KnownOrigin Labs
Design a new NFT Minting and distribution tool for creators that enables scalability
Role
Design Lead
Responsibilities
Product Design
User Research
Project management
Visual Design
Interaction Design
Prototyping
Timeframe
6-9 months from scratch
Overview
In response to the fast evolving developments in the space to Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and the limitations of existing minting experiences including the current Known Origin one, my brief was to design and develop a future-proof NFT minting tool. As the Product Design Lead and sole contributor initially, my role was pivotal in orchestrating this project from discovery stage through to the creation of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). The primary objectives were to streamline the minting process, explore NFT utility, and enable seamless listing on multiple marketplaces.
Worked with
Chief Product Officer, Product Manager, Tech lead, Engineering (including blockchain specialists), Content designer
The existing KO Minter
Pain points from existing data and UX audit
User has to go through multiple flows to do different things - not built for scalability
Lots of drop off on current flow due to varying gas prices and inability to save progress
Takes ages to mint - only seeing 10 mints an hour on average
Various UX issues
Clunky overall flow - Collaborations , enhancements and now creator contracts all separate flows for e.g. Current design is not UX optimised for the addition of new features (one of the key things we want V2 to enable).
4 x User interviews with existing KnownOrigin artists who use the KO Minting portal and other minting tools
User spectrum map
Insights from discovery research
4 x User interviews with existing KnownOrigin artists who use the KO Minting portal and other minting tools
Users want to be able to have their own self-sovereign contracts (collections) rather than rely on the shared KO contract to mint their art to
Some artists are using lots of cool methods manually (some outside of the existing minter) of which the awareness is not very high (other artists don’t know how to do): e.g Burning mechanics ; giving early access to specific audiences - ‘token gated commerce’
Lambie - likes to do a drop of 100 1of1s at once. No way of uploading multiple artworks at once so she has to manually go through the minting flow 100 times.
Zach - No way to add NFT to an existing collection in the current flow (have to do it manually post-mint). No way to set unlockable content from the current flow.
Ability to save drafts very important
Competitor audit and inspiration gathering
Comp analysis (Manifold, Foundation, Bueno etc...)
Zapier, HAL (if this then that/modular UX)
Mailchimp (email campaign builders)
Gmail desktop app (drawers , collapsable sections / components etc)
Desktop apps - MIRO (templates , UGC, modals etc)
Evidence of interesting NFT sales mechanics happening in the wider space e.g burn to redeem
Feature ideation and prioritisation
Collaborating closely with the CPO and blockchain experts, we brainstormed innovative solutions to address the identified pain points and capitalize on emerging trends in the NFT space. With a plethora of ideas on the table, we undertook a rigorous process of feature prioritisation based on impact, feasibility, and alignment with our overarching goals and existing users. Our focus was on enhancing the minting process efficiency while introducing mechanisms for NFT utility that would future proof the tool, and seamless distribution to third-party marketplaces. This prioritisation exercise ensured that our MVP would deliver maximum value to our existing users while laying the groundwork for future iterations.
Increase: User Mints per week
Reduce: Time to Mint
Ability to create own contracts and list to other marketplaces
Allow users to save progress e.g draft states
Exploration of recipe/template based UX leveraging UGC - Space evolves and the ability to build more complex features and utilities (as we see rewards and utility being a key use-case for NFTs we see value in allowing a minting tool that facilitates the integration of these and also opens up new creative possibilities for our creators)
Don’t overcomplicate the simple stuff - majority of users (looking at amplitude data) are using simple buy it now mechanic let’s still ensure that’s very easy to setup
Focus on existing KO artists
Desktop-first design
High-level goals
Future-proofing considerations
Potential 100x traffic (ebay Minter)
Spectrum of users: User groups - personalised UX
Support new creators/artists to the web 3.0 space - helping to guide/educate those newer users or ones who are unsure what’s available and how to do (features, mechanics etc)
Supports more advanced users looking to apply creative sale methods + utilities to their NFTs
Future proofing to work with:
Brands
Other verticals - e.g music, fashion, gaming items etc
Mobile optimised design
“We see rewards and utility being a key use-case for NFTs so we see value in allowing a minting tool that facilitates the integration of these and also opens up new creative possibilities for our creators”
MVP user flow: Create > Mint > List
Phase 2: Integrating a more advanced workflow that enables NFT customisation and sales "recipes"
Concept: Create > Mint > List
The MVP revolves around a focused 3-step process: Create Contract, Mint NFTs, List for Sale. This concept aims to simplify the NFT creation journey into distinct, actionable steps whilst enhancing scalability within each section as required. For example a user could customise their NFT in the Mint phase with additional features as illustrated in the phase 2 user flow above. Summary of design ideation:
Explored multiple wireframe ideations based around the 3 step concept.
Quick and dirty testing was done to gauge usability of various design formats.
I briefed an agency to come up with some ideas too.
Convergence on vertical flow and modular UX format
After a series of internal reviews and some quick and dirty testing to gauge usability of various design formats a vertical flow UX was the preferred choice. Further iterations following feedback from blockchain experts to ensure technical feasibility. The key features of the iterated design were as follows:
Builder flow:
Intuitive modular vertical flow split into 3 key steps
Dynamic progress indicator to aid user progress tracking and completion of required actions
Dynamic preview pane tab accompanies 3 steps showing helpful info such as selected contract, summary of NFT metadata, minted status etc
3 placeholder tabs on side panel for scalability:
Builder tools - a place to access additional features
Settings - To be defined
Helper - A glossary/assistance tool for new users
Streamlined navigation with key focus areas:
Overview (landing screen - overview of work in progress (drafts) or prompt to create first NFT (if first time user for e.g);
Builder - Section specifically focussing on the end-to-end flow for creating, customising, minting and listing your NFT;
Contracts - ability to manage and edit your creator contracts (both deployed and draft state)
Exploring solutions for “recipe” and feature based mechanisms through prototyping to validate design scalability
Increasing number of options and permutations (e.g step sale only works with multi-edition) - next set of choices appear dynamically (easier to understands what options are available vs not as you go through the flow)
Modular / vertical timeline flow allows user to scroll back to edit whilst still maintaining an overall view of the whole setup (rather than go back several pages for example)
This format lends itself to recipe building as it allows user to see all individual building blocks come together in real-time (wouldn’t be able to illustrate in that way if page by page format)
Important to create a scalable design that will be able to support the addition of new features seamlessly and make the tool adaptable for different verticals - overall physical design format (modular vertical flow, MIRO style modals (contained design - user does not have to navigate to many different pages), Side bar tabs, Pull out drawers etc)
Moderated User testing studies
Users got through the vertical flow with relative ease and speed. Comments around “Unlockable content” validated the need for richer feature sets and recipes. Users felt clear messaging around irreversible actions was missing.
MVP Builder flow allows NFT listing in < 1 min
The culmination of feedback resulted in the design of our MVP. Leveraging a user-centric approach, the intuitive interface and seamless workflow aimed to simplify the minting process for both novice users and experienced creators.
Contract creation, minting an NFT and listing for sale can be done in around 1 minute now.
The timeline has also been streamlined to reduce cognitive load with list section renamed to “Sell”.
“Irreversible action” modals have been added at each stage of the process for positive friction.
Utility based features were de-scoped due to requiring a much more in-depth round of research but a placeholder tab was kept for indicating future development and generating interest.
Integration with OpenSea and the creation of a personalised drops site were prioritised as initial distribution channels whilst ‘Buy now’ sales mechanic would be supported as first offering.
MVP Overview section
Nav further streamlined to “Overview” and “Builder” following usability feedback.
Users can see all their contracts/collections and the NFTs contained within them.
Improved overall flow/UX - Users can now jump back into their work in progress or access the relevant pre-selected entry points of the builder in a few clicks; streamlining the flow as required and addressing the original core pain points.
Draft states not fully integrated but minted as well as listed tokens appear saved within created collections allowing the user to take the next forward action.
Users are able to manage their listed NFTs on the artist portal
Reflections
As the sole Senior Product Designer leading the creation of the new NFT minting tool for Known Origin Labs, I faced an exciting yet challenging project that marked my first deep dive into the blockchain and NFT space. Without a product manager at the start, I took ownership of the discovery phase and product vision, which pushed me to strengthen my strategic thinking. Navigating the evolving complexities of the NFT market helped me develop a keen focus on designing for scalability and modularity, ensuring the solution could adapt to future developments.
Understanding blockchain technology’s unique parameters around smart contracts, minting and listing of tokens as well as dealing with changing business needs around distribution channels and marketplace variables - required rethinking and adjusting parts of the minting and selling flow to ensure feasibility. This taught me the value of flexibility and cross-functional collaboration particularly with the solidity engineers.
Given the novelty of the tool, I made a point to explore diverse options to avoid restricting creativity and tested multiple iterations early on to ensure we were on the right track with the modular, vertical flow format. User feedback was key in refining the flow, and working closely with a content designer allowed us to simplify the process, introduce positive friction, and create a smoother, more intuitive experience for users. This project expanded my expertise in designing a modular and scalable experience and reinforced the importance of iteration and collaboration in building innovative tools.
I worked on this product in parallel with the artist portal and seeing as they were so closely linked, the next step would have been to explore some form of unification e.g a shared navigation.