At the heart of NEAR is its climate-neutral, open source protocol, which is a sharded, proof-of-stake, layer-one blockchain. The ecosystem has a vast number of applications, infrastructure and support built by an ever-expanding network of developers, entrepreneurs and creatives. It’s supported by the NEAR Foundation which fosters innovation through grant funding.

The 3.5-day NEARCON event saw 2000+ delegates from the NEAR and Web3 community travel to Lisbon to learn about the NEAR ecosystem, and the latest Web3 developments and technologies. Talks were led by renowned authors, economists, A-list artists, and politicians.

NEAR turned to Fold7 for support as it needed a distinct, cut-through identity to mark the occasion – powered by and with a greater focus on, the NEAR brand. Fold7’s design solution was inspired by the multiple themes, ideas, discussions, and launches – all coming together in one place, under one brand and one roof.

Placing the brand’s iconic ‘N’ infinity symbol at the center and creating a wider visual language from its strong geometry enabled Fold7 to amplify the master brand’s signature moves and emphasize its unique identity. The result was a highly modular system that could expand and contract to any given format and play different roles across the scheme – even becoming directional signage at the event space. A crucial element was the motion graphic component which has multiple intensities and modes, responding to the themes or atmospheres throughout the event.

“Event identities are always an opportunity to amplify a brand’s core communicative elements, to experiment and explore new vantage points,” commented Tom Munckton, Head of Design at Fold7. “With the brilliant NEAR team, we carefully unfolded the most potent visual nuances and shone new light on them. We discovered new possibilities for the brand particularly within motion, on the journey”

This article originally appeared in Dexinger on 21 September 2022.