Remember when most service provider recommendations came from a trusted source instead of online searches yielding countless anonymous reviews? Social media startup The Friendex combines the best of both worlds, leveraging users’ online social networks to facilitate word-of-mouth referrals among friends and acquaintances. When the quirky startup reached out to the Pastilla team for a visual branding strategy, we decided to go back to basics, incorporating retro images and elements into our overall design. The result is a thoroughly modern website that captures The Friendex’s goal of connecting people and trusted service providers the (not quite so) old-fashioned way.