonstrated how the ecosystem can be scaled across various platforms.
Graphic System
We developed a robust graphic system that combines brand assets, such as photography, 3D illustration, and a typographic grid strategy, for use across any application.
Data Visualization
Data is represented using consistent graphic shapes, color palettes, and typography in simple infographic templates.
The State of the USDC Economy 2024 Report.
The era of Open Money is bringing greater speed, accessibility, and innovation to the global economy. The report itself covers the latest on adoption trends, global regulatory context for payment stablecoins, and key partners joining to build the world’s largest stablecoin network.
Studio
Brand New School
Creative Directors
Chloë Greene & Jeff Welk
Lead 3D Designer
Jean-Michel Verbeeck
3D Designers
Bon Zhang, Jun Yang, Shal Matharu
2D Designers / Illustrators
Phoebe Hsu, Nin Wang, Yi, Chen Kuo, Cathy Xiao
3D Animation Supervisor
Pete Germano
3D Animators
Seong Yeop Sim, James Vogel
Head of Production
Tita Poe
Senior Producer
Sascha Flick