Project Summary
Sloika is a curated NFT marketplace that I had the privilege of building alongside two cofounders. As my first role as a product designer, I was immediately immersed in the challenge of building an entire platform from the ground up. What distinguished Sloika from other NFT marketplaces at the time was our specialized focus—we positioned ourselves as a curated photography gallery where photographers could mint NFTs of their work and where collectors could purchase these pieces with the option to resell them later.
Status & Timeline
4 months
My Role
Product Designer
Show TeamCEO/PM
CTO/Developer
Project Challenge
Working with Sloika presented a unique opportunity since there was no existing platform or design system in place, giving me considerable creative freedom. However, this freedom came with significant challenges as I navigated the limitations of my experience as a first-time professional designer without formal supervision or guidance. I frequently found myself researching design processes and handoff procedures to fill knowledge gaps.
Our small team of just three people fostered close collaboration, allowing me to receive valuable input from non-designer perspectives—an experience that proved invaluable for my growth as a designer who would regularly work with cross-functional teams.
The initial design drafts lacked cohesion as we operated without clearly defined requirements or a concrete vision. Originally, Sloika wasn't intended to be curated; instead, we aimed to establish ourselves in the niche of photography NFTs, positioning Sloika as the dedicated marketplace for photography in a landscape where OpenSea dominated as the "Amazon" of NFT marketplaces. We wanted to be the "Chewy" of our sector—specialized and focused.
User Flow
Throughout the development process, we iterated through various user flows, addressing critical aspects such as wallet creation and integratoin, setting up creator profiles, NFT minting, and transactions.
Design Process
We explored numerous variations of how non-creators would interact with creator profiles and streamlined the purchase experience. As development progressed, we began incorporating Tailwind components to accelerate our front-end development efforts. However, this approach soon created complications when Tailwind configurations began interfering with our smart contracts for NFT minting and trading.
Minting Process Mockup
This technical challenge led to a strategic pivot. We decided to focus on creating an MVP centered around curation, primarily serving collectors who would be purchasing NFTs. While this approach initially created more work for our developer, we adopted a model where we would mint creators' NFTs for them. Through this evolution, Sloika found its identity as a curated NFT timed-drop platform.
Minting Process Mockup
Final Designs
Conclusion
My experience at Sloika was truly formative as a product designer. Being thrown into the deep end accelerated my growth in ways a structured environment couldn't match. I developed essential skills in adaptability, cross-functional collaboration, and end-to-end product design. Working with technical constraints taught me to find creative solutions rather than ideal ones, while the lack of established processes forced me to take ownership of design decisions. This baptism by fire shaped my approach to design challenges and showed me that sometimes the best learning comes fr om navigating limitations rather than having abundant resources.
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