OVERVIEW

About the Business

BraunBlock is a marketplace for rare and precious metals, designed to make buying and selling metals easier, safer, and more trustworthy.

Client came to us with a vision: redesign their existing demo-like website into a stylish, modern platform that would not only support e-commerce but also expand into fintech, education, and trading in the future. The goal was clear - create a sleek, user-friendly platform that builds trust in an industry where trust is everything.

Country

Switzerland

Services

Brand Design

Web Design

Motion Design

Product Design

Our team

Project Tasks and Challenges

3D Visualizations

The client wanted custom 3D graphics to highlight metals, but the budget limited us to stock assets. Finding and curating visuals that looked cohesive was tough, especially since most assets came from different creators.

Dual Themes

Designing both light and dark versions of the platform required careful planning. We leveraged Figma variables (a brand-new feature at the time) to make switching between themes seamless.

Industry Knowledge

Metals trading comes with unique terminology, rules, and tax implications. To design effectively, our team dove deep into this niche.

Stakeholder Management

Multiple client-side stakeholders were involved, and aligning visions while staying within scope required tight project management.

Motion Optimization

Our motion designer adapted stock animations for the website, preparing them in multiple formats (transparent, white, black) and optimizing them for speed without losing quality.

Key Project Goals

01.

Create Trust - Build a platform where users feel confident buying and selling high-value metals.

02.

Modern, Scalable Design - Transform a demo-like website into a sleek, stylish, and future-proof platform.

03.

Dual Theme Experience - Provide light and dark themes that users can switch seamlessly.

04.

Optimize Performance - Ensure animations and visuals are lightweight and don’t slow down the site.

05.

Support Future Expansion - Lay the groundwork for a trading platform, educational hub, and fintech features.

Phase2:

Test Assignment

The collaboration began with a short test assignment. Based on the materials provided by the client, ourwebandproduct designersprepared two homepage concepts - inlightanddarkthemes. During this stage, the team identified the potential of using3D visuals and videoswith precious stones, fluid metals, and metallic textures to achieve a premium look. The client chose thedark themeas the main direction and decided to continue the full project with us.

Phase3:

Design

We structured our approach in phases:

Concept Exploration

Initial homepage concepts set the tone for visuals and style.

Workshops & Structure

Collaborated on the sitemap and homepage flow.

Visual Development

Experimented with different looks while aligning with the client’s marketing strategy.

Design System

Built a scalable system with light/dark themes using Figma variables.

Prototyping & Motion

Finalized visuals, adapted stock 3D and motion assets, and optimized animations for performance.

Key tools included Figma, After Effects, and Notion for task management.

Results

01.

A premium look & feel that matches the ambitious vision of the client.

02.

A robust design system with one-click theme switching.

03.

Marketplace layouts tailored to metals trading.

04.

Lightweight, optimized animations that enhance the experience without slowing performance.

Conclusion

This project was about more than just redesigning a website - it was about shaping the foundation of a trusted marketplace in a complex, high-value industry. By combining sleek design, theme flexibility, optimized motion, and a strong emphasis on user trust, we delivered a platform that not only meets today’s needs but is also ready to scale into trading and education tomorrow.

For us, it was a chance to turn challenges into opportunities, and for the client, it was the first step toward building a product that stands out in the precious metals space.