Hi there!
I'm Danqi Qian.
A Motion/Visual Designer based in NYC.
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Matcha Finance/ 2023
Figma, After Effects, Cinema 4D
Creative Director: Zoe Gao
Art Director, Designer, Animator, Illustrator: Danqi Qian
Matcha Finance
is a pre-seed Web3 startup that needed a brand identity built from the ground up. I led the end-to-end design process — creating the visual system, investor deck, and responsive website across both desktop and mobile.
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IDEATION
I proposed three distinct directions to explore which brand language resonated most with the client.
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The final approach centers on a friendly matcha bowl symbol, accented by a welcoming yellow-green. This vibrant touch is balanced by a calm, grounded color palette — reinforcing the message that while approachable, the brand remains a trustworthy and reliable partner.
DESIGN CHALLENGE
The only direction I received from the founder was that the product name is Matcha Finance, and they were drawn to the charm of the cartoon matcha bowl.
IDEATION
I proposed three distinct directions to explore which brand language resonated most with the client.
OPTION 1
The first direction features a flat matcha bowl illustration, contrasted with a muted grey to ground the playfulness and align with the seriousness of a financial trading product.OPTION 2
The second direction features a flashy gradient that grabs attention, capturing the platform’s modernity spirit and the new opportunities it brings.
OPTION 3
The third direction features a hand-drawn illustrative style to add a sense of humanity and better connect with the audience. A calm grey base highlights a refreshing mint green accent, striking a balance between warmth and clarity.FINAL DIRECTION
The client aligned with the first direction and appreciated its playful energy, so we moved forward with refining the design.The final approach centers on a friendly matcha bowl symbol, accented by a welcoming yellow-green. This vibrant touch is balanced by a calm, grounded color palette — reinforcing the message that while approachable, the brand remains a trustworthy and reliable partner.
BRAND GUIDE
We moved forward with developing the final brand guide, bringing together the visual foundation — from playful elements to calming structure — to provide a clear, scalable blueprint for the brand moving forward.
DECK DESIGN
To support their pre-seed storytelling and team alignment, I developed a 6-page brand deck outlining the key visual elements and messaging cues that define the brand at this early stage.
WEB DESIGN
The client was looking for a unique website that balances playfulness with clarity in communicating their value. Given the distinctiveness of the matcha bowl symbol, we chose to make it a central visual anchor in the brand experience.
We drew inspiration from how Lacoste’s crocodile symbol plays a central role in its brand heritage page. Similarly, we want our brand symbol to serve as a key character in the user’s web experience — bringing personality, recognition, and continuity across interactions.
In addition to the distinctive use of our brand symbol, we leveraged dynamic text layouts and bold animations to keep the experience engaging. These design choices help maintain audience interest while guiding them through the content in a visually compelling way.
On mobile, the experience maintains a consistent visual language while being thoughtfully adapted to smaller screens — ensuring clarity, usability, and brand integrity across devices.
MOTION HIGHLIGHT
To support the development process, I created animated mockups that demonstrate how key interactive moments should feel across the site. These animations help convey the intended pacing, transitions, and brand expression through motion. 
DELIVERY
For handoff, I created an animation to demonstrate the intended effects and left detailed comments on each key element in Frame.io to ensure clarity for the engineering team.
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