Kusk
About the client
Full-cycle design development for an open-source project focused on API management
Kusk uses the ubiquitous OpenAPI spec file as a single source of truth for making an API available to users. This includes routing configuration, request validation, timeouts and other features.
- Timeline:1 year
- Services:Branding
Web design
UX/UI design
Web development
Illustrations - Website:kusk.io
Problem Statement
Kusk needed to be closely integrated with Kubeshop, with a clear visual and narrative link to it. If there was any disconnect, it would waste Kubeshop credibility and dilute the shared values of openness, transparency, and community that define the ecosystem.
Also, Kusk needed to aggressively differentiate itself from its competitors. Without a unique brand, it could get lost in the crowd of API gateway tools. Without this, it couldn't attract its target audience: developers struggling with complexity.
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Our role
Firstly, we faced the tough task of making Kusk feel like a natural part of the Kubeshop brand. We had to figure out how to visually connect it with the main brand of Kubeshop and other sub-brands, without making it look like a carbon copy. It was challenging to balance shared elements such as colors and fonts, with Kusk's unique identity, so users could trust it as an authentic product of Kubeshop.
Secondly, we needed to create a branding that would instantly convey Kusk's focus on automation, to developers who were tired of manually setting up gateways. The most difficult part was trying not to use generic tech clichés and stand out from other API tools, without using jargon or complex designs. We wanted to design something bold and simple, that would say, "We automate what others do manually," in a way that was easy to understand.
— Polybox Marketing research
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Brand diagrams
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Branded diagrams were important because Kusk's core value of automating complex API gateway setups is inherently technical and difficult to visualize. To address this, we created custom visuals that adapt Kusk's new visual identity and minimalistic flows to simplify the steps.
Design Rationale
Magic and alchemy were our first thoughts when it came to branding Kusk. We wanted to create a visual identity that gave off friendly and effortless vibes. We drew inspiration from magical forests and kind wizards who help travelers.
— Elizaveta Vakhrameeva
Brand designer
Logo anatomy
The Kusk logo needed to visually connect the brand with the Kubeshop family, using similar design elements to show they're all part of the same main brand. We did this by using the same layout and font, Nunito, for both. As a symbol in the logo, we added a top hat. This symbol represents Kusk's main promise: automation is like magic. For developers, it's like a "magical solution" that makes tedious manual work go away.
Web development
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The Kusk Design System
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We built a complete design system in Figma to solve several problems at once:
Consistency is achieved by anchoring components to the Kusk's branding styles, including colors and typography. The design system includes all basic elements such as color schemes, fonts, icons, buttons, forms, menus, and more.
Differentiation is achieved through custom icons, buttons and templates that help Kusk stand out on every platform where it is present, whether it's a social media, website or blog.
Scalability is ensured by pre-built templates, which allow web developers to build something new quickly, but in alignment with the Kusk brand.
- ManagerValeria Kozlova
- Technical DesignerElizaveta VakhrameevaAleksandra Kalinicheva
- Web DesignersElizaveta VakhrameevaYana KutlushinaSvetlana KalmykovaAlina SultanovaJulia MolochaevaDenis Gurkov
- DesignerElizaveta Vakhrameeva
- 3D DesignerElizaveta Vakhrameeva