New Iron Fish Website: An Interview with the Designer

We’re thrilled to welcome you to the redesigned Iron Fish site! We have updated our look and added many new resources.

New features include:

• A highlights page focused on the incredible community contributions to the network.

• Streamlined documentation to help you quickly spin up a node and begin transacting on the network.

• A regularly updated media page to help you keep up with Iron Fish presentations, podcasts, and more.

Unforgettable visuals 

Alongside enthusiasm for our mission to build a platform offering secure, encrypted transactions for all of crypto, users often tell us that Iron Fish visuals and branding are especially memorable.

Designer Skylar Richard is the designer behind the incredible visuals that go into everything Iron Fish. His intricate, kaleidoscopic, and modern visuals capture the spirit of Iron Fish and a team that’s fun-loving and committed to impactful, original work.

An incredible amount of work went into our new design, and so to mark the website launch, we turned the spotlight on to him!

How did you get into design? 

After finishing my bachelor's degree, I was left wondering where I wanted to work, so after spinning my wheels as a starving artist, I decided to pursue design school at the suggestion of a friend who worked under a really cool design studio. They were kind enough to show me their studio and tell me a bit about what design actually was. From that point, I started down the path to becoming a designer.

How did you find Iron Fish? 

I was about 5 years into my stint with an HR SaaS startup when I decided it was time for me to move on. I was extremely close to accepting a role with a design firm in NYC when I stumbled upon the Iron Fish Product Designer role. I’m not sure what made me apply - a strange move considering I had zero exposure to crypto - but I did, and I’m forever grateful I did. That was almost two and a half years ago!

Iron Fish Concept sketches by Skylar Richard

How would you describe the artwork you produce for Iron Fish to someone who hasn’t yet visited the website or seen your work? 

The marketing design brief has always been very clear - let’s be fun, weird, and different. I had a long leash to be creative with our brand, and it’s been a real joy shaping the visual brand you see today.

I'm not sure if I tap into weirdness or I've just always loved artwork that's been a little off center. It might just be my most comfortable gear to drive in, and luckily that aligned with how we wanted our brand to be fleshed out.

Who is your favorite artist? 

Probably Gerhard Richter. Check out his film, Nowness

Do you have a design philosophy? 

I think it depends if you’re talking about marketing or product design. Since we’re launching our new website I’ll stay on the topic of marketing:

(1) Content is king.

(2) Juxtaposition is memorable

(3) and lastly, always use more white space.

What makes for good UI/UX for a website? For a dApp or wallet application? 

Those all deserve different answers, to be honest, but a common denominator, whenever you’re leading a user down a path, is understanding the balance between what your users want to do and what you want them to do.

How has the community responded to your work? 

In terms of the tools we are building, our community has always been vocal - with good feedback and constructive criticism. As long as your community remains vocal then you’re doing something right, or else they wouldn’t give you their time and energy!

Do you have a favorite quote or a motto to live by? 

"Suck it up," or "don't take it personally." Most creatives have their ego attached to their hip. Creative work isn't about the designer or illustrator (fine art is different), but about the idea, the audience, the product, and the business. You're working in service of those things, always.

Do you have ongoing NFT projects? 

Currently, no. I’ve taken a breather from the NFT space after going pretty hard for almost 2 years. Right now, in my spare time, I’m writing and illustrating a kids' book with my wife. Keep your eyes peeled for that :)

Look for more updates and features throughout the site as we continue to build!

Keep up with Skylar via his personal website and on Twitter.

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