How to Design Ethereum for 1,000 Years? - Tomo Saito, designer x Ethereum Foundation.

My name is Tomo Saito, a designer at the Ethereum Foundation. Yeah, I work as a designer to uh in the Ethereum Foundation to kind of create some sort of like aesthetics and also the the world of Ethereum. And we as a EF, we have we have responsible to share our knowledge and also like a vision or provide some sort of guidance for the ecosystem. And then I think the design work or artwork um helps to share and then let people feel about what is what is the vision look like and then what the what the world could look like. So, yeah, I I think I'm I'm yeah, I'm honored to be part of creating that kind of aesthetics.

So, we published uh the EF Monday um in uh mid-March 2026 and I was a designer for uh EF Monday. And then that document is actually the um the document published by the EF uh board and to this Ethereum Foundation. So, that outlines what it what is the EF stands for and then what it what it what is the guidelines of the uh organization. And then that describes the principles uh uh properties called crops, like censorship resistance, uh open source, privacy, and security. And also some sort of the social pillars that we how we uh coordinate with ecosystem.

How we work together other people. So, it's kind of quite like comprehensive document. And um as a designer uh the core challenge was to implement a new energy of Ethereum and Ethereum Foundation. And then yeah, I worked uh hard to kind of like like break my old aesthetics and then create a certain new. And that was such a yeah, journey to cultivate a new aesthetics and yeah, that was that was cool project and hope yeah, you can download it and then see that how that look like.

So I actually in the the talk today I defined aesthetic is a tool to understand the energy of the world. And so any aesthetics it actually works like that, too. Um so so what what are the aesthetics of the EF Monday? Um Yeah, it it was really hard to come up with one word because it's so much dimensional and it's so um much going on and also it's like a timeless, meaning like you're thinking about like a thousand years of links to exist. So yeah, it's like trans hyper What is this?

Chrono um wabi-sabi amplified digital primitive beyond post-modern whatever, right? Yeah, it's like yeah. I love I mean you can describe the aesthetics in many ways. I think that's that's a kind of part of latest EF Monday. Miyazaki was the one of the influence.

Um I would say I have much more different influence to the um EF Monday because it's reflection of the energy that exists around Ethereum. So immediately it was definitely one of those substantial and then that actually resonate with the values of everything they love. So, we implemented couple the elements of the Milady into here. But not only that though, like we have like some elements for Freya, for example, like Freya is the elf who lives for 4,000 more than 5,000 years and he she has a different perception about the time and the time is very precious. Let's say really beautiful story that I personally love and all that definitely influence into that, too.

I think from last year we started doing well and then we started engaging with the ecosystem more and then which is good and and with the ETH Monday, we actually you know, we push harder on like our vision and then and then we are not asking people to follow uh whole ecosystem We're not asking whole ecosystem to follow that, but we wanted to present as a ETH like we commit to this and then we commit to this uh vision or foundation of ourselves. All right, so that's I think that was really uh important message to the ecosystem uh for everyone because we we and we confirmed our responsibility. Um so and yeah, so the design so it has an indirectly have an impact to the the ecosystem and I hope people felt something that energetic about it. Like you know, so Uh in the talk I said like if you do percent of people said something really negative about the ETH Monday and then that was cool like to me it's like great. It's a great uh art always create some criticism.

So, yeah, it's it's encouraging that that's actually very successful. If Monday aesthetics or if Monday has uh is created one time of the timeline, right? But that timeline we are seeing for 1,000 years. So, we hold through we assure actually that that document lasts 1,000 years. So, that means that aesthetics also last 1,000 years but as the the marking of that point.

So, it doesn't mean we should fix ways or attached to the aesthetics, but we can actually recognize that moment as the timing of the the if Monday and then we can just go back to the point and always reflect what is now. And then what is now the energy the energy of now and then we can create something new out of the reflection towards that point. So, I think that's um yeah, it has it's not fixed, but also it's it's a it's a good point to always feel like, oh, something something very important. The the art itself of the if Monday art itself has a lot of reflection and differences and trying to implement a lot of meanings into it. So, it's like it already embodies some sort of like open source-ness that's like any thing can be part of that, right?

So, I think we created somewhat like free feeling about something of and then that's a kind of foundation of aesthetics. What is privacy for me? Privacy for me is a um

[clears throat]

personal and also social responsibility to make us free. Um it's really big say big big word to say, but I think um over history or or I think this is the the the dilemma of human society thing. Like we always negotiate what is personal freedom versus society engagement obligation type of things, right? That's But we have to be always aware, otherwise we keep losing. If we don't do anything, right?

So we just have to be aware that we have to do it. And then we have to be aware. Okay, how design can help the privacy? I mean, to be honest, like I don't have the right answer for it. It's a it's definitely yeah.

Um but at the same time it's not about uh privacy is not only about design or tech or anything. It's a privacy is just awareness, I think. So as anyone in the society, anyone in the on this planet can contribute to building the better privacies. Um so yeah, like there must be a way to do it. Like as a designer, probably I should uh I should take a look at that more.

Um but the yeah, design itself has the power to communicate with people and also create the the feeling of the world. Um So yeah, the design or the the uh world building should be able to create the sense of um safe world with more better awareness of the privacy. Privacy tools is uh yeah. Um I mean, I use Signal. Um as messaging tools.

Um but at the same time this is I feel like I I should do more. Like I should be more aware. And otherwise, yeah, like automatically goes to common tools, like

Okay.

Google stuff, for example. Right. So, that's Yeah, that's a good reminder that I I personally like to actually learn more about, like what are the tools available, and maybe show in Yeah, implement that to the daily life. I didn't experience the older Cypherpunk, right. And then, so the word Cypherpunk, I got learned this after I joined to the ecosystem.

And um So, to me, it's not new or old. It's just a Cypherpunk. It's just a Cypherpunk. I understand that it has a history, but um Yeah, the the I I definitely the the current Ethereum people are more um um What's the best word? Friendly?

Like not really aggressive, I think. I I feel like the the older Cypherpunk is a little bit more aggressive. Um like visually, like they have masks and stuff. Like we don't have masks. I mean Yeah, some people might, but um it's a available tools, uh available ideas, which is great.

Like it's Yeah, like it it it should be be the the thing for everyone, actually. Um so, it's like a Yeah, kind of kind of kind of democratizing that that privacy essence, privacy um awareness. Some Web3 project has its own aesthetics and uh some cool design or whatever. Um Those like specific projects um have who uh representing the values very well. I think yeah, those are good.

Um but on the environment in the climate of social media like it's just a bunch of um yeah, many many of bad stuff bad or bad is bad is good bad. Um common thing social media is like breach of the privacy. Like but we're so used to it. So it's little anxious about yeah, good design in mind of me or good privacy. So it's like it's it's a challenging time.

Like this web space is really really weird. But also we have to be yeah, aware and we we are responsible to create like safe good design of them environment. Yeah, I would say the good design in web three space is a representation of the good values. And then the design space or the world we create should really uh uh show the values of what we are believing. And then in terms of our ourselves like it's in foundation like we said like a crops which is like censorship things and no privacy and security, right?

Like us um so we should really represent and we should really manifest those values or properties into the design. The the world we are creating. So I would say that's the goal of our digital practice. Um yeah, so the advice for the emerging designers, artists, or creators in the web three space is uh do do follow what looks good or what's trending or anything, but just follow the the values and then faith and then interpret those values into something tangible things, like visible experience uh ex- experiences. Um that will probably the better way to um to really create meaningful things.