Weed Lands

Growing a unique blend of crypto and gaming

Overview

In the dynamic world of cryptocurrency, we saw an opportunity to create something truly unique. Enter Weed Lands - a playful web-based game that brought together digital agriculture and crypto-economics in an exciting new way.

As the lead product and brand designer on our small but mighty four-person team, I had the thrilling challenge of bringing this quirky concept to life. Our goal? To create a game where players could grow virtual cannabis crops that actually contributed to cryptocurrency mining. Talk about a green investment!

  • My contribution

    • UX Research
    • UX Design
    • UI Design
    • Design System
    • Prototyping
    • Graphic Design
    • Branding
    • Animation

  • Team

    • 1 x Lead Product Designer ✦
    • 1 × Cryptocurrency Developer
    • 1 x Full-stack Developer
    • 1 x Product Manager

  • Tools

    • Figma
    • Illustrator
    • Javascript

  • Year

    • 2021

Cultivating a Fresh Approach

From the start, we knew we wanted to steer clear of the usual stereotypes. Instead of the typical gritty aesthetic often associated with cannabis themes, we opted for a more approachable, almost whimsical vibe. This fresh approach shaped everything from our color palette to our animations, resulting in a game world that was inviting and full of life.

Our friendly, inviting game design: crafting visuals that make Weed Lands approachable and fun.

The gameplay design was just as exciting. We chose a top-down, pseudo-3D style that perfectly matched our playful brand. Players could progress through five distinct levels, each offering a unique cultivation environment - from a cozy basement setup to a high-tech spaceship farm. It was a blast to design ways for players to upgrade their equipment, choose different strains, and optimize their crypto-farming efficiency.

Every asset was lovingly hand-drawn in vector format, ensuring top-notch quality and detail.

When it came to the user interface, we kept things clean and intuitive. Players could easily manage their economic status, upgrade their farms, and tend to their crops with just a few clicks. Taking inspiration from popular mobile games, we added satisfying animations for harvesting and earning cryptocurrency, making every action feel rewarding.

Our UI design embraced a fun, cartoony style, maintaining brand consistency throughout the game.
Gameplay highlights: showcasing our interactive elements and delightful design features.

As we approached launch, the excitement was palpable. Weed Lands caught the attention of the online crypto community, with YouTube videos popping up discussing the game. On release day, we were thrilled (and a bit overwhelmed!) by the traffic, quickly scaling up our server capacity to meet demand.

However, we soon faced some challenges. The cryptocurrency mining aspect proved more complex than anticipated, and we had to make the tough decision to shut down the service as our in-game currency value fluctuated.

Seeds of innovation

Looking back, Weed Lands stands as a bold experiment in blending gaming with cryptocurrency. While we faced hurdles, the project showcased the potential of creative, playful concepts in engaging diverse audiences. It was a breath of fresh air in my professional journey, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the digital space.

The lessons learned from this venture continue to shape my approach to product design and development. It reinforced the importance of adaptability and innovation in the fast-paced worlds of gaming and digital currencies. Weed Lands may have been ahead of its time, but it certainly planted seeds of inspiration for future projects!