DC NFT Platform
Build your collection, unlock exclusive fan experiences, and become part of the story.
Team
Jeremy Cimafonte, Brian Mulholland, Connie Wong
Services
Mobile, Web, Design System, Team Leadership
Date
2022
— 2023
Context
The DC NFT Universe is a platform for DC fans to collect original artwork, buy and trade digital collectibles, and participate in creating original storylines that appear in real comic books. I worked alongside our Design Lead to own desktop and mobile design, the design system, and all platform features — marketplace, collectible comics reader, onboarding, purchase and withdrawal flows, and post-launch feature evolution. We had roughly four months to ship, timed to the release of The Batman movie.
$13.9M
Net Sales
50K+
Unique Collectors
5
Collections
Launched
The DC NFT Universe sat at the intersection of two audiences who spoke completely different languages; and we had four months to build a platform that served both.
~95% of DC brand fans were not Web3 native. DC Comics' 25.5% market share crossed with the 22% of Americans who owned cryptocurrency meant approximately 94.65% of the target audience had never owned a digital asset or interacted with blockchain technology. The technology was the barrier, not the product.
[VISUAL: Data triangulation diagram showing the 25.5% DC market share, 22% US crypto ownership, and the resulting 94.65% non-Web3-native estimate.]
Crypto-native collectors expected wallet-based workflows. NFT collectors assumed they'd connect a MetaMask wallet and pay in ETH. A platform that forced credit card payments and custodial wallets felt like a toy. They also expected rarity signals — and 200,000 minted Bat Cowls was the opposite of scarce.
[VISUAL: Proto-personas comparison. DC Brand Fans vs. NFT Collectors.]
No time for user research before launch. The four-month timeline meant we relied on proto-personas, data triangulation, and assumptions from the DC NFT Discord. The platform shipped without direct user validation.
Critical features were cut from MVP. Cryptocurrency wallet support and ACH funding — features that turned out to be essential for both audiences — didn't make the cut.
Onboarding Flow
The onboarding flow for the DC NFT Marketplace was designed to be seamless and intuitive without the friction of most blockchain products. We decided to delay the KYC verification to the purchase flow to limit the barrier to entry for users just wanting to learn about the platform and peruse the collections.
Purchase Flow
Our goal was to structure the buying and selling processes to emulate a typical e-commerce interaction, given that the intended audience comprised enthusiasts of Batman and the DC brand who had little to no familiarity with NFTs or blockchain technology. I collaborated with our creative team and motion graphics artist to create a video of a “Bat Crate” opening to reveal the Bat Cowl holder’s unique randomly generated NFT that showed each trait and its rarity on the reveal date. This brought delight to our users and received positive feedback.
Withdraw Flow
Another flow I designed was a way for users to withdraw their Palm credits after selling their NFT on the secondary marketplace. Users were able to purchase NFTs with credits or cash out the funds back to their bank accounts through ACH. We partnered with a KYC company called Sardine to verify the user's identity. This removed the friction from the onboarding experience of new users.
Problem
The initial drop, featuring the Bat Cowls Collection, fell short of projected sales, highlighting a crucial gap in user research. The absence of user validation led to a misunderstanding of user expectations and preferences, causing a significant barrier to entry for both brand fans and NFT collectors.
Research
Recognizing the oversight, We initiated a large-scale UX research study involving 62 participants, spanning NFT/Crypto Natives to Skeptics. The study revealed that brand fans assumed the need for a cryptocurrency wallet, while NFT collectors preferred the option to pay with a crypto wallet. These findings would have significantly impacted the success metrics of the Bat Cowls launch.
Learnings
The lack of pre-design user research resulted in missed opportunities and suboptimal outcomes. The study emphasized the importance of understanding user personas and preferences before executing design decisions. A "measure twice, cut once" approach could have led to more favorable results for the Bat Cowls launch.
Results Post-Launch
The DC NFT Marketplace was nominated for a 2023 Webby Award. However, the challenges faced during the Bat Cowls launch underscored the importance of user-centric design and comprehensive research, leading to potential adjustments in future iterations. Working with our partner DC Comics, we delivered new roadmap features to the community every 52 days as well as updates to the platform. Below you can see some of the look and feel and feature updates.
Mobile optimization
We observed that 60% of our traffic came from mobile users during and after the launch. Due to this, we doubled down on our mobile-first workflow and ensured all features were accessible on mobile for our projects.