Jelly X
Jellysmack
Interface design
2022
Jelly X allows content creators to tokenize their video content and auction these tokens to potential buyers. Each token represents a share of royalties from the video, creating a new revenue model for creators and an investment opportunity for fans.
The challenge
My task with this project was to bring this idea to life by laying out the application's UI and UX and to assist in completing the visual identity. The first obstacle was how to introduce creators’ fans to a new platform, its purpose, and blockchain technology that many would not be familiar with. It was important to communicate why they should care in the first place — the opportunity to directly support and engage with your favorite content creator while making an investment of your own.
Solutions
As we sorted out the primary UX, we did some initial user testing on how to communicate the product, and in doing so, we were able to gauge prospective users’ questions and expectations. This helped focus and refine the messaging, as well as our approach to the interface. To visualize an introduction to the user, I took three key points we wanted to emphasize and conceptualized a way we could communicate them on the platform's landing page via an in-place scroll animation.
Branding & initial token design
The visual identity for Jelly X needed to incorporate Jellysmack brand elements but also differentiate itself as its own application. The concept for the logo was to surround the Jellysmack jellyfish with a shape that represents a token. From there, I suggested using a portion of Jellysmack’s wide color palette as the primary Jelly X colors, and then incorporate the full palette via a dark glass prism effect that would be utilized in the token itself and throughout the brand imagery. To demonstrate this, I created a couple assets to get started with — a 3D animated logo treatment and an NFT token design.
Establishing the core experience
At the heart of this product is the buying and trading experience of the NFT marketplace. Even if the user is coming in as a novice to crypto/blockchain, investing, or auction marketplaces, the goal was to make the experience clear and intuitive. Accomplishing this meant establishing familiar UX patterns, designing a bold and engaging UI, and including helper text and tooltips throughout.
Defining the auction market user flow
One of the key tasks to developing this user experience was to map out user flows for buying and selling tokens via auctions. It was essential to include where and how to provide feedback to the user in key situations— such as in being outbid, when auctions have been one won, etc. This feedback was established primarily through a combination of inline statuses, toast notifications, and emails.
Onboarding users
While the primary user of this application would be someone who is both a fan of the creator(s) and someone who is interested in crypto investment, we aimed to welcome users who would be less experienced with investing, as well. Therefore, it was important to guide the user as they’re signing up to the platform and create clear steps on how to get set up to invest.
Building a community
Ultimately, what Jelly X aims to do is create a vibrant community of content creator fans who are engaging with the creator in new ways, trading and making investments and interacting with each other in a win-win environment. To accomplish this, I designed profile pages for creators and fans that allowed users to follow each other and receive activity updates in their feeds. Fans can see who are top collectors, and the platform also serves as a gateway to Discord communities where fans can interact further.
Impact
My contracted design work for this project provided the team with the prototypes and assets needed to continue development and helped set the stage for Jellysmack to pursue partnerships with major content creators. Through careful consideration and user testing, we were able to not just design a great experience, but effectively communicate the app’s concept to users unfamiliar with the space. Future directions include plans to expand token types and to continue offering more and more benefits to token collectors.