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# System prepended metadata

title: Web3 / IPFS / Decentralization Icon+Brand+Symbology

---

# Web3 / IPFS / Decentralization Icon+Brand+Symbology

The capability set of the IPFS+Filecoin+libp2p technology stack needs a visual language that is simple, clear and ubiquitously usable in user interface environments, and cements the meaning of read and write actions in the context of web3.

This visual language provides tools we can use in operating systems, applications, browsers - anywhere.

Consider these equivalents of the "feed" icon, for a set of actions and statements in the user experience.

Communicate...

* That something is decentralized and what that means
* What it means when something is on IPFS
* What it means when something is on Filecoin
* That "on IPFS" == web3 and vice versa
* That "on IPFS" == "on Filecoin" and vice versa
* When your data is encrypted but shared on public network
* When your data is encrypted and shared w/ a centralized 3rd party (all http websites/apps today)
* When your data is unencrypted and on a public network

## Superspectrum Framework

Challenges today:
* The lock icon only means that the public network cannot see what you send/receive from a website
*  The lock icon does not communicate whether the website can see the contents of your data
* The lock icon does not communicate whether the website shares your data or metadata with 3rd parties
* Apps have zero visual indicators at all
* There's no visual indicator for public data and metadata on public networks (p2p networks, blockchains)
* There's no visual indicator for encrypted data on public networks (p2p networks, blockchains)


* superpublic - decentralized, data is unencrypted and on a public federated or distributed network, hosted by others, eg IPFS
* public - centralized, 
* shared private (centralized)
* unshared private - e2e encrypted and a 3rd party has complete coordination control and metadata access, eg Signal
* superprivate - e2e encrypted and does not transfer over any 3rd party computers

## User Stories

Action: publish to IPFS/Filecoin

Action: is published on, or was loaded from IPFS

* Story: Browser shows an icon to communicate that the website was retrieved via IPFS

## Existing Symbol Examples

_The "Feed" Icon_

The feed icon became ubiquitous, and is used for:

* signaling available of a feed in web page in browsers
* linking to a feed from a website
* linking to feeds from other websites

_SSL Padlock_


_Bluetooth Icon_


_Wifi Icon_




