JPG Create: Generate Art + Metadata

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem.

We want to create an application that would allow non-technical people to launch their work on Cardano easily; by providing the ability to generate art, create metadata and link to IPFS services.

[GENERAL] Summarize your relevant experience.

The team at JPG launched the marketplace in the second week of November 2021. Since then JPG has pushed to create a community driven marketplace servicing all NFTs on Cardano with a strong development team of 10+ engineers.

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

The solution would be a desktop application that would be able to provide the utilities described below.

Create Artwork

The application would specify a folder structure for users to place their layer files into. This structure would then be parsed to create Attributes and their names would be parsed for Values.

Once all attributes and their values are present in the system the user would be able to assign rarities (occurrence percentage) that would inform the random generation of artwork. We aim the system to be flexible enough to allow users to not only control values but also the presence of attributes themselves through the UI.

Users would be able to generate sample outputs to ensure the system works as expected using smaller sample sizes before generating their full collection.

Generate Metadata Files

Once the artworks have been created a temporary CIP-0025 compliant metadata file would be generated as well, the user would then be prompted to provide the following information:

1. Policy ID
2. Asset Naming Convention
3. Asset Numbering Convention
4. Textual Metadata Files:
5. Name Convention
6. Descriptions
7. Social Links
8. Custom Information

The metadata file created at this point would have everything except the Live Links of the images which would be supplied and written into the file in future steps.

Upload to Immutable Storage

Users would be able to link the application using APIs to online services like Pinata and others to directly upload created artworks to immutable storages. 

Update Metadata

Once all files have been uploaded the application would replace all IPFS Link placeholders in the metadata files to complete the entire collection creation.

Upload to Minting Service

To truly provide a one-stop solution for users, we would allow the application to be linked to an online minting service which would grab the metadata files from the local file system as well.

[IMPACT] Please describe how your proposed solution will address the Challenge that you have submitted it in.

The proposed solution addresses the integrations and products challenge by providing an application that not only eases some of the pain points currently present in our ecosystem but also helps with future growth.

As JPG Store we’ve found the barrier of entry to Cardano to be higher than other chains due to lack of such applications and we truly believe this would make adoption easier.

[IMPACT] What are the main risks that could prevent you from delivering the project successfully and please explain how you will mitigate each risk?

Artwork generation is something that our team already has experience with, as they’ve previously built small scripts for the ecosystem.

The biggest challenge that would be present would be to create a user-flow that would be completely non-technical that not only generates the artwork collection in question but also possible inform and teach creators new to Cardano about our CIP standards and best practices to create an informed space at large.

[FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed plan, including timeline and key milestones for delivering your proposal.

The project would be executed over a time period of 8 weeks. This time period is divided into further sections as follows:

1. Wireframing and Structure Development - 1 Weeks
2. Core Functionality Development - 4 Weeks
3. Design Implementation - 2 Weeks
4. Testing & QA - 1 Week

[FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown.

Our budgets are divided over two major categories, employee costs and overheads for the duration of execution. Our costs for both are as follows:

Employee Costs: $14000 USD / week

Overheads: $3500 USD / week

Overheads include hosting, unexpected delays, marketing costs, tutorial development and more.

[FEASIBILITY] Please provide details of the people who will work on the project.

To execute the proposal we will be using 5 core resources dedicatedly while other employees of JPG will assist wherever need be. The main 5 resources would be 4 engineers and 1 UX/UI designer.

The exact team members working on the project are decided as we go through the 4 stages but you can learn more about all our team members and their expertise at https://www.jpg.store/team

[FEASIBILITY] If you are funded, will you return to Catalyst in a later round for further funding? Please explain why / why not.

The submission is a one time funding request to execute the proposal. We do not foresee us returning to Catalyst for further funding in regards to this proposal.

[FEASIBILITY] Are you or any member of your team working on any other proposals in this Fund9?

[FEASIBILITY] Are you or your team working on any other proposals from previous Funds?

[AUDITABILITY] Please describe what you will measure to track your project's progress, and how will you measure these?

We build our tools and features in a modular manner while testing each part as it is built and retesting as it starts to communicate with other modules. We will be tracking these milestones internally and inviting our beta testers to provide feedback on usability and functionality as soon as our project reaches a state of readiness.

We are also driven to run the project in a user-centered manner, listening to our users and various stakeholders throughout the process to ensure the end product is what the community at large desires.

[AUDITABILITY] What does success for this project look like?

The success of this project would mean that a creator that at the time of his/her first interaction with this application only had layer files, is empowered enough to be able to create a full collection + standardized metadata in a matter of hours for the Cardano blockchain.

[AUDITABILITY] Please provide information on whether this proposal is a continuation of a previously funded project in Catalyst or an entirely new one.

This is an entirely new proposal.