Radio Barrio Centenario

Context

A historic community radio station facing stagnation, transformed into a DAO to democratize ownership and modernize its reach.

The Challenge

Radio Barrio Centenario, a historic pillar of the community, was facing generational and technological stagnation. Its traditional transmission model (FM) limited its geographic reach, and decision-making was centralized, pushing away new voices seeking to participate. The challenge was not just to digitize the signal, but to democratize ownership and management of the medium, transforming passive listeners into active members with a voice and vote.

Radio DAO Design System

A vibrant, community-driven visual language with glassmorphism, designed to empower local radio stations in the Web3 ecosystem. Mobile-first, built on React Native.

Color Palette

The primary, secondary, and grayscale colors defining the visual identity.

Pink

HEX #F1619B RGB 241, 97, 155

Primary brand color. Play button, CTAs and primary action elements

Light Grey

HEX #E9ECEF RGB 233, 236, 239

Secondary buttons, UI backgrounds and supporting surfaces

Gold

HEX #FFC809 RGB 255, 200, 9

Brand accent. Artwork border, highlights and premium elements

Background

HEX #F8F9FA RGB 248, 249, 250

General app background (Light Mode)

Card

HEX #FFFFFF RGB 255, 255, 255

Card and modal surfaces

Text

HEX #212529 RGB 33, 37, 41

Primary text, headings and high-priority content

Text Muted

HEX #6C757D RGB 108, 117, 125

Metadata, subtitles and secondary text

Success

HEX #4CAF50 RGB 76, 175, 80

Confirmations, active states and established Web3 connections

Error

HEX #F44336 RGB 244, 67, 54

Stream errors, failed transactions and critical states

Typography

Primary Typeface: System Default (React Native) (App native UI (iOS/Android))

H1 32px / 900 Screen titles and station names

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

H2 24px / 800 Section subtitles and track names

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

Body 16px / 500 General content, descriptions and lists

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

Caption 12px / 400 Timestamps, metadata and DAO labels

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

UI Components

Interactive elements utilizing the design tokens (Colors, Typography, Border Radius).

Buttons

Default

Hover (simulated)

Active (simulated)

Form Inputs

Default State

Focus State (simulated)

Error State (simulated) Please enter a valid email address.

My Approach

Discovery & Inspiration

I started with a deep immersion in the community, conducting interviews with historic founders and workshops with young local creators. I discovered that the visual identity needed to evoke warmth and tradition, but the infrastructure had to be radically modern and transparent. Inspiration came from the fusion of the "analog" (human voice, history) and the "digital" (blockchain, global streaming).

Experience Definition

I designed an information architecture centered on three fundamental pillars, guaranteeing that the technological complexity of a DAO was invisible to the end user:

Governance (DAO): A simplified voting system where community members use participation "tokens" to decide programming and elect directives.
Hybrid Streaming: Low-latency audio playback accessible from any mobile connection, with on-demand podcasting capabilities to preserve historical memory.
Living Community: Real-time interaction spaces (chat, reactions) integrated directly into the listening experience, eliminating the need for external social networks for immediate feedback.

Technical Implementation

I led the experience design for a multi-platform ecosystem:

Streaming: Integration of Icecast protocols optimized for unstable mobile networks.
Invisible Web3: Authentication via simplified wallets (account abstraction) so users vote on the blockchain without managing complex seed phrases.
Native Apps: Development of Web App and Mobile App (iOS/Android) ready for deployment, ensuring visual and behavioral consistency.
Optimization: Performance in audio loading and data consumption was prioritized, implementing aggressive caching strategies for static content and adaptive compression for the audio stream.

Transformative Results

300%

Increase in global audience thanks to digital streaming

Record

Historic participation in the first digital governance vote

This project demonstrated that decentralized technology (Web3/DAO) is not exclusive to finance, but a powerful tool for social innovation. We managed to weave stronger community ties through bits and waves, ensuring that Radio Barrio Centenario not only survives the digital age but defines what community media of the future should look like.