Under After

Naming, brand identity, website, and launch event for an enterprise Ethereum staking certification.2024

NORS

Evan Weiss at Alluvial identified the need for a validator certification standard and convened a working group of 11+ industry partners including Coinbase, Blockdaemon, Figment, KPMG, PwC, and Aon to develop the first enterprise-grade certification standard for Ethereum validators.

NORS Node Operator Risk Standard overview NORS brand symbol for enterprise Ethereum validator certification

Under After developed the brand identity for NORS during the certification framework development phase. The brand needed to signal institutional credibility and objectivity, so Under After positioned NORS as an industry-led standard emphasizing voluntary adoption and operational excellence. The visual identity balanced technical precision with approachability through simple geometric forms. Inspired by the geometric simplicity of the Liquid Collective brand, the symmetrical NORS symbol represents node operator excellence: circles symbolize node operators, the middle square represents collaboration, and the star at its center represents excellence.

NORS color palette system for institutional blockchain certification NORS typography system demonstrating technical precision and accessibility

Under After delivered the complete brand system, including logo, typography, color palette, certification badge designs, a limited apparel edition, and website, in weeks to align with the September 2024 launch. The website launched with interactive certification registry and assessor directory functionality.

NORS certification badge variations for node operator validation NORS certification badge implementation examples NORS website design with certification registry and validator search NORS website footer navigation with documentation links NORS homepage hero section with mission statement and brand pattern NORS Mitigate Risk feature card showing validator security standards

The brand identity established NORS as the first recognized certification standard for Ethereum node operators, creating a category that previously did not exist. The framework gave institutions a standardized evaluation methodology, reducing duplicated assessment efforts across the industry. The September 30, 2024 launch event brought together executives from major blockchain infrastructure firms, professional services companies, and specialized staking platforms to discuss implementation and future development.

NORS NYC launch event at The Standard Hotel in Manhattan's Meatpacking District NORS working group panel discussion on enterprise validator certification standards

The project included event identity development and production coordination for the NORS / NYC kickoff at The Standard Hotel in Manhattan's Meatpacking District, bringing together working group members, enterprise validators, and institutional participants for five panel discussions on validator security, audit frameworks, and certification standards.

Industry executives from Coinbase, KPMG, PwC, and blockchain infrastructure firms at NORS NYC NORS certification framework presentation and panel discussion Networking session with enterprise validators and institutional staking participants NORS working group members discussing validator risk management standards Panel discussion on audit frameworks and security standards for node operators NORS complete brand identity system for enterprise validator certification Evan Weiss quote on NORS certification standard

As enterprises allocated billions to Ethereum staking, no industry-wide standard existed for evaluating node operator risk. Under After created the brand identity for NORS, the Node Operator Risk Standard: the first enterprise-grade certification, developed by a consortium of 11+ partners including Alluvial, Blockdaemon, Coinbase, Figment, KPMG, PwC, and Aon.

Services: Naming, Brand Strategy, Brand Identity, Apparel Design, Web Design & Development, Event Production

Launch: September 30, 2024 · Visit Site · NYC Event

Context: Work performed while Mark Forscher served as Chief Marketing Officer at Alluvial. Project team included Melissa Nelson (Marketing), Evan Weiss (COO), Josh Siverson (Solutions Architect), and Chad Peterson (Business Operations).