Inclusive Growth & Engagement: Gamifying the Marketplace for a Sustainable Cardano Ecosystem

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Chadi Nassar (on behalf of Plutus.Art as co-founder)

[GENERAL] Email address of main applicant

support@plutus.art

Additional applicants

Stale 

Fettuccine

Both are also co-founders

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

9

[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 since we are working on making the whole Plutus.Art project open sourced also.

[METADATA] Category of Proposal

Other

[METADATA] SDG rating

SDG #5: Gender Equality: Our project strives to bridge the gender gap in the blockchain and digital art industry, a sector often dominated by male participants. By implementing strategies and features specifically designed to promote women's participation, we hope to enhance their representation and influence within the Cardano ecosystem. Our gamification features can be customized to recognize and reward the contributions of women artists and participants, further advancing gender equality.

SDG #10: Reduced Inequalities: The project is committed to fostering inclusivity and diversity within the digital art community. By making the platform more accessible and appealing to diverse user groups, including those traditionally underrepresented in the sector, we aim to reduce social and economic inequalities. Moreover, the transparency and decentralization offered by blockchain technology contribute to this goal by ensuring fairness and eliminating discrimination.

SDG #11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: Although our project operates in the digital realm, the concept of fostering a sustainable and resilient community remains central to our mission. We are focused on building a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable digital community within the Cardano ecosystem. Our gamification features aim to enhance user engagement, facilitate collaboration, and encourage mutual respect and support among members, which are all key aspects of a sustainable community. The project thereby aligns with the broader objectives of SDG 11, reinterpreted in the context of digital communities.

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

Our solution is to infuse the Cardano marketplace with gamification elements such as badges for various levels of trading activity, leaderboards for competitive ranking, and rewards for substantial contributions. Our approach hinges on the psychological principle of positive reinforcement, where users are more likely to engage when their actions are rewarded. The badges and leaderboards also add a social element, fostering a sense of community and competition. 

Not only will this solution benefit existing users by making their marketplace experience more engaging and rewarding, but it can also act as a significant draw for new users, expanding the Cardano ecosystem. This unique approach makes our solution a potent tool for driving sustainable growth in the Cardano community.

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

Our proposal addresses the challenge by tackling user engagement head-on. By making the marketplace experience more rewarding and competitive, we expect increased user activity and participation. This surge in user engagement will likely drive more transactions, increasing the overall liquidity and stability of the Cardano marketplace. 

Furthermore, our project's gamification element can act as a magnet for new users, especially those familiar with these features from other online platforms, hence aiding in expanding the Cardano ecosystem.

The vitality of any blockchain ecosystem relies heavily on active user participation. Cardano, despite its potential, currently suffers from lackluster user engagement, which is deterring its growth and sustainability. Furthermore, the existing disparities, especially the underrepresentation of women and certain social groups, has resulted in an ecosystem that is not as inclusive as it could be. 

Our proposal aims to overhaul this situation through gamification. By leveraging elements of game design in non-gaming contexts, we aim to motivate participation, induce competitiveness, and build a sense of community. The gamified marketplace is designed to attract diverse user groups, thus promoting social equality within the Cardano community. Moreover, with specific initiatives targeted towards encouraging women's participation, we intend to foster gender balance in the ecosystem.

The proposed solution, in turn, would increase user activity, engagement, and retention. The expected ripple effect is a more vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable Cardano ecosystem, leading to increased adoption and a healthier marketplace.

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

User Engagement: Increase in the average number of transactions per user, and time spent on the marketplace.

User Acquisition: Growth in the number of new users joining the Cardano ecosystem.

Community Sentiment: Surveys and user feedback regarding the new gamification features.

Economic Impact: Increase in the total value of transactions within the marketplace.

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

The results of our project will be shared via regular updates on social media and other relevant platforms. We also plan to conduct live Q&A sessions to discuss the project's progress, results, and future plans. Once the project is complete, a comprehensive report will be compiled and shared with the community, outlining the impact of our solution and future scalability.

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

Our team comprises of three seasoned developers with previous experience on different marketplaces (Stale, Kieran, Adawg) as well as Chadi and Nic who have helped develop the Cardano Digital Collectibles market by being one of the first artists on the blockchain and creating the first ETH collectible with ADA utility respectively. We are uniquely aware and capable of Cardano’s blockchain ability and Stale has experience with gamification with his project Planet Palz, he can tie in many of his gamified ideas into the marketplace.

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

Our main goals include:

1. Increasing user engagement within the Cardano marketplace
2. Attracting new users to the ecosystem
3. Boosting the total value of transactions within the marketplace

Validation will be through the successful implementation and monitoring of the metrics outlined earlier: User engagement, user acquisition, community sentiment, and economic impact.

[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.

Milestone 1 (Month 1-2): Conceptualization & Design

• Define specifics of gamification features.
• Design user interface.
• Establish development and testing processes.

Milestone 2 (Month 3-5): Development & Testing

• Develop the gamification features.
• Conduct extensive testing and QA.

Milestone 3 (Month 6): Soft Launch & Feedback

• Rollout features to a small user base.
• Collect and analyze feedback.

Milestone 4 (Month 7-8): Full Launch & Marketing

• Implement final tweaks.
• Rollout features to the entire user base.
• Initiate marketing and user acquisition efforts.

Milestone 5 (Month 9): Evaluation & Reporting

• Measure and evaluate success metrics.
• Compile and share a comprehensive report.

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

Deliverables and outputs for each milestone:

Milestone 1: A comprehensive design of gamification features.

Milestone 2: Working gamification features integrated into the marketplace.

Milestone 3: Feedback report and subsequent updates.

Milestone 4: Full feature deployment and a detailed marketing plan.

Milestone 5: A comprehensive report detailing project outcomes and success metrics.

Gamification: To stimulate user engagement and loyalty, we will design a series of incentives, rewards, badges, leaderboards, and interactive features. The aim is to create a positive feedback loop where users are motivated to participate more and earn rewards, fostering a sense of achievement and belonging.

Inclusivity: To address social inequalities, we will create programs and incentives that encourage participation from a broad demographic, especially focusing on the underrepresented groups within the blockchain space. This also includes crafting user interfaces and experiences that are welcoming and easy to use for new and non-technical users.

Women Empowerment: To promote gender balance, we will design initiatives specifically aimed at encouraging women's participation. This could be in the form of women-centric webinars, workshops, incentive programs, or community-building activities.

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

All in ADA:

Design & Development: 120,000

Testing & QA: 30,000

Marketing & User Acquisition: 50,000

Project Management & Administration: 20,000

Phase 1: User Research and Market Analysis (3 months)

• Research
• Project Manager: 20 hours x $75/hour = $1,500
• UX/UI Designer: 30 hours x $70/hour = $2,100

Phase 2: Designing and Prototyping Gamified Elements (3 months)

• Design
• UX/UI Designer: 50 hours x $70/hour = $3,500
• Prototyping
• Two Blockchain Developers: 140 hours x $100/hour = $14,000

Phase 3: User Testing and Iteration (3 months)

• Blockchain Developer (Testing and Iteration): 180 hours x $100/hour = $18,000
• UX/UI Designer: 60 hours x $70/hour = $4,200

Phase 4: Technical Implementation and Integration (3 months)

• Two Blockchain Developers: 100 hours x $100/hour = $10,000

Phase 5: Project Completion and Launch (Next 4 months)

• Marketing and User Acquisition
• $7,700
• Ongoing Development and User Support
• $5,000

TOTAL COSTS = $66,000 or 220,000 ADA

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

The cost of the project aligns with the potential benefits it brings to the Cardano ecosystem. These include increased user engagement, expansion of the user base, and a boost in the marketplace's total value of transactions. Given the positive, long-term impact on the ecosystem, the cost of the project represents excellent value for money.

[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