Beyond rolling prairie and pastures and lingering evidence of early pioneer days, you'll quickly find that South Dakota is on the leading edge of some of the world's latest technologies. Along with being a pro-business state, South Dakota is pioneering a new frontier in the digital age of blockchain technology.
Becoming a leader doesn't happen by chance.
South Dakota Blockchain Institute (SDBI) was established in late 2021 to advocate, educate, and position South Dakota at the forefront of a wave of growth and opportunity associated with blockchain technology. The institute is comprised of thought leaders and experts in industries that are, or will be, directly impacted by blockchain technology.
They are passionate about protecting our already established industries and laying the groundwork for accepting and advancing this technology in our state.
As the organization continues to grow, it became time to build out their brand so that they will have a consistent presence as they start become more widely known and plan for upcoming events and opportunities within the state.
Brand Essence
During our brand strategy session, we focused on clarifying White Space Studio's brand story, values, voice, mission, market fit, and so much more. Brand keywords are also a great way to get to the "essence" of a brand. For White Space, those keywords included:
Trusted
Collaborative
Leadership
Curiosity
Visionary
Project Details
We provided SDBI with a full suite of branding, website design and collateral pieces:
Behind the Design
In approaching the visual identity for South Dakota Blockchain Institute, we visually created elements that are sleek, modern, and 'techy' but with a grounded, established look reminiscent of a university.
Below is the curated imagery, or mood board, that inspired the design direction.
The primary logo font is blocky with even weighted thickness in the lettering,
clean edges and no serifs. We created versions with vertical and horizontal orientations for flexibility when using the primary logo mark.
The icon is full of symbolism. It is in the shape of a B for ‘blockchain’ with two stacked cubes or ‘blocks’. The open ends symbolize a lock for security and stability, while they appear to link together like a chain. The icon works well in the full logo and is a strong enough element to stand on its own as well.
Brand Patterns & Textures
The icon created for SDBI works great as a custom branded pattern that can be used for implementing across a variety of different collateral pieces.
The brand texture uses topography lines as a nod to a map of rolling South Dakota prairie paired with advanced technology.
Patterns and textures can be applied on the back of a letterhead or in the inside flap of an envelope for a brand that feels elevated and intentional.
Brand Colors
The color palette for SDBI is bold and luxurious. The primary colors are true black, warm bronze and medium grey with muted navy and rich sable being used as secondary accent colors within the brand.
During the brand strategy phase, we always research the psychology behind the colors to make sure that the impact they will have on our emotions aligns with what we establish during the brand strategy phase. We research individual colors as well as how they interact with each other as a whole to determine a palette that has depth and meaning and stirs up feelings that align with the brand.
True Black: protection, authority, strength
Warm Bronze: mature, loyal truthful
Medium Grey: stable, neutral, reliable
Muted Navy: trust, confidence, integrity
Rich Sable: grounded, wisdom, honesty
Branding Beyond the Logo
Once the logos and all visual elements were established, we created a variety of collateral pieces and a brand new website to ensure a consistent experience anytime someone engages with SDBI.
To learn more about South Dakota Blockchain Institute and their upcoming events, check them out online at southdakotablockchain.com.