Web3 | UI/UX | Creative Strategy | Product Design | Avatar & Experience Design
📍 Lisbon, Portugal
CLIENT / INDUSTRY
NEAR Protocol | Web3, Blockchain, Hackathons
CHALLENGE
How do you make the Web3 world more approachable, social, and human?
NEAR Protocol invited us to develop a practical, people-first experience during the NEARCON 2022 Hackathon, one of the largest Web3 gatherings in Europe.
The task: Build a product that helps crypto-curious users break into Web3 through lifestyle, fun, and identity not just finance.
SOLUTION
We developed CATCH, a gamified, avatar-based Web3 lifestyle app that helps users create, customize, and evolve their digital identity while learning about blockchain.
Built for everyday users, CATCH made the abstract world of Web3 feel personal, playful, and social.
PROCESS
Concept Development
Led a 3-day design sprint from ideation to prototype. The concept centered around NFT avatars that evolve based on a user’s Web3 learning journey and social interactions.
Creative Direction & UX/UI
Designed a minimalist, mobile-first interface that feels approachable to non-crypto natives
Created interactive flows for avatar creation, skill-based progression, and smart contract rewards
Integrated motivational design to encourage daily learning through challenges and social quests
Avatar System & Personalization
Developed a modular avatar system using generative art logic
Each avatar evolved visually based on user actions, blending gamification with Web3 utility
Community & Social Layer
Users could form squads, complete “CATCH Missions,” and unlock shared NFTs
Introduced a mentoring system for experienced users to support crypto newcomers
OUTCOME
Built and demoed MVP in under 72 hours
Selected as a finalist project at NEARCON Hackathon 2022
Gained traction among ecosystem mentors for its human-first approach to Web3 onboarding
Recognized for bridging the gap between tech utility and emotional connection
IMPACT
CATCH turned learning into a lifestyle.
Instead of overwhelming users with technical jargon, we designed an experience that made blockchain education visual, emotional, and fun, something the space desperately needs to grow.
WHAT’S NEXT
The concept has potential to evolve into a larger Web3 onboarding platform, with AI integration for personalized learning paths and avatar evolution, DAO-based progression systems, and marketplace extensions.
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