Sonic Name Service

Overview

Wallet addresses were never designed for humans. Long hexadecimal strings are difficult to read, impossible to remember, and easy to mistype. SNS was designed to replace those cryptographic identifiers with human-readable names on a blockchain network, allowing users to send, receive, and identify wallets using simple names instead of complex addresses. The goal was straightforward:

How can we make Web3 identity feel as simple as registering an internet domain?

My Role

I was responsible for the end-to-end design process, including:

• UX research and competitive analysis
• Product strategy and feature definition
• User flows and information architecture
• Branding and visual identity
• Design system creation
• Marketing assets and launch materials

Research

The first step was understanding how existing naming services approached identity, ownership, discovery and domain management. I analyzed multiple similar services and mapped their features, interaction patterns and user journeys. This research helped identify several recurring UX challenges:

• Explaining ownership and decentralization concepts.
• Communicating name availability and reservation states.
• Making rarity understandable and desirable.
• Designing expiration and grace period experiences.
• Building trust around wallet connections and transactions.

Design Challenge

The product had to balance two very different audiences. Experienced Web3 users expected advanced functionality and transparency, while newcomers needed clarity and reassurance. The challenge wasn't adding more information. It was deciding what users needed to know and when they needed to know it.

Making rarity visible

One of the more interesting challenges was communicating rarity. Certain names carried additional value due to their length, structure or uniqueness, but exposing this information without turning the experience into a trading interface required careful balance. The goal was to make rarity feel collectible and understandable rather than purely speculative.

Brand Identity

The visual identity intentionally moved away from the neon gradients and cyberpunk aesthetics commonly associated with Web3 products. Instead, the brand adopted a more mature and timeless visual language inspired by vintage design systems and editorial layouts. The logo was built from a collection of dots that together formed the letter S. This symbol referenced several ideas simultaneously:

• The .s domain extension
• Network nodes and distributed systems
• Digital identity
• Human-readable naming

The mark was intentionally designed to remain recognizable even at very small sizes, making it suitable for avatars, favicons and token-sized applications.

Beyond the Product

For the launch experience, I also explored areas outside my usual workflow. This included creating my first motion graphics launch video and experimenting with shader-based visuals on the landing page to reinforce the identity of the product and create a more memorable first impression.

Looking Back

SNS reinforced an idea that has become increasingly important in my work:

The future of Web3 adoption depends less on technology and more on translation.

Users shouldn't need to understand cryptography, name resolution, or blockchain infrastructure to feel ownership over their digital identity. Good product design makes that complexity disappear into the background.