Prohibition.art

After working with Venture Punk for a few months, we approached our biggest project yet: Prohibition. Our mission was to democratize access to generative art, making it available to a broader audience.

When Art Blocks announced the Art Blocks Engine (ABE), we set a bold goal to be the first platform to integrate ABE with the L2 blockchain, Arbitrum. This ambitious project was a classic 0 -> 1 scenario, where I took our team’s innovative idea and transformed it into a minimum viable product (MVP) in just two months.

Following the MVP launch, I dedicated the next six weeks to refine and enhance the platform, culminating in the release of version 1.2. Through collaboration and dedication, we successfully brought a groundbreaking generative art experience to the masses, setting a new standard in the digital art world.

Creating developer tools was a crucial task for the Prohibition project. Our goal was to simplify life for artists, so we designed an easy-to-use toolbox that seamlessly integrated major libraries like p5.js and three.js, included right within our project creation wizard.

Artists were equipped with a top-of-the-class online code editor, complete with a live preview of their work. This ensured they could see their creative process unfold in real-time. Embracing the true spirit of generative art, we also included tools for switching aspect ratios and seeding, with live previews, giving creators total control over their projects.

To support the financial aspects, we implemented a fully customizable payout scheme for both primary sales and secondary royalties. Our developer suite also features a robust deployment process, keeping artists informed at every step of their journey.

By prioritizing ease of use and comprehensive control, we empowered artists to focus on their creativity, confident that our tools would handle the technical complexities.

My main approach for the Prohibition project was to bring the art forward, making it the centerpiece of the user experience. I crafted layouts that focused on showcasing the artworks, ensuring they were always in the spotlight.

At launch, Prohibition introduced Pro11, a series of drops from well-known artists. To support this high-profile debut, we designed the platform to allow users to mint artwork as quickly as possible. We placed the necessary details above the fold and minimized unnecessary elements on the homepage, creating a seamless and engaging experience.

In the post-MVP version (1.2), we introduced several new sections to enhance community-driven curation of generative art projects. These additions fostered a more interactive and collaborative environment, allowing the community to play a pivotal role in shaping the platform's evolution.

By prioritizing the presentation of art and streamlining the user experience, we ensured that Prohibition not only met but exceeded the expectations of both artists and collectors.

In the post-MVP (1.2) version of Prohibition, a lot of our focus was on enhancing the minting widget, ensuring it was not only more functional but also aligned with Prohibition's unique art direction. We also built an integrated marketplace within the platform, a significant milestone that enriched the overall user experience.

The work done on the marketplace trickled down to the project pages, improving the exploration of project invocations and making it easier for users to discover and interact with new artworks. We aimed to make every interaction intuitive and visually cohesive, keeping the art front and center.

One of our standout features in this update was the launch of "Inclusive Editions," a true Open Edition for generative art that doesn't have a pre-determined duration or a fixed supply cap. This feature offers artists unprecedented flexibility and broadens access for collectors.

Additionally, we introduced support for off-chain assets and enabled collaborative projects, allowing multiple artists to work together seamlessly. These updates not only enhanced the platform's functionality but also fostered a more inclusive and collaborative artistic community.

By focusing on these key improvements, we ensured that Prohibition continued to innovate and provide value to both artists and collectors, maintaining its position at the forefront of the generative art movement.