Abstract
The Dev Guild is organizing a competition to create a distinct visual identity while drawing inspiration from Greenpill Network’s designs. The goal is to develop a logo that aligns with the Network’s aesthetic but stands out as a unique emblem for the Guild. The logo should incorporate modular elements that can be adapted by other Guilds or Chapters, maintaining cohesion across the Network. The final design should be in vector format.
Key Terms
Logo, emoji, favicon, event banner, page header image
Motivation
The Greenpill Dev Guild functions as a service provider within the broader Greenpill Network. It operates its own content platforms and chat channels, and often hosts events like workshops. To differentiate these from Network-level activities the Guild needs to derive a distinct visual identity for clear and effective communication.
Steps to Implement
- Initial Announcement: Publicly announce the competition and share details through social media channels.
- Competition Kickoff: Officially start the competition, providing a clear deadline for submissions.
- Contestant Support: Offer ongoing assistance to participants throughout the competition, answering any questions and offering guidance.
- Social Media Engagement: Regularly post updates and content on social media to keep the competition lively and encourage participation.
- Submission Collection & Publication: Gather all submitted designs and make them available for public viewing and voting.
- Voting Round: Conduct a round of voting where the community can choose their favorite designs.
- Winner Announcement: Publicly announce the winning design on social media once voting is complete.
- Design Refinement: The chosen design will undergo refinement based on specific criteria provided by the Dev Guild.
The key resources required are personnel to handle communication and provide ongoing support. Content management on Charmverse will be necessary for support. Additionally, admin configuration will be needed on the competition platform. During the refinement phase Dev Guild leads will provide feedback.
Timeline
The competition will last one month, starting on Monday, January 13th, 2025 and ending on Friday, February 14th. After the competition, there will be a voting period scheduled for one week, from February 15th to the 21st.
Once the winner is determined, the chosen design will undergo a refinement iteration based on criteria provided by the Dev Guild. A budget will be allocated for this fine-tuning.
After the refinement process is complete, the new visual identity can be put into play across all channels.
Design Brief
The Dev Guild would like to create its own visual identity. The look & feel should derive from the Greenpill Network design but be distinct so the Guild can be recognized as its own entity.
To facilitate this the Dev Guild is organizing a friendly contest to design a solution, taking place over 30 days. This brief describes the suggested approach and requirements.
Current Network-level look & feel
The Greenpill Network logo is a 3D rendering of a green pill, a transparent lozenge filled with tiny pellets. It’s a simple but strong shape that’s recognizable at a distance and at small scales. For instance it works effectively as an emoji or favicon.
The base colors are a bright yellow green for the pill surfaces (#9be61b) with a dark green background (#254d32). Textual elements have a dark yellow color (#ffd972). The future Dev Guild logo will presumably follow, or lead off from, this color set.
There is also a derived design, used for book publishing and events, that uses a medium-light bluish-green background (#02e2ac) with elements in a sunflower yellow (#ffcc00). These colors and their shades work really well in blocks or banners that have the bluish-green background.
These designs are highly effective in a publishing context, especially when printing in CMYK inks. But the palette falls short for Web3 applications. The colors are soft and don’t have sufficient contrast for a logo that must operate on its own or be scaled down to favicon size. This becomes apparent when the colors are converted to grayscale:
Some of the banner designs use a different type of pill. While the Network pill is a lozenge, the event banner has more of a tablet. It has a midline where it could be split in half.
On Discord there’s a Greenpill emoji. It’s color is a bright blue-green, close to cyan, and it works well as a reaction. It probably should be updated with a consistent image.
There’s also a ‘Take the Green Pill’ emoji with the Greenpill in a hand. Despite the pill being tiny, it works! 
We hope that the result of the competition will offer a universal form that can unify these disparate symbols.
Design Considerations
The Dev Guild logo will need to operate in a lot of varied environments. This is a result of its use in Web3 applications where the Guild cannot control the context in which the logo appears. For instance, the logo will be used in websites, as an avatar on chat platforms, an icon in an application, an emoji, on third party grant and DeFi apps, etc.
Often the logo will be scaled, sometimes down to favicon size of 16x16 pixels. In order to remain recognizable it can’t be too complex. It needs to be a simple graphic shape that retains its form when reduced. Design details with small elements or fine lines will be lost in the reduction. It’s thus essential that the new Guild logo can operate at small scales, such as an emoji or favicon. Here is an example of a grant application:
In terms of color selection, green can be a problematic color for logos but since it’s already in the Greenpill name it’s a given. We expect that strong variants will work best. Darker greens could be played off against bright colors.
If a typeface is used to accompany the logo it should probably be sans-serif to create a modern, edgy presence for the Dev Guild. Examples are Futura, Aileron, Nunito Sans, or Exo for a technological vibe. However we request that any typefaces chosen be open source (or free as in beer).
Guild and Chapter logos utilizing collective elements
Ideally the new logo design will incorporate basis elements that can be reused by other Guilds or Chapters. In this way each unit of the Greenpill Network can create a unique logo for its own purposes. The commonalities will visually connect the logos to each other and the Network.
In contrast to the Network’s green pill logo, which is a raster image, the Dev Guild and Chapter logos should be in vector format.
Assignment
- Create a logo for the Dev Guild that derives from the Network but has its own character.
- Design the logo with modular elements that can be reused by Guilds and Chapters.
Asset Requirements and Suggestions
- Logo (required)
- Emoji / favicon (required)
- Color Palette (required)
- Typography
- Cover (header) Image
- Banner images for events
- Bonus Material (e.g. for POAPs)
- Other imagery
Competition Platform
The competition will be held on JokeRace. We’ve setup a contest where designers can upload their submissions.
The voting will be conducted on JokeRace as well where Guild members can vote for their favorite entry.
Support for the contest and JokeRace is available on the Dev Guild Discord, in the #brand-kit-contest channel.
Rewards
The top three submissions will receive a reward:
- 1st place: $1000
- 2nd place: $500
- 3rd place: $250
The winners will receive their reward within two weeks after the conclusion of the contest.
General Brand Identity Guidelines
Creating a strong brand for the Greenpill Dev Guild involves capturing the essence of our mission and values while resonating with our target audience. Here are some thoughts and suggestions for the logo and our future branding.
Core Themes
- Regeneration: Focus on imagery and messaging that highlight ecological restoration, sustainability, and positive environmental impact.
- Innovation and Technology: Emphasize our leading-edge approach with elements that reflect blockchain tech, decentralized systems, collective governance, and forward-thinking development.
- Community and Collaboration: Showcase the community aspect, emphasizing collaboration, inclusivity, and shared goals.
Branding Elements
Logo
Design: Consider a modern, minimal design that incorporates natural elements (like leaves or trees), mechanical elements (like tools or gears), and digital motifs (like blocks or networks).
Colors: Use plant tones (greens, yellows) combined with tech-oriented colors (blues, purples) to balance nature with technology.
Typography: Choose a clean, readable font that conveys professionalism and modernity. The typeface must be open-source.
Web page header images
Certain web pages in the Dev Guild’s Charmverse, X, and Discourse Hub will require a header image utilizing the new design. Please include a mockup in your submission.
Banner images for Events
The logo will be used in multiple contexts, particularly in event notifications on platforms such as Discord, X, Warpcast, etc. Some mockups that utilize the new logo and its colors would be welcome.
By aligning the Greenpill Dev Guild logo with these themes and elements, we can foster a cohesive and compelling identity that will resonate with our audience and support our mission.
Future Considerations for Building Out the Brand
Tagline
Consider taglines that convey our mission succinctly, such as “Building a Sustainable Future” or “Empowering Regenerative Technology.”
Visual Style
Imagery: Use visuals that combine nature with technology, like digital forests, blockchain trees, or network ecosystems.
Graphics: Include illustrations that depict regeneration cycles, growth, and community collaboration.
Voice and Tone
Friendly and Inclusive: Ensure our messaging is approachable and encourages community involvement.
Inspirational and Visionary: Inspire action and innovation with visionary language that communicates our long-term goals and impact.
Channels and Content
Website and Social Media: Ensure consistency across all platforms with our visual identity and messaging. Highlight success stories, ongoing projects, and community contributions.
Merchandise: Consider eco-friendly merchandise like reusable products that further communicate our commitment to sustainability.
Engagement
Partnerships: Highlight partnerships with organizations and initiatives that align with our mission, strengthening credibility and reach.
Community Involvement: Encourage user-generated content, feedback, and active participation in guild activities.
Miro Brainstorming
This board is the result of a brainstorming session held in September.
love his Regen designs.
