🎨 " #PermissionlessDesign " for bitchat* @jack & team Hi. I'm Bee and I love design + permissionless, decentralized, and open-source technology. While new to #Nostr network in the past few months, @JSKitty and I have started to build @V E C T O R , and since then I've found out about bitchat* and it has reignited the spark in me that really drove me heavily into open-source tech and communities. PS: Special thanks to the Nostr community. 📎Quoted below more about bitchat* (Original Source: Twitter) ◤◢◤◢◤◢ Branding Concepts ◤◢◤◢◤◢ I took some time, while I was on the plane after testing out bitchat* at ~35,000 ft above ground, and started playing with some icon/symbol design concepts. With anything creative that comes to you, you have to act on it or it will forever rest in the graveyard of "what ifs". One of my favorite styles of design is heavily influenced by cyberpunk/cypherpunk terminals and narratives, as well as pixel art. So, with this design concept I got to merge them both, largely due to influence in the name itself "bit"chat. I broke down the Core Elements of the brand in my perspective for this proximity-based privacy messenger app: ◤◢◤◢◤◢ Core Elements ◤◢◤◢◤◢ ◤◢ Bit(s) > Information, Data, Storage ◤◢ Mesh Network > Nostr Protocol, Decentralized Network, Nodes ◤◢ Communication > Bluetooth Technology, Encryption, Privacy One of my favorite aspects of design is taking different elements and merging them (largely trying to simplify them) to create a unique and new symbol, that broadcasts a unique message. In this particular example, I took most of my inspiration from the pre-existing app where it uses a terminal-like GUI (surely inspired by cypherpunk themes and the Matrix) and wanted to build with the foundational pillars that are most likely set in place with a lot of thought and intention vs. creating a random, new brand direction and style guide. Factoring that into the equation, I wanted the emphasis to be on the "b" for "bitchat*" to help users easily remember, identify, and connect with the brand. In the second image, you can see this represented visually. I merged the shape of a lowercase "b" with the general shape of a two-way radio, representing communication between 2 or more parties. So, we have the elements of "bit" covered by the simple pixel style (boxes), the "b" to help reiterate the name of the tool, app, and brand, and the same shape of a two-way radio to represent a form of encrypted communication. Since this icon is incredibly simple, I also did some research and checking to see if there were any companies, organizations, or logos that were the same... as a lot of design is a really just a puzzle and people at this day and age are bound to put some of the pieces in the same order, especially with the most simple and basic geometric shapes. I found similar examples, but luckily didn't find any that were the same. I kept the same brand colors and primary "cypherpunk" green: HEX#: 2fd159 used in the app. ◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢ C o n c l u s i o n ◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢ Absolutely enjoyed this design experiment and I'm curious to see where it leads... overlooked, irrelevant, appreciated, LGTM? That is the beauty of doing what you love, there is no losing. Working on many open-source projects that have failed to this day, only have taught me so much along the way and in some sense, helps you to be unattached to your potential expectations and desires to focus on the present, the task at hand... If the team, contributors, and community behind bitchat* are interested, DMs are open. I'm happy to contribute what I can to build out the branding, based on what currently exists at no cost. 🤍 //.FormlessLabs/YuurinBee