Sculptor art marketplace & NFT-Tool for artists' websites: Crown Shy Continuum

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Thomas Zuchtriegel

[GENERAL] Email address of main applicant

crownshycontinuum@gmail.com

Additional applicants

Stefan Göppel

Sergey Kassil 

Konrad Storost 

Kai Thomas 

Sebastian Feustle 

Dominik Tillmann

Christian Wilser

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

6

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language.

No

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

No dependencies.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

Yes

[GENERAL] If NO, please describe which outputs are not going to be open source. If YES, please write “Project will be fully open source.”

Project will be fully open source.

[METADATA] Category of proposal

NFTs

[METADATA] SDG rating

Selected goals:

5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls (female artists are part of CSC and promoted on the same level as all other genders)

8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all (artists can leverage a second revenue stream using the CSC-NFT tool)

9 - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation (all artists joining CSC can benefit from the CSC infrastructure)

10 - Reduce inequality within and among countries (same exhibition, same accessibility on all countries)

12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns (with mixed reality exhibitions and NFT collections we do not need to ship art around the world any longer)

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

Using the NMKR Dev API we are developing a marketplace integrated into the Crown Shy Continuum (CSC) website, where artists can mint and sell their NFTs. Using the same framework artists can integrate the NFTs into their personal websites to sell their digital art directly to their fans.  

Background information about the status Quo 

The Crown Shy Continuum (CSC) project is designed to give artists the opportunity to show their art along Extended Reality in a completely new way.  

How do we proceed? 

We digitize/scan the artists’ physical sculptures and present the sculptures in Mixed Reality experiences. Using MR devices you are seeing a real museum extended with virtual sculptures, sometimes you see the digitized sculptures placed in full virtual words. This presents the originally physical art objects in a unique and interactive way. We are going to have exhibitions in multiple museums and art galleries in different cities around the world which expands around each show, integrating local artists who will benefit from the way the art is staged, giving the artist and the art new ways to be seen and experienced. The participating artists are all recognized and well known in the sculptor art space.  

Now they are looking for a way to bring art to places where they have never been before and attract new people, which has not been possible before (in their traditional exhibitions) with limited reach due to the size and high value of the physical artwork.  

We are facing two challenges. 

The visitors side: They would like to purchase a collectible to remember the unique experience and some of them would like to invest in (digital) art. This is proven by our research. 

The artist side: They are looking for a solution to generate an additional revenue stream (beyond selling the physical sculpture) and get closer to the art buyer using NFTs.

Therefore have designed the CSC-NFT-tool to engage two stakeholder groups: 

• Sculptor building artists seeking to mint and sell their artwork 
• Buyers who want to have access and the possibility tp purchase the artwork

For people to have a memory, take home a collectible, possibly get the opportunity to go to exclusive events or get the right of first refusal on a physical piece of art, NFTs are issued.  

All CSC participating artists are curated and therefore help to attract new buyers from people who are interested in one CSC artist, but potentially do now know yet the other.  Using the NMKR DEV API we are developing a marketplace integrated into the CSC website, where artists can mint and sell their NFTs.

Using the same framework artists can integrate the NFTs into their personal websites to sell their digital art to their fans.

Minimum viable product (MVP) 

The first mint will be done on Ethereum due to synergies to another smart contract project.  

Before CSC scales, we have a unique chance to switch to Cardano, what we really want to do, because we believe regarding decentralization, scalability and especially Cardano's Governance, it is the more sustainable solution for the artists. Therefore we kindly ask the Cardano Community to fund this proposal.

Building the CSC-NFT tool on Cardano, we need to do:

1. Agile product development: Design and build a prototype, get the CSC-NFT tools in the hands of artists to test the functionality, collect feedback, further develop it to a running product
2. Documentation, implementation and adoption support: Assure interested artists learn how to implement and adopt the CSC-NFT tool to mint their artwork and collect feedback.
3. Market research & business analysis: Competitor and industry analysis. Target market validation and refinement. Revenue stream and cost structure analysis and business modelling.
4. Marketing: Communicate new CSC-marketplace and NFT-tool on exhibitions (go-to-market strategy) and artists' websites.
5. Legal and regulatory compliance: Legal and regulatory compliance for launch in Germany, homebase of CSC. (Other countries already planned)

Outlook into the future: 

Develop/integrate a solution to burn already minted CSC-Ethereum-NFTs and replace them with newly minted CSC-NFTs on Cardano.

[IMPACT] How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?

Implementing the NMKR Dev API, we expand the Cardano NFT ecosystem towards physical/phygital/digital sculptor art (artists and buyers). This is not yet existing, though requested by supply (artists) and demand (fans of the artists / art buyers).  

The great thing: 

CSC is founded, the first artists joined, the first exhibitions are scheduled, we are in discussion with more artists. We do have pro-active requests from buyers to purchase NFTs from our artists. 

We are working on the first mint (using Ehereum because we already do have a working smart contract from another project for the use case to get started, and we do not have enough time and funds to develop the CSC tooling using NMKR API. But we want to have it bigger (marketplace on CSC website, tooling to be integrated into artists websites, as described above). Therefore, we request the funds here.  

CSC is not at all relying on Project Catalyst and Cardano. We generate money selling tickets to experience the mixed reality exhibitions.  But we see a huge win-win when CSC gets the funding:

But we see a huge win-win when CSC gets the funding:  

Advantage for CSC:

• Professional tooling and more opportunities to mind and sell (in comparison to the restricted Ethereum solution)  

Advantage for Cardano 

• Use of NMKR Dev API 
• Increasing ada-transactions
• New specific marketplace attracting artists and art-lovers

[IMPACT] How do you intend to measure the success of your project?

It is live 

• CSC website is live using the CSC NFT tools (with NMKR dev API)
• Multiple sculptor artists integrated the CSC NFT tools (using NMKR dev API) into their personal websites. 

It is in use

• Artists mint their artwork 
• Artists sell their artwork 

It is growing 

• Artists mint not only once 
• Buyers purchase multiple NFTs over time

Within a six-month period after go-live:

• Number of artists using the CSC NFT tool
• Number of NFTs minted using the CSC NFT tool 
• Number of NFTs sold using the CSC NFT tool 
• Number of unique buyers 
• Total transaction volume 
• AVG transaction volume  

In the short-term, we expect artists minting their NFTs on their own website or on the CSC website reaching people in their existing buyer network and those who visit the mixed reality exhibitions. In the mid-term, we expect to attract new artists and new buyers to the Cardano ecosystem offering an easy to use, low-risk & high-reward solution to mind and sell sculptor art. In the long-term, we estimate the CSC NFT tools will reduce the time and effort to create and sell NFTs and become a sustainable additional revenue-stream for the artists.

[IMPACT] Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?

You can see the results on the 

• CSC website as soon as the tool is integrated and live. 
• On artist(s) website(s) as soon as the tool is integrated and live.  

We will continue to share the outputs of our project through: 

• Comprehensive documentation of development on a CFC-NFT-GitHub
• CSC-Instagram page with regular updates (new artists, new artwork, new marketplace …) (Instagram, because the artists and their fans are on Instagram)
• Progress reports will be made available through our website on a monthly-base

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

Experienced team 

Thomas is following Project Catalyst since F2 and actively participating since F3 in multiple roles (CA, funded and delivered proposals in F6, F7, F8, SWARM moderator at idea fest) and therefore already provided value through proven initiatives.

The CSC team consists of interdisciplinary very experienced developers, designers, artists, project managers, and business experts working together in various constellations for > 100 projects in the last 15 years for XR, Digital Twin, AI and blockchain projects.  

They share common values (inspiration, innovation, courage, individuality, trust and wisdom) and goals, forming a dedicated and powerful team. Over the past twelve months, they have diligently bootstrapped the CSC platform to address the challenges and pain points identified throughout their exchange with sculptor artists, where they have gathered valuable insights and collaborated with numerous artists, art galleries and museums.  

After establishing an effective workflow to digitize sculptors in high quality the first test-mind has been successfully accomplished. Now they are ready to build a marketplace on Cardano what the Cardano ecosystem can leverage.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

Main project goals: 

Use the NMKR Dev API to develop a tooling which provides 

• a marketplace on the CSC website and 
• an integration into the artists’ websites 

The main fuctions

• Minting
• Selling 

CSC aims to develop and use these tools for CSC, the platform for sculptor artists, but also provides these tools for the Cardano ecosystem in general.   

Validation of feasibility:

• Artists already joined CSC, in 2-digit numbers.
• Artwork is available (physical sculptures) in 4-digit numbers. 
• Art collectors are requesting NFTs at these artists.
• NMKR Dev API is live, integrated and used by many projects.
• CSC have an experienced team to develop the tooling, ensure go-to-market and build a sustainable business.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed breakdown of your project’s milestones and each of the main tasks or activities to reach the milestone plus the expected timeline for the delivery.

Over the past 12 months the CSC team has worked without pay bootstrapping a solution for the benefit of the Cardano community. Through our pilot Plutus PBL program, we have provided free education and onboarded new developers to the ecosystem.  

Milestone 0 (already done, no funding needed, just for providing transparency)

• Cooperation agreements with artists signed. 
• Artwork digitizing workflow evaluated, tested, improved, established. 
• First artwork digitized.
• Website is live (very early DRAFT!).
• Museums, art galleries contacted, and first exhibitions scheduled. 
• Development of XR platform started.

Milestone 1 (4 weeks)

• Agile product development & beta testing
• Investigate NMKR Dev API capabilities and limitations
• Test Mint
• Design UX of CSC-NFT tool
• Design architecture of CSC-NFT tool
• Market research & business analysis
• Collect feedback from participating artists and art buyers who are requesting NFTs

Milestone 2 (4 weeks)

• Agile product development & beta testing
• Develop prototype of CSC-NFT tool 
• Test prototype
• Design UI of CSC-NFT tool
• Market research & business analysis
• Research range and sweet spot for potential price points
• Marketing
• Develop strategy for new CSC-marketplace 

Milestone 3 (4 weeks)

• Agile product development & beta testing
• Development of CSC-NFT tool
• Pre-Integration on marketplace
• Test pre-Integration on marketplace 
• Market research & business analysis
• Run calculation for all participating parties regarding cost-/revenue-share
• Legal and regulatory compliance
• Define customer journey for marketplace incl. roles and rights
• Define customer journey for artists website incl. roles and rights

Milestone 4 (4 weeks)

• Agile product development & beta testing
• Bugfixing & Integration on marketplace
• Pre-Integration on single artist website
• Bugfixing & Integration on single artist website
• Documentation, implementation, and adoption support
• Create step by step documentation for artists how to mind & sell
• Market research & business analysis
• Define cost-/revenue-share
• Marketing
• Create marekting collaterals
• Legal and regulatory compliance
• Setup draft of legal documents

Milestone 5 (4 weeks)

• Agile product development & beta testing
• Testing & Bugfixing on CSC marketplace & single artist website 
• Documentation, implementation, and adoption support
• Provide documentation to artists and gather feedback
• Improve documentation
• Marketing
• Define collaborations with museums, art galleries, artists
• Legal and regulatory compliance
• Discuss draft of legal documents with CSC and artists

Milestone 6 (4 weeks)

• Agile product development & beta testing
• Go Live
• Documentation, implementation, and adoption support
• Share documentation centrally
• Marketing
• Communication starts on all defined channels from CSC, artists, museums, art galleries
• Legal and regulatory compliance
• Finalise legal documents

Project management (to be done for each Milestone)

Track progress, time and effort, resolve impediments, communicate progress to project team and Cardano community

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

Milestone 1 (4 weeks)

• Agile product development & beta testing
• Detailed and holistic understanding of NMKR Dev API’s capabilities and list of things we need to develop
• Test Mint with NMKR Dev API successfully accomplished
• UX of CSC-NFT tool designed (in Miro)
• Architecture of CSC-NFT tool designed (in Miro)
• Market research & business analysis
• Feedback from participating artists and art buyers who are requesting NFTs collected and structured in a list

Milestone 2 (4 weeks)

• Agile product development & beta testing
• Prototype of CSC-NFT tool developed 
• Prototype tested, missing pieces identified, feedback gathered
• UI of CSC-NFT tool designed
• Market research & business analysis
• Potential price points researched
• Marketing
• Strategy for new CSC-marketplace developed

Milestone 3 (4 weeks)

• Agile product development & beta testing
• CSC-NFT tool developed
• CSC-NFT tool pre-integrated on marketplace 
• CSC-NFT tool pre-Integration on marketplace tested. List with bugs and open topics created
• Market research & business analysis
• Business model with cost/revenue for all participating parties created
• Legal and regulatory compliance
• Customer journey for marketplace incl. roles and rights defined
• Customer journey for artists website incl. roles and rights defined

Milestone 4 (4 weeks)

• Agile product development & beta testing
• CSC-NFT tool integrated on marketplace and all identified bugs fixed.
• CSC-NFT tool pre-integrated on single artist website pre-integrated and tested List with bugs and open topics created.
• CSC-NFT tool integrated on single artist website and all identified bugs fixed.
• Documentation, implementation, and adoption support
• Step by step documentation for artists “how to mind & sell” created.
• Market research & business analysis
• Cost-/revenue-share with all participating parties defined
• Marketing
• Marketing collaterals (pictures, videos, texts) created
• Legal and regulatory compliance
• Draft of legal documents created

Milestone 5 (4 weeks)

• Agile product development & beta testing
• CSC marketplace & single artist website tested. List of bugs prioritised and fixed.
• Documentation, implementation, and adoption support
• Documentation to artists delivered and feedback gathered and prioritised.
• Documentation Improved based on prioritised feedback.
• Marketing
• Collaborations with museums, art galleries, artists discussed, written down and send to all parties.
• Legal and regulatory compliance
• Draft of legal documents with CSC and artists discussed and feedback gathered and prioritised.

Milestone 6 (4 weeks)

• Agile product development & beta testing
• CSC-NFT-tool is live
• Documentation, implementation, and adoption support
• Documentation is shared centrally
• Marketing
• Start of communications on defined marketing channels with created collaterals.
• Legal and regulatory compliance
• Legal documents are finalised

Project management (applicable for each Milestone)

• Progress, time and effort tracked, impediments resolved, progress to project team and Cardano community communicated

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Legend:

• Category - total ada per category
• task - ada per task

Agile product development & beta testing - 36000

Investigate NMKR Dev API capabilities and limitations 1000

Test Mint 1000

Design UX of CSC-NFT tool 2000

Design architecture of CSC-NFT tooling 2000

Development prototype of CSC-NFT tool 5000

Design UI of CSC-NFT tool 2000

Development of CSC-NFT tool 10000

Pre-Integration on marketplace 2000

Test pre-Integration on marketplace 3000

Integration on marketplace 2000

Pre-Integration on single artist website 2000

Test pre-Integration on on single artist website 2000

Integration on single artist website 2000

Documentation, implementation, and adoption support - 5000

Create step by step documentation for artists how to mind & sell 2000

Provide documentation to artists and gather feedback 1000

Improve documentation 1000

Share documentation centrally 1000

Market research & business analysis - 10000

Collect feedback from participating artists and art buyers who are requesting NFTs 3000

Research range and sweet spot for potential price points 2000

Run calculation for all participating parties regarding cost-/revenue-share 3000

Define cost-/revenue-share 2000

Marketing - 16000

Develop strategy for new CSC-marketplace 3000

Create marekting collaterals 5000

Define common communication with museums, art galleries, artists 5000

Expand marketing activities towards art blogs/magazines 3000

Legal and regulatory compliance -15000

Define customer journey for marketplace incl. roles and rights 2000

Define customer journey for artists website incl. roles and rights 2000

Setup draft of legal documents 5000

Discuss draft of legal documents with CSC and artists 2000

Finalize legal documents 4000

Project management - 16400

PM: track progress, time and effort, resolve impediments, communicate progress to project team and Cardano community

Total: 98400

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

Over the last funds we have seen multiple projects, being funded or not, without a real-world use-case. CSC was founded based on a request from artists and art buyers. There is is a huge need to implement blockchain technology for NFT use cases. A real-world request has the potential to become addressed with Cardano. This is a very unique opportunity to attract supply (artists) and demand (art buyers) and therefore offer huge possibilities for the Cardano ecosystem to attract more users who generate more traffic with a use-case easy to market.  

CSC is an all new innovative marketplace for sculptor artists and art buyers. Both are going to enter the blockchain which it is based on. CSC is convinced that Cardano is the ideal solution.  

The art is already available, the buyers are waiting for the launch. The value for the Cardano community can be generated within a very short period and without needing to fund the mandatory base. CSC have worked on the project without any financial compensation for twelve months, proving commitment. The tickets from the mixed reality exhibitions are going to return that effort. Implementing NFTs as additional revenue stream is a win-win-win-win for the artists, the art buyers, CSC and Cardano.  

It totally fits Cardano's mission to drive meaningful change and promote adoption. CSC on Cardfan has the potential to make a significant impact on the art space, the Cardano ecosystem, and art within the entire blockchain industry.  

The funding enables CSC to execute the NFT-plan which drives adoption of the CSC-NFTs and positions Cardano / NMKR as a go-to solution for NFT marketplaces.

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agreed to Fund10 rules and also that data in the Submission Form and other data provided by the project team during the course of the project will be publicly available.

I Accept