Overview: Anicube, a unique venture between Animoca Brands and Cube Entertainment, is pioneering within the K-pop world. With its focus on reimagining fan engagement through Web 3.0, Anicube aims to provide exclusive artist content, merchandise, and participation opportunities in album co-creation.

In this regard, a key feature is the Anibear – unique digital collectibles that function as a membership pass into the Anicube ecosystem.

My Role: In my role as a product designer at Anicube, I played a pivotal role in shaping the platform’s transformative journey into the metaverse and Cube Entertainment’s entry into the Web3 space. My responsibilities included crafting and launching the marketplace, designing the minting page for Anibears, and providing design leadership that ensured a cohesive and visually engaging user experience. By spearheading Cube Entertainment’s embrace of Web3 technology, I contributed to redefining K-pop fandom, fostering user engagement, and facilitating monetization within the Anicube ecosystem. This role allowed me to combine innovative design thinking with user-centric principles, ultimately supporting the mission to create a cutting-edge platform that bridges the gap between fans and artists in the digital age.

The Problem Anicube aims to address the evolving nature of K-pop fandom by offering fans a unique and immersive platform through Anibear. Traditional fan engagement in the music industry often lacks the depth of connection that fans desire with their favorite artists. Anibear serves as a digital membership pass that provides fans with exclusive access to artist content, merchandise, concert tickets, and opportunities to co-create and interact with artists. By owning Anibears, fans have a tangible way to feel more connected to artists, fostering a sense of community and belonging in the K-pop world. This reimagined fan experience caters to the need for deeper connections between fans and artists while offering a range of benefits and engagement opportunities that go beyond conventional fan engagement methods.

Customer Insights & Ideation:

Collaborating with three project managers and a lead designer, I conducted research to uncover deep customer insights within the K-pop fan community. These insights guided our ideation process, allowing us to translate user behaviors and motivations into innovative features that resonated with our audience.

I played a pivotal role in crafting the overarching experience strategy and vision for Anicube. This involved creating comprehensive frameworks and prototypes that conveyed our design principles and content strategy. By sharing this vision, I successfully evangelized ideas, secured alignment among stakeholders, and drove informed decision-making.

Alongside my project manager partners, I was instrumental in defining the scope and product direction for Anicube. I championed the alignment of customer goals with business objectives, prioritized feature development, and skillfully negotiated features for both the initial launch and future enhancements.

In a collaborative environment, I worked closely with seven platform designers and their respective project manager partners. My role was to ensure a consistent user experience across various platforms, translating product features seamlessly into each platform’s unique context.

I spearheaded the design execution and validation for Anicube across both web and mobile platforms. This encompassed creating user journeys, wireframes, prototypes, and design specifications that ensured a cohesive and user-friendly experience, seamlessly adapting to the distinct requirements of web and mobile contexts.

As a design leader, I presented my work to executives, senior stakeholders, and various Amazon teams at multiple stages of the project lifecycle. Through effective communication and design advocacy, I secured buy-in and support for our vision, ensuring its successful realization within the Anicube project, ultimately redefining K-pop fandom in the metaverse.

One of the most pressing issues is establishing security and trust within the platform. Given the prevalence of scam projects in the Web 3.0 and NFT space, it's essential to ensure that users feel safe and confident when engaging with Anicube. Designing intuitive security features and transparent communication about the platform's legitimacy will be key.

Simultaneously, there's the equally crucial challenge of providing a seamless onboarding and educational experience. K-pop fans may not be familiar with Web 3.0 and NFTs, and addressing this knowledge gap while assuaging concerns about potential scams demands a creative approach. Crafting user interfaces that make these complex concepts accessible and engaging is vital to Anicube's mission.

Ultimately, striking the right balance between security, education, and user experience will be the linchpin to the success of Anicube, redefining K-pop fandom while fostering trust and understanding among its passionate fan base.

Web3 NFT Marketplace

Overview:

Anicube, a unique venture between Animoca Brands and Cube Entertainment, is pioneering within the K-pop world. With its focus on reimagining fan engagement through Web 3.0, Anicube aims to provide exclusive artist content, merchandise, and participation opportunities in album co-creation.

In this regard, a key feature is the Anibear – unique digital collectibles that function as a membership pass into the Anicube ecosystem.

In my role as a product designer at Anicube, I played a pivotal role in shaping the platform’s transformative journey into the metaverse and Cube Entertainment’s entry into the Web3 space. My responsibilities included crafting and launching the marketplace, designing the minting page for Anibears, and providing design leadership that ensured a cohesive and visually engaging user experience. By spearheading Cube Entertainment’s embrace of Web3 technology, I contributed to redefining K-pop fandom, fostering user engagement, and facilitating monetization within the Anicube ecosystem. This role allowed me to combine innovative design thinking with user-centric principles, ultimately supporting the mission to create a cutting-edge platform that bridges the gap between fans and artists in the digital age.

UX Design

UI Design

Prototyping

Design System

Motion Graphic Videos

Figma

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe After Effects

Google Docs (User Stories)

Miro (User Flow)

Anicube’s Marketplace

2022

Anicube aims to address the evolving nature of K-pop fandom by offering fans a unique and immersive platform through Anibear. Traditional fan engagement in the music industry often lacks the depth of connection that fans desire with their favorite artists. Anibear serves as a digital membership pass that provides fans with exclusive access to artist content, merchandise, concert tickets, and opportunities to co-create and interact with artists. By owning Anibears, fans have a tangible way to feel more connected to artists, fostering a sense of community and belonging in the K-pop world. This reimagined fan experience caters to the need for deeper connections between fans and artists while offering a range of benefits and engagement opportunities that go beyond conventional fan engagement methods.

Customer Insights & Ideation:

Collaborating with three project managers and a lead designer, I conducted research to uncover deep customer insights within the K-pop fan community. These insights guided our ideation process, allowing us to translate user behaviors and motivations into innovative features that resonated with our audience.

I played a pivotal role in crafting the overarching experience strategy and vision for Anicube. This involved creating comprehensive frameworks and prototypes that conveyed our design principles and content strategy. By sharing this vision, I successfully evangelized ideas, secured alignment among stakeholders, and drove informed decision-making.

Alongside my project manager partners, I was instrumental in defining the scope and product direction for Anicube. I championed the alignment of customer goals with business objectives, prioritized feature development, and skillfully negotiated features for both the initial launch and future enhancements.

In a collaborative environment, I worked closely with seven platform designers and their respective project manager partners. My role was to ensure a consistent user experience across various platforms, translating product features seamlessly into each platform’s unique context.

I spearheaded the design execution and validation for Anicube across both web and mobile platforms. This encompassed creating user journeys, wireframes, prototypes, and design specifications that ensured a cohesive and user-friendly experience, seamlessly adapting to the distinct requirements of web and mobile contexts.

As a design leader, I presented my work to executives, senior stakeholders, and various Amazon teams at multiple stages of the project lifecycle. Through effective communication and design advocacy, I secured buy-in and support for our vision, ensuring its successful realization within the Anicube project, ultimately redefining K-pop fandom in the metaverse.

One of the most pressing issues is establishing security and trust within the platform. Given the prevalence of scam projects in the Web 3.0 and NFT space, it's essential to ensure that users feel safe and confident when engaging with Anicube. Designing intuitive security features and transparent communication about the platform's legitimacy will be key.

Simultaneously, there's the equally crucial challenge of providing a seamless onboarding and educational experience. K-pop fans may not be familiar with Web 3.0 and NFTs, and addressing this knowledge gap while assuaging concerns about potential scams demands a creative approach. Crafting user interfaces that make these complex concepts accessible and engaging is vital to Anicube's mission.

Ultimately, striking the right balance between security, education, and user experience will be the linchpin to the success of Anicube, redefining K-pop fandom while fostering trust and understanding among its passionate fan base.

Confronted with the challenge of a limited timeframe to master the complexities of establishing a marketplace and introducing the innovative concept of Anibears, our strategy was resolute: prioritize early user engagement. We understood that the most effective way for users to acclimate to this pioneering technology was to actively involve them from the project’s inception. By extending an early invitation to users within the Anicube ecosystem, we not only expedited their learning curve but also nurtured a profound sense of ownership and community within this ever-evolving digital landscape. This approach not only resonated with our mission to redefine K-pop fandom but also underscored our unwavering dedication to ensuring the accessibility and inclusivity of Web3 technology.

 

Within the Anicube platform, we introduced several groundbreaking features to enhance the user experience. One such feature allowed users to claim exclusive gifts and merchandise simply by holding an Anibear, providing a tangible and rewarding connection between digital collectibles and real-world perks.

Additionally, we facilitated access to purchase Sandbox land within the Anicube network, offering users a unique opportunity to participate in the evolving metaverse.

Furthermore, we fostered direct interactions by enabling private meetings between users and Cube Entertainment’s artists within our Discord community, strengthening the bond between fans and artists in the Web3 era. These features not only enriched user engagement but also reinforced Anicube’s mission to redefine K-pop fandom through innovative and immersive experiences.

 

By delving into the preferences, behaviors, and expectations of K-pop fans, we gain a deeper understanding of what truly matters to our users. These insights not only guide our design decisions but also drive the development of features and content that resonate with our target audience. From understanding their appetite for exclusive artist content to addressing concerns about security and trust in the digital space, customer insights enable us to craft a user experience that is not only user-centric but also responsive to the evolving needs of our vibrant community of fans.

Our approach to building Anicube revolved around a well-structured framework that guided us to success. We prioritized constant communication with both Cube Entertainment and Animoca Brand teams, ensuring alignment and educating our clients about Web3 technology. This collaborative effort played a pivotal role in the project’s success.

 

At the core of our framework was a clear vision to redefine K-pop fandom in the metaverse. We meticulously understood the behaviors and motivations of K-pop fans, informing every design decision and feature. Wireframes were instrumental in shaping our user-centric approach.

We embraced agile development, breaking the project into manageable sprints, and iterated quickly based on user feedback. Launching a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) early allowed us to gather insights and continuously enhance the platform.

Collaboration and two-way feedback loops were vital. We maintained open communication channels and educated clients about Web3 gradually. Wireframes and constant iteration drove design improvements based on user feedback and data analysis.

In summary, our framework combined communication, user-centricity, agile development, and iterative design to successfully transform a vision into the groundbreaking reality of Anicube, redefining K-pop fandom in the metaverse.

The execution phase of the Anicube project involves turning the design into reality. This includes coding the platform, rigorous testing for bugs and security, creating exclusive artist content, ensuring user-friendly onboarding, and ongoing education about Web 3.0 and NFTs. We also focus on building a strong user community, monitoring user behavior, and continually improving the platform based on feedback. Effective marketing and scaling the platform as it grows are key components of execution. It's a dynamic process that requires collaboration across teams to deliver on our promises to K-pop fans.

In the ongoing Refinement phase of the Anicube project, we recognize the importance of constant iteration to make the website even better. We’ve introduced a dedicated section for Anibear holders to check their wallets and access special rewards like MD-kits, t-shirts, and concert tickets. However, our commitment to excellence doesn’t stop there. We regularly gather user feedback and analyze user interactions to identify areas for improvement. This iterative process allows us to fine-tune the user experience, optimize performance, and ensure that Anicube remains at the forefront of redefining K-pop fandom in the digital age. With each iteration, we aim to exceed user expectations and provide a platform that continually evolves to meet the ever-changing needs of our passionate community.