AFL Mint
Fostering a new era of footy memorabilia
The AFL was entering a new era of fan experience with digital collectibles. I led the platform design and ux that offered fans a new way to collect, buy and sell video highlights and other digital memorabilia on a custom marketplace.
Client
Australian Football League (AFL)
Contributions
Lead UX & UI design, design system, product feature planning & workshops, user testing
Year
2022 - Present
AFL Mint
Fostering a new era of footy memorabilia
The AFL was entering a new era of fan experience with digital collectibles. I led the platform design and ux that offered fans a new way to collect, buy and sell video highlights and other digital memorabilia on a custom marketplace.
Client
Australian Football League (AFL)
Contributions
Lead UX & UI design, design system, product feature planning & workshops, user testing
Year
2022 - Present
AFL Mint
Fostering a new era of footy memorabilia
The AFL was entering a new era of fan experience with digital collectibles. I led the platform design and ux that offered fans a new way to collect, buy and sell video highlights and other digital memorabilia on a custom marketplace.
Client
Australian Football League (AFL)
Contributions
Lead UX & UI design, design system, product feature planning & workshops, user testing
Year
2022 - Present
TLDR
A Design Overview
A quick look at key screens from the AFL Mint platform
Signup & Onboarding
Existing fans. New tech.
Blockchain, NFT's & digital wallets. How do we get footy fans to understand and adopt a new fandom experience?
The challenges
A new AFL iD - Anonymity is the norm in the web3 space, so creating a business account added a step that was unexpected within the NFT community. AFL Mint was the first product to use the new AFL iD so at first it was a challenge but longer term as it rolled out to other products it became hugely beneficial for onboarding users who already had an AFL iD from another product and that's who we needed to reach.
Digital wallets - On top of creating an AFL iD, users had to set up a third party Blocto digital wallet. This was our best option at the time of launch but we had to work really hard to guide users through the process. We provided step by step guides to make this process smoother, but we knew it could still be daunting for newcomers to digital wallets and transactions. The tech team continued to work on finding better options for new users.
Changing perceptions - We had great content and an existing fanbase but many people are skeptical about spending on digital assets like NFTs. It was crucial to build trust in AFL's endorsement and highlight AFL Mint's unique rewards and community experience to win them over.
Too much jargon - Web3 is full of insider terminology that can be very technical. Initially we worked on explaining what a 'non-fungible token' or an 'allowlist' was but quickly realised that your average fan doesn't need to understand the inner workings of blockchain technology to enjoy the experience. So we pivoted to more friendly common language like 'digital collectibles' and 'pre-sale'.
Mint Magic
Simplifying a complex signup process
A few months after our initial launch a new digital wallet option "Magic" became available and everything changed. This innovative solution allowed us to seamlessly link to users' AFL iD, which had been integrated into more AFL products by then, and create their wallet in the background. Leveraging AFL iD also enabled us to personalise the user experience by identifying their favourite team, allowing us to provide them with a free team collectible upon signup and theming their account accordingly. Additionally, I worked with the dev team to implement automatic username generation upon signup, reducing friction in the signup process. All it took was a few clicks and your whole team themed account and digital wallet was set up and ready to go.
Behind the journey
Behind the scenes of our new streamlined signup and login process, there were several intricate variations to consider. We had to ensure seamless integration for existing Blocto wallet holders, ensuring they also received the new team collectible. Additionally, we needed to address scenarios where existing Blocto users added the new Magic wallet and now had both wallets associated with their account. To navigate these twists and turns, I mapped out the user journeys, giving our dev team a handy roadmap to follow. This visual journey along with figma prototypes were essential in getting stakeholders to invest in the new wallet and to get clubs on board with promoting the team collectible to their supporters.
Nurturing new collectors
We created a number of resources and micro features to guide new collectors and help them get familiar with digital collectibles and the AFL Mint platform.
Getting started with starter packs
The signed in homepage prioritises the always available starter packs for new collectors so they can try the complete pack purchase process for just $10
Customising the homepage for new collectors
New collectors are greeted with a homepage highlighting their teams moments and ways to get started with growing their collection.
The Mint Guide
Highlighting all of the key features across the Mint platform at a glance with tips of details to look out for as a collector.
Contextual FAQs
Including any answers right where they're needed on features such as listing an item for sale or buying a pack.
Learn articles
A series of articles that could go more in depth about different aspects of the digital collectibles, wallets and all things AFL Mint.
The Discord Community
Encouraging new collectors to join the AFL Mint discord to learn from other collectors.
Pack purchases
Shop the Drops
Purchasing a lucky dip pack of limited edition numbered video highlights.
The challenges
Coordinating a drop - We had to coordinate assets and content from several team members for each drop. This was taking up a fair amount of resource time during our test and learn phase so I ended up reworking the drop templates and creating a process for the team to be able to launch a drop without any UX input going forward.
Transparency - Transparency on pricing, numbers and randomisation is key within the digital collectibles space. Opting to display pricing in AUD for user familiarity was a deliberate choice, despite transactions being conducted in USDC on the blockchain, subject to minor fluctuations based on exchange rates. Providing real-time access to pricing and fees was pivotal in ensuring transparency and enabling users to accurately assess costs. We also provided users with information on edition size, tier odds and the randomisation process of moments within a pack.
Payment options - Incorporating third-party payment providers posed our most significant challenge. Unlike standard credit card payments, transactions had to navigate through a third-party digital payment provider. Some users experienced smooth transactions, while others encountered hurdles, such as banks rejecting payments due to stringent security measures. To mitigate issues, we guided users to preload their wallets for instant checkouts during drops. Our tech team later introduced a new Australian-based provider, enhancing transaction success. However, it remained essential to offer resources and support for users unfamiliar with this payment process, ensuring a seamless experience for all.
Buy a pack
Making checkout easy
Collectors had the opportunity to purchase packs immediately after the drop countdown concluded. While credit card payments were available, we encouraged collectors to preload their wallets before drops to ensure instant, seamless checkouts and prevent missing out. Following testing, we implemented a feature allowing collectors to rip open their packs directly from the page, eliminating the added step of visiting their 'Trophy Cabinet' where unopened packs are stored. This enhancement facilitated quicker reveals and enabled collectors to make repeat purchases efficiently.
The reveal
Ripping a pack to reveal your moments
I worked with our motion designer and dev team to create a pack opening experience that would feel exciting and build anticipation for collectors while revealing their moments.
Genesis
Scoring a golden ticket
A small number of packs also included a coveted one-of-one Genesis Ball. This rare collectible came in 2,022 unique colour combinations and gave owners access to rewards and experiences like footy tickets and merch so we wanted to elevate this experience even further. I worked with our motion designer, sound designer and dev team to create a seamless transition from the collectors placeholder ball to revealing which unique one-of-one on chain ball they would receive.
Sets
Collect them all
We included an index showcasing all moments within a set. A set could be just one pack drop, or for season collections, across multiple drops. Collectors could easily track which moments they owned and which ones they still needed to acquire which were shown in greyscale. Additionally, we implemented a dedicated section in their account providing an overview of set completion across the entire collection. This feature proved invaluable for collectors striving to complete sets which occasionally came with rewards, as well as for facilitating repeat pack sales and secondary marketplace transactions.
The Marketplace
Browse, buy and sell your collection.
Creating a custom marketplace for the community to buy and sell their AFL Mint collectibles.
Planning
User stories
The marketplace was a big project with a lot of features to consider. I started by researching other marketplaces, capturing every user story and feature we could think of and fostered collaboration with our Discord community for their input on what they wanted to see in the marketplace. Together with our team of developers and stakeholders, we crafted a rollout plan that focussed on must-have features for launch, as well as those with the potential to make a big impact with minimal effort.
Journeys
Mapping user journeys
Before diving into design, I mapped out each user story into a journey ensuring we captured each step of the process. It was essential to think ahead for future features and how these would integrate with the phase 1 and existing platform features.
Buying
Filter and find your fave moments to purchase
Purchasing a pack was a lucky dip, offering collectors a randomized selection of moments and serial numbers. However, with the introduction of the marketplace, collectors gained the ability to purchase individual moments, giving them greater control over their collections. They could also now select the most desirable serial number from offerings provided by the community with jumper numbers and low serials fetching a higher price.
Selling
Set a price and list your collectible on the marketplace
We made listing an item on the marketplace as easy as possible. All users needed to do was select an item from their collection, enter the price and confirm listing. To help users with pricing we also added a pricing guide directly on the listing page. Current listings and past sales for the same item could be viewed to help decide on a reasonable price to list at.
User testing the marketplace
Before launching the full marketplace I tested with users in a few phases. The nature of the space meant we had to make sure anyone with early access couldn't take advantage of this for profit so we kept it internal and with a small group of trusted external users.
Figma prototype testing
I created a full prototype of our MVP marketplace in Figma as well as user journeys for all the main workflows for us to test out ideas before committing to the dev team building anything.
Browse only release
We released a browse only version of the Marketplace as the first phase. This was the first time the community could browse and watch the full collection. We included all features of the marketplace other than buying and selling. So we were able to start getting feedback on features like filtering and adding to watchlist and gathering additional feature requests from the Discord community.
Internal staging observations
Once we had built the buy and sell features I did a series of one-on-one observations with each of our team on the staging site. They were asked to complete a few tasks such as finding a collectible from their favourite team and purchasing using fake funds and listing an item for sale from their own collection. We were able to pick up a few patterns of issues across the group. For instance we were initially showing all items that were either for sale or not for sale and some users were then confused about how to purchase after selecting a not for sale item. So a simple fix we were able to implement was having the default filter set to 'for sale' items. Something that was obvious to us as designers and developers but only picked up as an issue after observing other people use the product.
Internal live 'allowlist' testing
Next we launched the marketplace buy and sell features on the live site with access only to our internal team. They could buy and sell real collectibles with real funds on the live site. At this point any issues were mostly technical as we were now in the live environment. So the team were noting bugs for the dev team to address before we could release to the public.
Selected user 'allowlist' testing
We gave access to a selected group of trusted users from the Discord community as the first public test. Giving them parameters for only selling lower tier items so they couldn't take advantage of early access. We captured their feedback which was again mostly technical bugs by this point.
Discord user feedback
The wider Discord community were essential in providing feedback on their experience with the full Marketplace release, reporting any issues as soon as they came up and posting their successful sales. We were able to capture any feedback to improve in the following weeks.
Shoutouts to the design team at AFL Studios including art direction by Marty Cook, motion & 3D by John Robinson, graphic design by Zoe Caracatsanoudis and copy by Laura Donnelly. And to the dev team at Animoca/Sportpass, including Shane Pollard, Grant Cahn and Julian Rutherford.
TLDR
A Design Overview
A quick look at key screens from the AFL Mint platform
Signup & Onboarding
Existing fans. New tech.
Blockchain, NFT's & digital wallets. How do we get footy fans to understand and adopt a new fandom experience?
The challenges
A new AFL iD - Anonymity is the norm in the web3 space, so creating a business account added a step that was unexpected within the NFT community. AFL Mint was the first product to use the new AFL iD so at first it was a challenge but longer term as it rolled out to other products it became hugely beneficial for onboarding users who already had an AFL iD from another product and that's who we needed to reach.
Digital wallets - On top of creating an AFL iD, users had to set up a third party Blocto digital wallet. This was our best option at the time of launch but we had to work really hard to guide users through the process. We provided step by step guides to make this process smoother, but we knew it could still be daunting for newcomers to digital wallets and transactions. The tech team continued to work on finding better options for new users.
Changing perceptions - We had great content and an existing fanbase but many people are skeptical about spending on digital assets like NFTs. It was crucial to build trust in AFL's endorsement and highlight AFL Mint's unique rewards and community experience to win them over.
Too much jargon - Web3 is full of insider terminology that can be very technical. Initially we worked on explaining what a 'non-fungible token' or an 'allowlist' was but quickly realised that your average fan doesn't need to understand the inner workings of blockchain technology to enjoy the experience. So we pivoted to more friendly common language like 'digital collectibles' and 'pre-sale'.
Mint Magic
Simplifying a complex signup process
A few months after our initial launch a new digital wallet option "Magic" became available and everything changed. This innovative solution allowed us to seamlessly link to users' AFL iD, which had been integrated into more AFL products by then, and create their wallet in the background. Leveraging AFL iD also enabled us to personalise the user experience by identifying their favourite team, allowing us to provide them with a free team collectible upon signup and theming their account accordingly. Additionally, I worked with the dev team to implement automatic username generation upon signup, reducing friction in the signup process. All it took was a few clicks and your whole team themed account and digital wallet was set up and ready to go.
Behind the journey
Behind the scenes of our new streamlined signup and login process, there were several intricate variations to consider. We had to ensure seamless integration for existing Blocto wallet holders, ensuring they also received the new team collectible. Additionally, we needed to address scenarios where existing Blocto users added the new Magic wallet and now had both wallets associated with their account. To navigate these twists and turns, I mapped out the user journeys, giving our dev team a handy roadmap to follow. This visual journey along with figma prototypes were essential in getting stakeholders to invest in the new wallet and to get clubs on board with promoting the team collectible to their supporters.
Nurturing new collectors
We created a number of resources and micro features to guide new collectors and help them get familiar with digital collectibles and the AFL Mint platform.
Getting started with starter packs
The signed in homepage prioritises the always available starter packs for new collectors so they can try the complete pack purchase process for just $10
Customising the homepage for new collectors
New collectors are greeted with a homepage highlighting their teams moments and ways to get started with growing their collection.
The Mint Guide
Highlighting all of the key features across the Mint platform at a glance with tips of details to look out for as a collector.
Contextual FAQs
Including any answers right where they're needed on features such as listing an item for sale or buying a pack.
Learn articles
A series of articles that could go more in depth about different aspects of the digital collectibles, wallets and all things AFL Mint.
The Discord Community
Encouraging new collectors to join the AFL Mint discord to learn from other collectors.
Pack purchases
Shop the Drops
Purchasing a lucky dip pack of limited edition numbered video highlights.
The challenges
Coordinating a drop - We had to coordinate assets and content from several team members for each drop. This was taking up a fair amount of resource time during our test and learn phase so I ended up reworking the drop templates and creating a process for the team to be able to launch a drop without any UX input going forward.
Transparency - Transparency on pricing, numbers and randomisation is key within the digital collectibles space. Opting to display pricing in AUD for user familiarity was a deliberate choice, despite transactions being conducted in USDC on the blockchain, subject to minor fluctuations based on exchange rates. Providing real-time access to pricing and fees was pivotal in ensuring transparency and enabling users to accurately assess costs. We also provided users with information on edition size, tier odds and the randomisation process of moments within a pack.
Payment options - Incorporating third-party payment providers posed our most significant challenge. Unlike standard credit card payments, transactions had to navigate through a third-party digital payment provider. Some users experienced smooth transactions, while others encountered hurdles, such as banks rejecting payments due to stringent security measures. To mitigate issues, we guided users to preload their wallets for instant checkouts during drops. Our tech team later introduced a new Australian-based provider, enhancing transaction success. However, it remained essential to offer resources and support for users unfamiliar with this payment process, ensuring a seamless experience for all.
Buy a pack
Making checkout easy
Collectors had the opportunity to purchase packs immediately after the drop countdown concluded. While credit card payments were available, we encouraged collectors to preload their wallets before drops to ensure instant, seamless checkouts and prevent missing out. Following testing, we implemented a feature allowing collectors to rip open their packs directly from the page, eliminating the added step of visiting their 'Trophy Cabinet' where unopened packs are stored. This enhancement facilitated quicker reveals and enabled collectors to make repeat purchases efficiently.
The reveal
Ripping a pack to reveal your moments
I worked with our motion designer and dev team to create a pack opening experience that would feel exciting and build anticipation for collectors while revealing their moments.
Genesis
Scoring a golden ticket
A small number of packs also included a coveted one-of-one Genesis Ball. This rare collectible came in 2,022 unique colour combinations and gave owners access to rewards and experiences like footy tickets and merch so we wanted to elevate this experience even further. I worked with our motion designer, sound designer and dev team to create a seamless transition from the collectors placeholder ball to revealing which unique one-of-one on chain ball they would receive.
Sets
Collect them all
We included an index showcasing all moments within a set. A set could be just one pack drop, or for season collections, across multiple drops. Collectors could easily track which moments they owned and which ones they still needed to acquire which were shown in greyscale. Additionally, we implemented a dedicated section in their account providing an overview of set completion across the entire collection. This feature proved invaluable for collectors striving to complete sets which occasionally came with rewards, as well as for facilitating repeat pack sales and secondary marketplace transactions.
The Marketplace
Browse, buy and sell your collection.
Creating a custom marketplace for the community to buy and sell their AFL Mint collectibles.
Planning
User stories
The marketplace was a big project with a lot of features to consider. I started by researching other marketplaces, capturing every user story and feature we could think of and fostered collaboration with our Discord community for their input on what they wanted to see in the marketplace. Together with our team of developers and stakeholders, we crafted a rollout plan that focussed on must-have features for launch, as well as those with the potential to make a big impact with minimal effort.
Journeys
Mapping user journeys
Before diving into design, I mapped out each user story into a journey ensuring we captured each step of the process. It was essential to think ahead for future features and how these would integrate with the phase 1 and existing platform features.
Buying
Filter and find your fave moments to purchase
Purchasing a pack was a lucky dip, offering collectors a randomized selection of moments and serial numbers. However, with the introduction of the marketplace, collectors gained the ability to purchase individual moments, giving them greater control over their collections. They could also now select the most desirable serial number from offerings provided by the community with jumper numbers and low serials fetching a higher price.
Selling
Set a price and list your collectible on the marketplace
We made listing an item on the marketplace as easy as possible. All users needed to do was select an item from their collection, enter the price and confirm listing. To help users with pricing we also added a pricing guide directly on the listing page. Current listings and past sales for the same item could be viewed to help decide on a reasonable price to list at.
User testing the marketplace
Before launching the full marketplace I tested with users in a few phases. The nature of the space meant we had to make sure anyone with early access couldn't take advantage of this for profit so we kept it internal and with a small group of trusted external users.
Figma prototype testing
I created a full prototype of our MVP marketplace in Figma as well as user journeys for all the main workflows for us to test out ideas before committing to the dev team building anything.
Browse only release
We released a browse only version of the Marketplace as the first phase. This was the first time the community could browse and watch the full collection. We included all features of the marketplace other than buying and selling. So we were able to start getting feedback on features like filtering and adding to watchlist and gathering additional feature requests from the Discord community.
Internal staging observations
Once we had built the buy and sell features I did a series of one-on-one observations with each of our team on the staging site. They were asked to complete a few tasks such as finding a collectible from their favourite team and purchasing using fake funds and listing an item for sale from their own collection. We were able to pick up a few patterns of issues across the group. For instance we were initially showing all items that were either for sale or not for sale and some users were then confused about how to purchase after selecting a not for sale item. So a simple fix we were able to implement was having the default filter set to 'for sale' items. Something that was obvious to us as designers and developers but only picked up as an issue after observing other people use the product.
Internal live 'allowlist' testing
Next we launched the marketplace buy and sell features on the live site with access only to our internal team. They could buy and sell real collectibles with real funds on the live site. At this point any issues were mostly technical as we were now in the live environment. So the team were noting bugs for the dev team to address before we could release to the public.
Selected user 'allowlist' testing
We gave access to a selected group of trusted users from the Discord community as the first public test. Giving them parameters for only selling lower tier items so they couldn't take advantage of early access. We captured their feedback which was again mostly technical bugs by this point.
Discord user feedback
The wider Discord community were essential in providing feedback on their experience with the full Marketplace release, reporting any issues as soon as they came up and posting their successful sales. We were able to capture any feedback to improve in the following weeks.
Shoutouts to the design team at AFL Studios including art direction by Marty Cook, motion & 3D by John Robinson, graphic design by Zoe Caracatsanoudis and copy by Laura Donnelly. And to the dev team at Animoca/Sportpass, including Shane Pollard, Grant Cahn and Julian Rutherford.
TLDR
A Design Overview
A quick look at key screens from the AFL Mint platform
Signup & Onboarding
Existing fans. New tech.
Blockchain, NFT's & digital wallets. How do we get footy fans to understand and adopt a new fandom experience?
The challenges
A new AFL iD - Anonymity is the norm in the web3 space, so creating a business account added a step that was unexpected within the NFT community. AFL Mint was the first product to use the new AFL iD so at first it was a challenge but longer term as it rolled out to other products it became hugely beneficial for onboarding users who already had an AFL iD from another product and that's who we needed to reach.
Digital wallets - On top of creating an AFL iD, users had to set up a third party Blocto digital wallet. This was our best option at the time of launch but we had to work really hard to guide users through the process. We provided step by step guides to make this process smoother, but we knew it could still be daunting for newcomers to digital wallets and transactions. The tech team continued to work on finding better options for new users.
Changing perceptions - We had great content and an existing fanbase but many people are skeptical about spending on digital assets like NFTs. It was crucial to build trust in AFL's endorsement and highlight AFL Mint's unique rewards and community experience to win them over.
Too much jargon - Web3 is full of insider terminology that can be very technical. Initially we worked on explaining what a 'non-fungible token' or an 'allowlist' was but quickly realised that your average fan doesn't need to understand the inner workings of blockchain technology to enjoy the experience. So we pivoted to more friendly common language like 'digital collectibles' and 'pre-sale'.
Mint Magic
Simplifying a complex signup process
A few months after our initial launch a new digital wallet option "Magic" became available and everything changed. This innovative solution allowed us to seamlessly link to users' AFL iD, which had been integrated into more AFL products by then, and create their wallet in the background. Leveraging AFL iD also enabled us to personalise the user experience by identifying their favourite team, allowing us to provide them with a free team collectible upon signup and theming their account accordingly. Additionally, I worked with the dev team to implement automatic username generation upon signup, reducing friction in the signup process. All it took was a few clicks and your whole team themed account and digital wallet was set up and ready to go.
Behind the journey
Behind the scenes of our new streamlined signup and login process, there were several intricate variations to consider. We had to ensure seamless integration for existing Blocto wallet holders, ensuring they also received the new team collectible. Additionally, we needed to address scenarios where existing Blocto users added the new Magic wallet and now had both wallets associated with their account. To navigate these twists and turns, I mapped out the user journeys, giving our dev team a handy roadmap to follow. This visual journey along with figma prototypes were essential in getting stakeholders to invest in the new wallet and to get clubs on board with promoting the team collectible to their supporters.
Nurturing new collectors
We created a number of resources and micro features to guide new collectors and help them get familiar with digital collectibles and the AFL Mint platform.
Getting started with starter packs
The signed in homepage prioritises the always available starter packs for new collectors so they can try the complete pack purchase process for just $10
Customising the homepage for new collectors
New collectors are greeted with a homepage highlighting their teams moments and ways to get started with growing their collection.
The Mint Guide
Highlighting all of the key features across the Mint platform at a glance with tips of details to look out for as a collector.
Contextual FAQs
Including any answers right where they're needed on features such as listing an item for sale or buying a pack.
Learn articles
A series of articles that could go more in depth about different aspects of the digital collectibles, wallets and all things AFL Mint.
The Discord Community
Encouraging new collectors to join the AFL Mint discord to learn from other collectors.
Pack purchases
Shop the Drops
Purchasing a lucky dip pack of limited edition numbered video highlights.
The challenges
Coordinating a drop - We had to coordinate assets and content from several team members for each drop. This was taking up a fair amount of resource time during our test and learn phase so I ended up reworking the drop templates and creating a process for the team to be able to launch a drop without any UX input going forward.
Transparency - Transparency on pricing, numbers and randomisation is key within the digital collectibles space. Opting to display pricing in AUD for user familiarity was a deliberate choice, despite transactions being conducted in USDC on the blockchain, subject to minor fluctuations based on exchange rates. Providing real-time access to pricing and fees was pivotal in ensuring transparency and enabling users to accurately assess costs. We also provided users with information on edition size, tier odds and the randomisation process of moments within a pack.
Payment options - Incorporating third-party payment providers posed our most significant challenge. Unlike standard credit card payments, transactions had to navigate through a third-party digital payment provider. Some users experienced smooth transactions, while others encountered hurdles, such as banks rejecting payments due to stringent security measures. To mitigate issues, we guided users to preload their wallets for instant checkouts during drops. Our tech team later introduced a new Australian-based provider, enhancing transaction success. However, it remained essential to offer resources and support for users unfamiliar with this payment process, ensuring a seamless experience for all.
Buy a pack
Making checkout easy
Collectors had the opportunity to purchase packs immediately after the drop countdown concluded. While credit card payments were available, we encouraged collectors to preload their wallets before drops to ensure instant, seamless checkouts and prevent missing out. Following testing, we implemented a feature allowing collectors to rip open their packs directly from the page, eliminating the added step of visiting their 'Trophy Cabinet' where unopened packs are stored. This enhancement facilitated quicker reveals and enabled collectors to make repeat purchases efficiently.
The reveal
Ripping a pack to reveal your moments
I worked with our motion designer and dev team to create a pack opening experience that would feel exciting and build anticipation for collectors while revealing their moments.
Genesis
Scoring a golden ticket
A small number of packs also included a coveted one-of-one Genesis Ball. This rare collectible came in 2,022 unique colour combinations and gave owners access to rewards and experiences like footy tickets and merch so we wanted to elevate this experience even further. I worked with our motion designer, sound designer and dev team to create a seamless transition from the collectors placeholder ball to revealing which unique one-of-one on chain ball they would receive.
Sets
Collect them all
We included an index showcasing all moments within a set. A set could be just one pack drop, or for season collections, across multiple drops. Collectors could easily track which moments they owned and which ones they still needed to acquire which were shown in greyscale. Additionally, we implemented a dedicated section in their account providing an overview of set completion across the entire collection. This feature proved invaluable for collectors striving to complete sets which occasionally came with rewards, as well as for facilitating repeat pack sales and secondary marketplace transactions.
The Marketplace
Browse, buy and sell your collection.
Creating a custom marketplace for the community to buy and sell their AFL Mint collectibles.
Planning
User stories
The marketplace was a big project with a lot of features to consider. I started by researching other marketplaces, capturing every user story and feature we could think of and fostered collaboration with our Discord community for their input on what they wanted to see in the marketplace. Together with our team of developers and stakeholders, we crafted a rollout plan that focussed on must-have features for launch, as well as those with the potential to make a big impact with minimal effort.
Journeys
Mapping user journeys
Before diving into design, I mapped out each user story into a journey ensuring we captured each step of the process. It was essential to think ahead for future features and how these would integrate with the phase 1 and existing platform features.
Buying
Filter and find your fave moments to purchase
Purchasing a pack was a lucky dip, offering collectors a randomized selection of moments and serial numbers. However, with the introduction of the marketplace, collectors gained the ability to purchase individual moments, giving them greater control over their collections. They could also now select the most desirable serial number from offerings provided by the community with jumper numbers and low serials fetching a higher price.
Selling
Set a price and list your collectible on the marketplace
We made listing an item on the marketplace as easy as possible. All users needed to do was select an item from their collection, enter the price and confirm listing. To help users with pricing we also added a pricing guide directly on the listing page. Current listings and past sales for the same item could be viewed to help decide on a reasonable price to list at.
User testing the marketplace
Before launching the full marketplace I tested with users in a few phases. The nature of the space meant we had to make sure anyone with early access couldn't take advantage of this for profit so we kept it internal and with a small group of trusted external users.
Figma prototype testing
I created a full prototype of our MVP marketplace in Figma as well as user journeys for all the main workflows for us to test out ideas before committing to the dev team building anything.
Browse only release
We released a browse only version of the Marketplace as the first phase. This was the first time the community could browse and watch the full collection. We included all features of the marketplace other than buying and selling. So we were able to start getting feedback on features like filtering and adding to watchlist and gathering additional feature requests from the Discord community.
Internal staging observations
Once we had built the buy and sell features I did a series of one-on-one observations with each of our team on the staging site. They were asked to complete a few tasks such as finding a collectible from their favourite team and purchasing using fake funds and listing an item for sale from their own collection. We were able to pick up a few patterns of issues across the group. For instance we were initially showing all items that were either for sale or not for sale and some users were then confused about how to purchase after selecting a not for sale item. So a simple fix we were able to implement was having the default filter set to 'for sale' items. Something that was obvious to us as designers and developers but only picked up as an issue after observing other people use the product.
Internal live 'allowlist' testing
Next we launched the marketplace buy and sell features on the live site with access only to our internal team. They could buy and sell real collectibles with real funds on the live site. At this point any issues were mostly technical as we were now in the live environment. So the team were noting bugs for the dev team to address before we could release to the public.
Selected user 'allowlist' testing
We gave access to a selected group of trusted users from the Discord community as the first public test. Giving them parameters for only selling lower tier items so they couldn't take advantage of early access. We captured their feedback which was again mostly technical bugs by this point.
Discord user feedback
The wider Discord community were essential in providing feedback on their experience with the full Marketplace release, reporting any issues as soon as they came up and posting their successful sales. We were able to capture any feedback to improve in the following weeks.
Shoutouts to the design team at AFL Studios including art direction by Marty Cook, motion & 3D by John Robinson, graphic design by Zoe Caracatsanoudis and copy by Laura Donnelly. And to the dev team at Animoca/Sportpass, including Shane Pollard, Grant Cahn and Julian Rutherford.
Selected projects
Selected projects
Selected projects
Let's work together.
© Kelly Stubbs 2024