Building Trust Machines' Brand as the Future of Bitcoin

READ TIME: 3 MINUTES

Trust Machines was unique opportunity for Webstacks, for which we launched a new website, brand identity, and content strategy - all atop a state-of-the-art tech stack.

Trust Machines
IndustryBlockchain/Crypto

Tech Stack

Gatsby
Builder
Figma
Book a consultation

Headquarters

New York, NY

# of employees

20

Use Cases

Web Design, Web Development, Content Strategy, SEO, Branding

Customer Since

2023

Who is Trust Machines?

hello-world-trust-machines

Trust Machines is a startup that builds decentralized applications and technologies for the Bitcoin ecosystem. With a suite of products, Trust Machines aims to promote the use of Bitcoin as a final settlement layer for dApps, DAOs, NFTs, and other Web3 infrastructure.

In February of 2022, Trust Machines received $150 million in funding, making it one of the largest platforms in Bitcoin research and development. After launching and securing capital, the company was eager to present itself to the world.

While the crypto market was quieting down, the team’s chief objective was to develop its products as much as possible in preparation for the next boom in the crypto market. Moreover, this meant establishing an exceptional web presence that would attract top-level talent to come build with Trust Machines.

Subsequently, Trust Machines was in search of a marketing agency with crypto experience that could deliver in an accelerated manner.

Like many other crypto clients of Webstacks, Trust Machines came to us after visiting our blog post on the best examples of Web 3.0 design.

Setting the Project Scope

From our first discussions with the Trust Machines team, we identified two key asks:

  • A new marketing website for Trust Machines.

  • A collection of content to educate users and drive organic traffic.

Choosing the Tech Stack

Trust Machines Tech Stack

Our goal was to give Trust Machines the best of both worlds - that being a website that empowers both developers and marketers.

For developers, we wanted to prioritize one thing: enablement. React, a Javascript framework and library, is the most versatile and capable framework for building front-end applications. It gives our developers the ability to build the most dynamic and performant websites possible today. Similarly, building with React would allow Trust Machines developers to easily interact with their own website.

If we chose a platform like Webflow or HubSpot CMS, this would require the Trust Machines developer team to become proficient in a new system. In turn, the barriers to using a React-based application are far lower for highly technical developers like those in the crypto world.

On the other hand, we wanted to provide marketers with a CMS that would strengthen their ability to grow the website’s content. A marketing team significantly benefits from a user interface that has quick and effortless processes to alter existing content and compose new pages.

More specifically, the best tool available today for achieving this is a Visual Editor. With a Visual Editor, web pages can be built, previewed, and published - all in real-time. By giving the marketing team this extensive functionality, it subsequently reduces their reliance on in-house developer resources.

Given these two dynamics, we needed to deploy suitable technologies that satisfied the needs of both stakeholders.

Ultimately, this led to our recommendation of Gatsby.js and Builder.io - a combination that would let a website excel in performance, scalability, and usability. 

The Benefit of Investing in Your Website Upfront

From our experience, it’s very rare to find a Web3 company that invests in a solid tech stack for their website right from the start. The reality is that in the long run, it will save time, money, and resources if the website is set up properly in the beginning - rather than overhauling down the road.

We emphasize this because while it can be costly, it’s critical to recognize the importance of a marketing website. Your website is a product, just like any of your core business offerings. Therefore, you should treat it like one. 

Note

A website should not be a factor that hampers your organization’s success. As early as possible, it should be constructed with scale and maturity in mind. This will remove the growing pains and frustrations that are bound to arise from an underdeveloped, restrictive website that’s inconsistent with your organization’s growth strategy. 

Trust Machines understood the importance of investing in a website from the beginning and accounting for long-term vision.

Establishing an Identity for a Brand New Startup

Before coming to Webstacks, Trust Machines had a simple Squarespace website with just a couple pages. 

Trust Machines V1

There was no branding, no design, or no content for us to draw inspiration from. This meant we needed to put a priority on extracting Trust Machines’ identity and branding aspirations from the leadership team.

We kicked off our engagement by conducting a series of interviews with key stakeholders from their organization. This way, we could gather a comprehensive understanding of the Trust Machines brand, and identify the target audiences they wanted to reach. These interviews were pivotal in guiding both our design discovery and content strategy processes.

Design Discovery

Trust Machines Vignettes

In regards to styling, we began by hosting a design workshop which allowed us to get a rough sense for the look and feel we wanted to sprint with. Being a new company, Trust Machines had no existing visual identity, which gave our designers a rare opportunity to create a brand from a blank canvas.

Following the workshop, we presented several vignettes for a homepage, each one exhibiting a unique design approach. 

Based on our conversations with Trust Machines’ leadership, we landed on an aesthetic that was Web3-inspired, but had its own distinctive style (landing on the one pictured above on the right-hand side). This would include elements that were futuristic and cutting edge, but still retain features reminiscent of machinery and the traditional sense of “building”.

Note

With everyone in crypto doing colorful, abstract things on top of dark mode, it looks very cool visually - but how trustworthy does it really feel? We wanted to create something that’s more mature, polished and elegant than what’s common in Web3, and I think that’s exactly where we landed.

- Kate Kassab | Senior Designer @ Webstacks

Content Strategy

This process involved creating a document that would outline the plan of action for Trust Machines’ content. First, we compiled the key takeaways from our stakeholder interviews. Next, we analyzed a number of relevant factors including brand positioning, audience personas, competitors, challenges, and opportunities.

TM Brand Positioning

Another important aspect that influenced the content strategy was keyword research. Again, Trust Machines had given us a rare opportunity to start from scratch - creating an entirely new website with no keywords, existing content, or topical authority to leverage. Therefore, we had to establish core semantics and identify themes for content creation.

Ultimately, we put forward a plan to establish Trust Machines as an authoritative source of information for anything related to the expansion of Bitcoin’s utility (Bitcoin NFTs, Bitcoin DAOs, Bitcoin Decentralized Exchanges, etc). Additionally, a glossary would be assembled to highlight terminology that was related to blockchain, Trust Machines, and Web3.

Note

Our priority was to build a unique collection of educational content that would help users better understand Trust Machines, their products, and the Bitcoin ecosystem. Nothing like it had existed, which yielded a perfect opportunity for us to establish topical authority in a new niche, and target relatively low-competition keywords.

- Devon Wood | Content Marketer @ Webstacks

Constructing a Web3-inspired Design System

The Atomic Design methodology is the process we employ for all Webstacks clients, as we believe it is by far the best approach to productizing and scaling a website. With this design system, we break down a website into the smallest pieces, like legos, and build upwards from atoms, to molecules, and eventually to components. Components can then be combined to create an entire page.

The modularity of atomic design is critical for two reasons:

  1. It allows us to produce websites remarkably fast (under 120 days). We can move so much faster when atoms and molecules are pre-approved. Moreover, feedback loops with clients are frequent and timely, giving our designers plenty of runway.

  2. It ensures consistency. Reusing elements from a design system allows us to be forward-thinking and promotes the creation of a website with a clear-cut foundation.

Here, we will showcase a brief walkthrough of the Trust Machines design system. 

First, we started with atoms, or the most basic elements of the website.

Atoms

Trust Machines Atoms

Colors

For colors, we wanted to stand out from the rest who followed the conventional Bitcoin orange, and embraced a distinct, metallic green that Trust Machines could own exclusively. Hues and complimentary colors gave designers variety and accessibility.

Typography

The typeface chosen was cutting edge, while still preserving a mechanical, old-school look.

Dimensions

Lots of shadows, blurs, and textures were used to represent this theme of “layers” that was so integral to Trust Machines’ mission. Through these elements, we could visualize this idea of using layered solutions like Stacks and Lightning Network to build applications on top of Bitcoin.

After the atoms were set, more complex elements could be designed through molecules.

Molecules

Trust Machines Molecules

Buttons

Buttons were given linear gradients and textures to make them appear spatial and touchable. All button states were accounted for, including resting, hover, focused, and disabled.

Badges

Badges were a perfect example of using color with intent. Each color has a certain meaning that is tied to the text within the badge. These can then be reused across all different types of content and pages (i.e. finance = green).

Next, we take these molecules and merge them into components.

Components

Conversion Panel

Trust Machines Conversion Panel

The conversion panel is a component that is reused on nearly every single page. It incorporates the colors, typeface, and buttons seen in the design system.

Illustrations

Trust Machines Illustrations

Illustrations were used all across the site, including the home page, about page, and every learn center article. They carry the same dynamic green color theme used throughout Trust Machines’ branding.

Want to learn more about Web3 Design? Check out our Best Web3 Websites of 2023 eBook!

Initiating Development with Gatsby.js and Builder.io

Once the designs were set, we began building the site with our development team. We chose to implement Gatsby.js, a React-based framework, for 3 main reasons:

  1. Speed: Web3 sites typically have a lot of content that needs to be loaded quickly to keep visitors engaged. Gatsby generates static HTML pages near-instantaneously, resulting in faster page load times and a better user experience.

  2. Scalability: As your site grows and you add more content, Gatsby's modular architecture and plugin system make it easy to scale without sacrificing performance.

  3. SEO-friendliness: Gatsby's static site generation can improve your site's search engine visibility. This can help you rank higher in search engine results pages and drive more organic traffic.

For the Trust Machines content management system (CMS), we chose Builder.io. Its headless architecture is optimal for managing content, and the Visual Editor is remarkably intuitive for non-technical teams. Builder’s drag and drop functionality allows editors to easily build components, input content, view pages in real-time, and publish pages in just one click.

Note

One of the things I love about Builder.io is its intuitive Visual Editor, which makes it easy to create and customize pages, even for users who have little-to-no content editing experience. The drag-and-drop interface and extensive library of pre-built components help create beautiful, functional websites. Builder also has seamless integration with Gatsby, which made it a perfect fit.

- Vick Kahlon | Frontend Engineer @ Webstacks

Assembling Learn Center Content

After the initial content strategy was complete, we performed topic clustering and keyword research to formulate a list of articles for content writing. The majority of the topics followed the same formula - identify a phenomena in Web3, describe how it works, and then explain it in the context of Bitcoin. Once our list was determined, each article was given an outline and target keywords. Looking at the bigger picture, we also devised an interlinking strategy that would seamlessly tie all of the articles together.

Meanwhile, a list of terms and definitions were being finalized for the glossary.

Once all the content was written, uploading the content to Builder was a straightforward and efficient process.

The Results

Homepage

Trust Machines Homepage

The homepage encompasses many of the design elements Trust Machines aligns its brand with. Some of these things are the midnight green gradients, the distinct typography, the light mode/dark mode toggle, and the 3D illustrations.

From a functionality standpoint, we wanted to maximize accessibility, and get people interested in exploring the rest of the site. In doing so, we implemented a dynamic navigation bar with drop downs, which exposes even more pages. 

Learn Center

Trust Machines Learn Center

Our deliverable for content was the Trust Machines Learn Center! Website visitors could explore an extensive knowledge base covering Bitcoin and the network’s use cases in Web3.

In the hero section, we included a card deck (utilizing awesome complimentary colors) that displays several featured articles. There is also categorization and a search functionality field, which are extremely beneficial for users trying to find any specific type of content. Again, we designed with the same captivating style for illustrations seen throughout the site for the blog featured images. 

Bitcoin Layers Page

Trust Machines Bitcoin Layers

The Trust Machines team also wanted a page that clearly explained this concept of “building on Bitcoin”, which is so essential to their products. By utilizing layers, which add more functionality to the Bitcoin network, Trust Machines can develop Web3 applications that are powered by the most secure blockchain in history. We created an animation to help visualize the concept and really bring the page to life.

Curious to explore more of the Trust Machines site yourself? Check it out here!

Conclusion

Partnering with Webstacks, Trust Machines was able to expedite sharing their mission with the world.

Before our engagement, the Trust Machines team had very limited marketing resources. Through our stakeholder interviews and research, we were able to formulate a clear direction for conveying the company’s identity.

Our process included a constant feedback loop between SEOs, designers, developers, and client stakeholders to ensure that the final product met Trust Machines’ needs.

Now equipped with a Webstacks design system, Gatsby, and Builder, the Trust Machines marketing team has full enablement for expanding their website. Rather than relying on in-house web development, marketers will be empowered to build pages and publish content all on their own. 

Ultimately, Webstacks designed an enterprise-level website, and populated it with information that spoke directly to their target audience. What we delivered to Trust Machines will put them in an opportune position to scale their website, grow brand awareness and become a reputable startup that developers will be excited to come build with.

Note

Our biggest takeaway from this project - If you want to stand out from the rest of Web3, care for your website like you would any other product. The value in a superb user experience for potential customers cannot be stressed enough. Especially in this space, your website should be held to the same standards as the rest of your organization’s offerings. The way to win in Web3 is to build more trust and authority than any of your competitors. In our eyes, this starts and ends with your website.

If you are interested in learning more about taking your Web3 website’s content, design, or development to the next level, Webstacks is here to help. We look forward to having any discussions on improving your organization’s online presence.

Schedule a consultation with us today!

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