This afternoon we shared a proposed update to the Uniswap Protocol branding.
This rebranding exercise creates a clearer visual distinction between Uniswap Labs and the Uniswap Protocol, while also injecting some fresh and scalable aesthetics into the Uniswap ecosystem.
We’re really proud of the vision that we have created alongside all-star designer Timothy Luke, and we hope that you are equally excited!
Brand assets
The final logo-set consists of 1 primary logo, within a family of 4 variations based on size:
Hero: For large surfaces and special moments, e.g. billboards, posters, backdrops
Primary: For most ‘default’ use cases, e.g. merchandise, app icons, business cards, social media avatars
Micro: For use in UI, e.g. favicons or navigation bar icons
Token: For $UNI token icons
A video walkthrough of the new brand assets can be found here, alongside an accompanying PDF.
Request For Comment
It’s vitally important to us that the Uniswap community plays an active role in determining how the Protocol will be visually represented, so over the next week we’ll be soliciting feedback from community members on the updated branding.
We’ll also be hosting a presentation on Wednesday, November 10th, at 1pm ET, in which the Uniswap Labs design team will walk through the creative process and the various inspirations that contributed to the rebrand work. The presentation will then be followed by an open feedback session. We’ll post call details on the forum and the Uniswap Labs Twitter ahead of time.
This questionnaire outlines some guiding questions that may help you think about and evaluate the brand assets. Of course, feel free to ignore these entirely: they are guiding questions after all!
We can’t wait to hear from and work with you all on this process!
No, I’m perfectly happy with the current logo. Uniswap is a brand and the current logo is distinctive and a main component of the Uniswap branding look and feel, it should not be changed at this time.
Having said that, I do quite like the small token logo No.4 but the other designs are too complicated and don’t make the same impact as the original in my opinion.
No problem with Labs changing their logo to differentiate from protocol.
I almost never reply to the governance forums (i’ll try to do better!), but I feel like I have something to say for the first time in forever:
First and foremost, I want to say that I agree that there’s an important urgency to split the branding of Uniswap Labs, Uniswap Protocol, and Uniswap Grants.
However, I genuinely feel the current logo is better. Of course, I have to acknowledge that aesthetic preference of each individual person is going to vary widely, so a discussion of what would be the ideal logo would just be running around in circles.
With that said, I propose a slightly more objective direction to optimize for: recognizability. Unfortunately, I also have no idea how to concretely judge this factor. However, one think that stood out is that the new logo is way too complex, in my opinion. This also leads to legibility issues with smaller sizes (which is “fixed” here by using different variations of the logo). That said, I’d also argue that having to change the logo at different size of use (beyond addition/exclusion of brand text) is an anti-pattern because 3rd party will most definitely use the wrong size.
In isolation, the logomark is beautifully designed, but when put in context of Uniswap it feels a bit out of place. I’m getting MMORPG/Monty Python vibes from the look, which while visually interesting and distinct, doesn’t have a natural resonance to the brand for me.
As the product continues to scale, simplicity and recognizability will become even more important and this feels like a large step backwards.
Would it make sense to use the existing logo for the protocol and have Uniswap Labs undergo a rebrand instead?
We agree with the above comments. It makes more sense for Uniswap Labs to rebrand, in order to not dilute the recognizability and existing social capital that the current, elegantly simple Uniswap logo has accrued.
I’m a huge fan of the new logo / system, for a few initial reasons:
Visuals / taste : Putting this first even though it will obviously vary from person to person. I really like the style of the new logo. The vector work is really well done and it’s certainly non-trivial to make something like this. On top of that, I think the nod to medieval / heraldic imagery stands out amongst crypto brands in a way that feels really cool. I also think it’s pretty clever that the swap icon is embedded in the unicorn, and that the horn is pointing up and to the right. Overall, this just feels a lot more thoughtful than other logos out there.
Cohesiveness across different entities : I really like that this mark ties together the Uniswap Protocol, Uniswap Labs, and the Uniswap Grants Program through shared use of the common “U” shape. It’s a nice commonality that isn’t too over the top and lets each one maintain a separate identity while still sharing a common link. I also think this general pattern could be scalable over time as additional subcommittees emerge from Uniswap governance.
Reputability : As Uniswap continues to grow and face regulators, or engage with thousands of new users who trust it to handle their money, I think it’s important for its identity to communicate that Uniswap is a serious protocol that has handled billions of dollars of volume. I think this logo system is sitting really nicely in a place where it feels trustworthy and reputable without feeling lame or corporate. At the same time, it’s visually interesting, is pink, and at the end of the day, is a unicorn. I really like how that’s coming across here. The current/existing logo, for me, doesn’t particularly stand out in any way, and if I’m honest feels a bit like a My Little Pony cartoon, which I can see being hard to scale as a mainstream financial protocol.
I endorse the brand separation of Uniswap Labs. But changing the Uniswap protocol brand seems like a risk w/o reward.
Your brand is one of the few things in crypto that cannot be forked and is true lindy. The Unicorn head in particular is one of the most recognizable brands in crypto. Wouldn’t it be an unnecessary risk to change that?
The Uniswap protocol brand update is as stated above complex. Simple is key in design.
It has lost some of the playfulness of the current logo.
The new logo has a more masculine gamer energy feel to it, such as people claiming territories and fighting for land.
Hard to tell if it is a unicorn, very abstract.
Samples 2 and 3 have issues, very hard to tell what it is when small. Not sure what is happening under its tail…
Overall, the logo is definitely unique when it comes to other logo’s ive seen. I do worry it does not accurately capture what uniswap is…foremost a liquidity platform. Why not focus on the horn, and the shape of the uniswap liquidity distribution curve?
I am a fan of Timothy Luke’s work, especially the logo he did for formula 1. The simplicity and the F1 in the logo is very straight forward.
Edit: showed logo to some friends and the new logo reminded them of the Peugeot car company
I agree with the sentiment that Uniswap Labs and Grants etc should focus on their branding to be more seperate from the protocol. Perhaps the community can do a call for entry for a new protocol logo seperate from Uniswap Labs; but only if there is a need to update it.
Agree. If Uniswap lab wants a separation, then just rebrand Uniswap lab. Protocol rebranding is a waste of influence the protocol already built. Many Defi research reports already used the current logo as an identification of the protocol and people is learning it that way. I really don’t see the upside of changing the protocol logo.
A lot of people actually hated the F1 logo work that Luke did back in 2018 when it was announced (even though it’s proven to be a hugely successful and popular mark). Realistically, the absolute best case we could ever hope for in an open call for logo work from “the community” would be for a world-class person like Luke to produce something like this.
A brand identity system has real and nuanced needs, and this mark is accomplishing a ton that I think most people are missing.
I do agree with this point. I showed the “current” logo to non-crypto people, and then the proposed logo’s here. The new logo was chosen over the current the majority of the time. The more “serious” and “professional” was an important factor.
The “community” would welcome an artist of Luke’s caliber. I think that is the great thing about this “Uniswap Protocol Brand Update: Request for Comment” post is that it is allowing input and feedback from the community.
To be completely honest, I do not care too much about the brand…I could live with these options and perhaps they may even grow on me. At the end of the day most of the current UI is by Uniswap Lab’s. So if this is the branding they are choosing; then that is what will be absorbed by users. The procotol and it’s relability in security is most important.
For what it’s worth, I also showed both to a few friends and most of the friends actually said they didn’t recognize the current logo being used on the website. They all did say they knew the colors and the pink was the most recognizable element. Everyone I showed enjoyed the new logo, but again, just a small sample size of friends.
I’m a graphic and media designer from Asia to offer critiques by knowing little about Uniswap:
Hero-Recognition: The new branding retained the hero: Unicorn, as it was a steadfast marker of the spirit of Uniswap, which helps the market and users to recognize Uniswap. The new hero depicts a strong and elegant Unicron that is ready to run, giving an impression of the royals or schools.
Color Pallet-Eyecatching: shifted from the gradient purple (the classical unicorn color) to pure marble green and bright pink. The combination brings out great contrast that grabs the attention. The combination also creates a vintage impression.
Logo Variations-Thoughtful: The four variations are thoughtful choices: the visual element of Unicorn serves as the hero, primary as the official, simplify the logo for micro use, the design of the token was advanced thinking which was rarely seen on the initial rebranding stage.
Cohesive Visuals-Systematic: the Uniswap, UniLab, and UniGrants used the elements from the unified system - the royals, hence, they speak differently in the same room. The design meets the need for identifying these three divisions.
Debate: The royal or school style doesn’t have a strong connection to the crypto industry, people who don’t know Uniswap will recognize it as an artsy brand. The style also gives people a solemn feeling as it represents the high class. However, Uniswap is a big brand that holds many users, so this style might make people feel proud and belonged. I think the artsy misconception and distant feelings could be solved by the professional marketing and branding team.
Personally, the new logo looks great, but I echo what the others have already said that it makes more sense for the Labs to differentiate themselves rather than the Protocol.
If there is a new logo for the Protocol, it should be accompanied by huge upgrades/changes so people can make a connection of a new era to it.
Hi all, I’m Phil, the very sniffly designer in the video Thank you for the respectful and insightful discussion so far! A lot of really great points are being made – I wanted to respond to one in particular in hopes that it helps clarify things.
The logos are presented in a manner that is slightly misleading (which is my bad). The large, ornate logo (labeled ‘1. Hero’) is not the main logo that you would see when the Protocol brand is being represented.
In practice, the mark that will be used in almost all use cases will be this one, the one marked ‘Primary’. It might be helpful to frame your feedback of the brand primarily through the lens of this Primary logo rather than the other two variations which are reserved for very specific use cases.
It can also be hard to imagine these logos in the real world when presented in a void like this. In case it helps, here’s a side-by-side comparison what the app.uniswap.org page would look like in this new system:
More of these examples can be found in the deck that we will be presenting in the community call, which has some more context around the process and application of the system. Please feel free to take a look.
Again, thanks for the great discussion & feedback so far, and looking forward to seeing you in the call tomorrow
Thank you for the respectful and insightful discussion so far! A lot of really great points are being made – I wanted to respond to one in particular in hopes that it helps clarify things.
