Repositioning a design studio for the founders it builds for.

V21 designs for founders and Web3 teams. The identity described an earlier version of the studio, still embedded within the roots of web3 with no clear path forwards. That’s why after a handful of iterations, we realised that something had to be different. We couldn’t stay close to the roots. We had to find a way to evolve.

Web3 design has a uniform. Dark backgrounds, neon accents, techie and a little ominous. V21 works in that world every day, but looking like it would make them one more studio in the scroll. The brand had to feel native to founders and still break the pattern.

A few working calls with the founder, before a single pixel. An honest audit of the old brand and site, a look at how V21 sits next to the studios it competes with, then the harder questions. Who V21 works for, what those founders see every day, and what would make them stop scrolling.

V21 exists for its clients, so the brand behaves the way the studio does. Quiet, precise, focused on the work. One rule every decision had to pass: keep the system minimal and let the client work carry the color, the imagery and the energy. One typeface. A tight palette. A light canvas.

With so little else on the page, one color had to carry the brand. Blue read as safe and corporate. Purple sat too close to the Web3 brands V21 designs for. Neither gave V21 a voice of its own.

One font for headlines and body, so nothing breaks the pattern and nothing competes with the work. We tested Geist against Instrument Sans, Mono fonts, even serifs. Geist won. It holds up at display sizes, stays clear at small ones, and runs nine weights from Thin to Black, and more importantly, it’s cohesive with the theme we’re trying to convey: letting the work shine.

The logo builds “v21” from thick, modular, geometric shapes. Pixel-inspired edges and negative space give it a digital feel. Four lockups cover every context, each with a construction grid, safe space, contrast rules and misuse guidelines.

We built V21's desk as an interactive 3D scene. Case studies sit on the desk as books you press to open. Testimonials hang on the wall. Visitors hover, explore and find the work at their own pace. The scene is the frame. The client work is what you pick up.

With the brand locked, every round focused on the experience. The layout of the website, how people move through it, and how fast they reach the work.

One week of development, all feedback included. Next.js runs the site, WebGL renders the 3D desk and GSAP drives the scroll animations. A light-mode, interactive site that breaks the dark-techie pattern and puts V21's client work at the center.