Cryptocurrencies (Altcoins) and the technologies behind them are becoming ever more popular around the world. While interest is rapidly growing, many don’t have a clear understanding of what the blockchain and Altcoins actually are – let alone using them. False and misleading information spreads like a virus and all too often creates disillusion for supporting services like wallets and exchanges. We’re not that too far away from brands such as facebook to socialise and normalise the use of Altcoins on mass scale.

Learn, learn, learn as much as you can. We had weekly sessions with the Dash Core leadership team to better understand audience needs, the environment in which they operate, their motivations, beliefs and methodology behind Dash. Where had they come from (originally Xcoin) and their intended trajectory. Familiarising ourselves with development strategies, how the technology differentiates them, the unique network structure and proposal model that unifies a hugely diverse and intellectual community. It was also important to establish a meaningful relationship with the Dash community. We were fortunate enough to time it perfectly to attend a Dash Symposium in which developers, engineers, cryptologists and many other talented folk descended into Hong Kong from the furthest corners of the globe. 
This event provided an unexpected opportunity to talk with investors and learn first-hand where they see the value of and the purpose Dash plays in the world.

Prior to the website redesign and build, Dash had commissioned through their own networks a logo refresh with the objective of making the brand more approachable and welcoming. Which, by design was an incremental step forward rather than a complete redesign. We then took the new logo design and developed the broader brand identity encapsulating tone of voice, illustration styles, lifestyle photography and supporting graphics. This was then applied to our wireframes, prototyped and then developed into an enjoyable and informative experience with an easy to navigation interface design.

The individual user, the business owner, the developer and the wider community, each with their own levels of understanding – we needed to be conscious of the language we used was not full of technical jargon that the newbie individual couldn’t understand, but at the same time making sure the conversation wasn’t patronising for an advanced computer engineer.

Grab a coffee, split a check, or pay your phone bill. Your money, your way. It’s that simple! We used familiar terms like ‘download the app’ rather than more challenging terms like ‘Digital wallet’. Using photography that evokes a sense of freedom, enhanced lifestyles and individuality. Supported by illustrations that amplify the intentions of the new logo.

For each audience group we curated and designed dedicated pages, providing everything they need to know to get started using Dash. The order and flow of each of the audience dedicated landing pages share information and knowledge at the right time and couched at the right level to keep the viewer engaged and informed. Download the app, buy Dash, spend Dash, validating and providing information to cement trust and all without leaving the page.

For business owners the proposition is different. Increasing revenue and efficiency, access to a next generation of customer and untapped market are the appeal. Learning how simple it is to integrate with their existing accounting systems, KYC and compliance are also high on influencing the decision making process. Then supporting them with information on easy install e-commerce plugins, buying and selling Dash, understanding the vast network of Dash vendors who is already making the most of the new technology.

The development and engineering audience is very different again. They really don’t want to see photos of themselves, they don’t relate or respond to the photography like other audiences do. From the workshops and meet-ups we attended, devs want to see terminal windows with code they can play with, release notes, links to developer guides, how to get started building decentralised apps on the network and how to they can earn money for their time invested. The level of understanding is far greater with this audience but at the same time Dash uses its own code language so it was important to be able to connect with less experienced developers right through to the experienced.

The Dash community has developed literally 100’s of resource sites, directories, wikis, telegram and discord channels, news feeds, videos guides and so on. All with the same desire to grow the network and advance adoption rates, but inadvertently this leads to conflicting information, out of date directories that can confuse and create unwanted barriers. Although Dash is a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), there still needs to be leadership and stewardship. The new site had to be the ‘source of truth’ for the brand. A place where anyone and everyone can come to find out trusted information in a curated and brand lead environment – in a manner that doesn’t contradict its own principles and squash the passion and energy of community sites.

The Dash proposed system is one example of how we approached this delicate matter. Dash Central is a platform/application that enables the community to propose and vote on what development projects get funding. A great tool but visually it looks very different to the Dash brand, so redirecting someone new without context would cause much confusion. By using a custom API we were able to surface and restyle the top 5 projects and live voting into the main site. Users could then springboard into the site knowing where it all fits within the bigger picture.

We did the same with dynamic product roadmaps, exchange directories, new feeds, wiki pages, github repositories, up to the minute vendor and exchange directories and events and conference dates. This enabled Dash.org to the defining source for any newcomer or long term user of Dash by providing a clear overview of the flourishing community and what makes Dash one of the leading cryptocurrencies.