Swap Coffee
easygoing & bizarre. A crypto exchange with café vibes
and a dinosaur on the Burj Khalifa.
and a dinosaur on the Burj Khalifa.
about
Crypto is still full of cold UIs, overloaded charts, and that weird sense of pressure. But the space is shifting — and so are its users. More and more people want clarity, warmth, and simplicity.
That’s the mindset Swap Coffee came to us with. A decentralized exchange built on TON, they already had a logo, a name, a working product, a site, and socials. What they didn’t have? A brand identity and voice that actually felt like them.
That’s the mindset Swap Coffee came to us with. A decentralized exchange built on TON, they already had a logo, a name, a working product, a site, and socials. What they didn’t have? A brand identity and voice that actually felt like them.
They weren’t looking for just a "refresh."
They wanted a style their community could fall in love with
They wanted a style their community could fall in love with
one that would make crypto feel approachable, the brand feel friendly, and the exchange instantly recognizable from just one glance.
task
Our task was to build a full visual identity based on the existing logo — with a clear logic and a strong personality.
The creative bar was high (they literally asked for "9 out of 10"). The goal: stand out from every other crypto exchange and be remembered.
The project scope included:
— Developing creative concepts and positioning directions
— Crafting visual ideas that would define the brand’s look & feel
— Creating a mascot ("everyone else has one — why not us?")
— Applying the system across real assets: social media, merch, investor decks
— And finally, wrapping everything into a brand guideline that would support future growth
The creative bar was high (they literally asked for "9 out of 10"). The goal: stand out from every other crypto exchange and be remembered.
The project scope included:
— Developing creative concepts and positioning directions
— Crafting visual ideas that would define the brand’s look & feel
— Creating a mascot ("everyone else has one — why not us?")
— Applying the system across real assets: social media, merch, investor decks
— And finally, wrapping everything into a brand guideline that would support future growth
We always start creative projects with brand positioning concepts — where we define what emotional and narrative angle the brand should lean into to stand out.
Usually we develop three. For Swap Coffee,
we got carried away and made four.
we got carried away and made four.
idea 1. beyond
Infinity
Infinity
Crypto as space, retro-futurism, the exchange as a rocket.
In this concept, crypto is imagined as a vast new universe — full of unknowns, but waiting to be explored.
What seems complex and distant to newcomers becomes familiar, navigable, and even exciting. The visual style, along with an alien-like mascot, reinforces the platform’s futuristic side while keeping things friendly and playful.
In this concept, crypto is imagined as a vast new universe — full of unknowns, but waiting to be explored.
What seems complex and distant to newcomers becomes familiar, navigable, and even exciting. The visual style, along with an alien-like mascot, reinforces the platform’s futuristic side while keeping things friendly and playful.
idea 1. crypto
jurassic park
jurassic park
This generation grew up collecting cards, comics, and plastic dinosaurs. Now it collects NFTs, tokens, and digital assets.
We tapped into that nostalgia — framing crypto as the new way to play, own, and level up.
A 3D dinosaur becomes the face of this new era — not just cute and memorable, but symbolic of evolution: from newbie to confident crypto user.
The tone is simple and friendly, breaking down entry barriers and pulling people into the experience. The result is a brand that feels playful, dynamic, and approachable — especially for a younger, more curious audience.
We tapped into that nostalgia — framing crypto as the new way to play, own, and level up.
A 3D dinosaur becomes the face of this new era — not just cute and memorable, but symbolic of evolution: from newbie to confident crypto user.
The tone is simple and friendly, breaking down entry barriers and pulling people into the experience. The result is a brand that feels playful, dynamic, and approachable — especially for a younger, more curious audience.
idea 3. fuel
of the future
of the future
Coffee as a metaphor for speed and focus; trading as energy.
The crypto market never sleeps — it runs 24/7, just like coffee culture.
We used that parallel to shape the brand’s tone: quick, energizing, and easy to plug into. Coffee becomes a symbol of mental clarity and momentum — and crypto becomes as natural and habitual as your morning espresso.
The result: a platform that feels fast, accessible, and built for real life, not just crypto bros.
The crypto market never sleeps — it runs 24/7, just like coffee culture.
We used that parallel to shape the brand’s tone: quick, energizing, and easy to plug into. Coffee becomes a symbol of mental clarity and momentum — and crypto becomes as natural and habitual as your morning espresso.
The result: a platform that feels fast, accessible, and built for real life, not just crypto bros.
idea 4. friendly exchange
Warmth, simplicity, and no crypto snobbery.
Crypto often feels complicated and exclusive — but this brand flips the script. There’s no jargon, no flexing, no gatekeeping. Just clear explanations, a relaxed tone, and a space where people actually feel comfortable.
It’s an exchange for people like us. Casual, kind, and easy to talk to. The mascot becomes a guide — a chill companion who makes crypto feel human. The atmosphere builds trust. The vibe invites you in. This isn’t just a platform — it’s a safe space to learn, trade, and feel part of something.
Crypto often feels complicated and exclusive — but this brand flips the script. There’s no jargon, no flexing, no gatekeeping. Just clear explanations, a relaxed tone, and a space where people actually feel comfortable.
It’s an exchange for people like us. Casual, kind, and easy to talk to. The mascot becomes a guide — a chill companion who makes crypto feel human. The atmosphere builds trust. The vibe invites you in. This isn’t just a platform — it’s a safe space to learn, trade, and feel part of something.
The fourth concept turned out to be the closest match to Swap Coffee’s DNA — so it became the foundation for the final brand identity. As for the mascot, we borrowed him from the second, nostalgic dinosaur concept — the team instantly connected with his vibe, and he stuck.
A Swappy Is Born
Once we locked in the concept, it was time to find the face of the brand —
a dinosaur that could represent the spirit of the exchange.
a dinosaur that could represent the spirit of the exchange.
mascot
Once we locked in the concept, it was time to find the face of the brand — a dinosaur that could represent the spirit of the exchange. We started with his personality and habits, then shaped his look to match.
That’s how Swappy was born — a "slightly lazy but very smart" dino who became the soul of the brand. He’s your guy. Like an old friend. Knows crypto inside out, but explains it in plain words. Loves coffee — just enough to stay sharp, not twitchy like a Wall Street trader. A little slow to move, maybe — until it’s time to make a trade. Then he’s all in.
That’s how Swappy was born — a "slightly lazy but very smart" dino who became the soul of the brand. He’s your guy. Like an old friend. Knows crypto inside out, but explains it in plain words. Loves coffee — just enough to stay sharp, not twitchy like a Wall Street trader. A little slow to move, maybe — until it’s time to make a trade. Then he’s all in.
While we were working on the illustration pack, ChatGPT dropped a new update — which let us turn the mascot into full 3D. Now the client has a whole set of Swappy poses ready for social media, and the visuals became the base for a branded sticker pack for the community.
Brand new drop
While we were sketching out different poses for Swappy, we were also shaping the visual identity. The goal was to keep the existing logo and color palette — but shift the overall vibe to feel more like "your people."
brand identity
We landed on a mix of streetwear energy (inspired by men’s fashion brands), café culture (with a nod to cozy, well-designed coffee spots), and just enough crypto aesthetics to stay grounded in the space.
At this stage, we decided to go with a two-font system and keep the overall style minimal and clean. These ideas immediately carried over into the merch — where we also brought the brand’s voice to life: the merch "talks" to you, dropping crypto jokes and inside references as you wear it.
At this stage, we decided to go with a two-font system and keep the overall style minimal and clean. These ideas immediately carried over into the merch — where we also brought the brand’s voice to life: the merch "talks" to you, dropping crypto jokes and inside references as you wear it.
All of this came together into a unified visual system — easy to scale across both digital and physical assets, and built to support future marketing.
Yes, socials too
Beyond the overall brand rules, we designed a whole bunch of assets.
We also designed the pitch deck — with a clear focus on metrics, team, partners, roadmap, and tokenomics. The result stayed true to the brand: simple, sharp, and convincing.
project wrap-up
We checked every box from the initial brief:
— The logo and color palette "came to life" — in the client’s own words
— The brand guide was praised for its depth and usability
— Swappy became the face of the brand and shows up across nearly every asset
— The pitch decks now look solid, structured, and convincing
— The social media presence feels cohesive — with a clear, recognizable voice
The client team was thoughtful and engaged: they knew what they didn't want, but gave us room to explore what they might.
We delivered three strong concepts — added a fourth by mutual agreement — and hit the mark. The identity landed on the first round. So did Swappy.
— The logo and color palette "came to life" — in the client’s own words
— The brand guide was praised for its depth and usability
— Swappy became the face of the brand and shows up across nearly every asset
— The pitch decks now look solid, structured, and convincing
— The social media presence feels cohesive — with a clear, recognizable voice
The client team was thoughtful and engaged: they knew what they didn't want, but gave us room to explore what they might.
We delivered three strong concepts — added a fourth by mutual agreement — and hit the mark. The identity landed on the first round. So did Swappy.
- Michele InetovskySwap Coffee founderThank you so much — this turned out super cool and totally on vibe, just like we hoped. Feels like we hit the target audience 100%, maybe even more. The way everything is documented and explained is just top-notch. Looking forward to a long-term collaboration — there’s still so much cool stuff we can do together!
So, what’s your verdict?
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