BlocParty

A blockchain-powered investment app for physical assets.

Role
Product Designer

Organization
Normative Inc.

Ownership

UX Design
Product Management
Information Architecture
Service Design

UX Research
Visual Design
Wireframing
Branding

The Problem

How might blockchain be used to create value beyond cryptocurrency?

While crypto remains a volatile, risky investment, it’s underlying technology, blockchain, has unprecedented technological capabilities. In the face of uncertain cryptocurrency markets, our client wanted to explore how blockchain might deliver value in new, more reliable ways.

The Solution

BlocParty: a blockchain-powered investment app for physical assets.

Using blockchain as a secure, decentralized ledger, users can invest and trade fractional shares of valuables like fine art, collectible sneakers, vintage cars, and more.

How It Works

Invest. Track. Trade.

Invest in a wide variety of collectible goods like cars, handbags, fine art, and more.

Track the performance of your portfolio with interactive visuals and live data.

Trade, buy, and sell fractional shares of investments using a secure blockchain.

Key Features

The right data at the right time.

With extensive market data, item documentation, and comparable asset performance, BlocParty brings investors the data they need to make informed investment decisions.

Detailed portfolio insights.

Track performance with live market data and interactive visuals.

Secure trades via blockchain.

Smart contracts run on the Ethereum blockchain ensure safe, secure transfers of ownership.

Why It Matters

Fractional trades lower the barrier to entry on lucrative asset classes.

By fractionalizing ownership of traditionally capital-intensive assets, investors can now buy a “slice” instead of an entire asset outright. This lowers the barrier to entry for assets that were once out of reach to all but the wealthiest investors.

Research + Synthesis

Original Problem Statement

How might we leverage blockchain & other tech to reimagine asset management?

Desktop Research

Understand your core technology.

My partner, Kahn Yilmaz, and I began by learning how blockchain works and making sense of this new tool we’d be building with.

How does blockchain work?

A transaction is requested.

A “block” representing that transaction is created.

The block is sent to every node in the network.

The nodes validate the transaction.

The nodes receive a reward for proof of work.

The transaction block is added to the existing blockchain ledger.

The transaction is completed.

Stakeholder Interviews

Interview experts & potential users.

interviews

minutes Each

1:1

sessions

Synthesis

Synthesize your research.

We mapped out pain points, processes, opportunities, people, and unanswered questions.

Identify themes & areas of opportunity.

Reframed Problem Statement

How might blockchain be be used to create value beyond cryptocurrency?

We mapped out pain points, processes, opportunities, people, and unanswered questions.

Ideation

Rapid Ideation

Throw ideas on the board & see what sticks.

My team and I ideated on a multitude of ideas. We time boxed our sessions, remixed and edited ideas, and instituted rules like “no shooting ideas down” to keep things scrappy and creative.