Ledger Nano Gen5: Our collaboration on a pure black and white interface design

Rethinking a black and white interface system with no shades of gray. On this e-ink screen, each pixel is either black or white.

It is with this fundamental constraint that we envisioned the new interface of the Ledger Nano Gen5, which was unveiled last week during the Ledger Op3n 2025 conferences.

A long-term collaboration

After the Ledger Stax and the Ledger Flex, this is our third collaboration on the OS of Ledger hardware wallets (now called "Signers"). This partnership has been ongoing since 2021, where each project drives us to reinvent our approach to embedded design.

For this new generation, the challenge was immense. While the structure of the OS had to remain the same, it was not just about adapting the existing system, but about completely redefining the visual language of the system.

The challenge of "Pixel-Perfect" 1-bit

The 300x400 pixel e-ink screen forced us to go back to the fundamentals. Our approach unfolded in three main stages.

1. Exploration

Our first exploration was to dive into the history of pixel interfaces, from the Apple Newton to the most recent Playdate console. The idea was to see how to turn this constraint into a strong identity asset. We also explored techniques like dithering to simulate depth.

Ultimately, (and even if these explorations fueled our thinking), the decision was made to prioritize the consistency of the range. The interface needed to be as close as possible to the other two "Signers" to avoid confusing users.

2. The Craft

How to execute Ledger’s visual DNA to perfection, without color or gray levels? The answer: recreate everything by hand.

Readability being non-negotiable. We had to create a pixel typography of 800 characters and a custom icon set. Each character, each icon was hand-drawn to be perfectly readable and identifiable on this specific screen. The same goes for the layouts & Components; all interface elements and mockups have been revised to display content consistently without compromising readability.

3. Industrialization

A design is also a maintainable system. To allow Ledger teams to smoothly take over the work internally, we structured a complete Figma environment.

We delivered a complete library of components and 12 base templates. Thanks to the use of nested components, these templates allow the team to build and evolve the entire OS autonomously and coherently.

An integrated collaboration

This intense 3-month project mobilized a team at Source of 2 designers (Camille and Guillem) and 1 Design Director (myself).

The key to success was our total integration with the PM teams, developers, and other stakeholders from Ledger. This closeness was crucial to ensure the handoff of the Figma library and to validate our design assumptions, as we did not yet have the final product screen at the time of designing.

“This third collaboration with Source on the Ledger signers’ experience is a new success. They are among the valuable partners who manage to truly hold the equation “quality + speed“.
With the hindsight of months and years, we see the sustainability of their recommendations and interfaces, which remain relevant and aesthetic for Ledger and especially for our users.”
Benoît Lucet, Senior Staff Product Manager

Coming soon: The complete case study

We are incredibly proud of the result and to see this product soon in the hands of thousands of users.

A detailed case study will be coming soon to share our research, our iterations, and the choices that guided the creation of this new interface.

In the meantime, you can (re)discover our article on the design of the Ledger Stax, the first device in the family.

A big thank you to the Ledger teams for their renewed trust (Benoît, Guillaume, Cyril) and congratulations to the entire Source team involved.