Blankos Block Party
Game & UI Design
Blankos Block Party
Role: UX Game Designer
Team: 14 talented creators
Devices: PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
Overview: As the Lead UX Game Designer, I spearheaded the user experience and interface design for Blankos Block Party, a vibrant open-world multiplayer game developed by Mythical Games. The game emphasizes user-generated content, allowing players to design levels and collect unique digital vinyl toys known as Blankos.
Player Empowerment
25% boost in day-one retention through smoother, more intuitive onboarding that hooked players from the start.
Thriving Economy
Over 100,000 player-owned NFTs actively circulating within our marketplace, creating a dynamic collector community.
Market Confidence
The game helped Mythical Games reach a $1.25 billion valuation, reflecting strong investor belief in our vision.
What are Blankos?
Imagine customizable vinyl toys springing to life in a colorful digital world. That's Blankos unique characters designed by renowned artists and community creators that players collect, customize, and trade.
These lovable characters race, battle, and explore across player-designed levels, each with their own distinct personality and style. Think of it as digital collectibles that you actually play with rather than just own.
My Design Contributions
User Experience (UX) Design: Led the creation of intuitive interfaces and seamless navigation to enhance player engagement.
User Interface (UI) Design: Developed visually appealing and functional UI elements that align with the game's vibrant aesthetic.
Inventory System: Designed an efficient inventory management system, allowing players to easily manage and showcase their Blankos collections.
Trading Platform: Implemented a user-friendly trading interface, enabling players to buy, sell, and trade Blankos securely.
Player-Designed Levels
Empowered players to create and share custom game levels, fostering a creative community.
Reward System
I designed a progression system that made achievement feel meaningful at every step. Rather than focusing solely on high-level accomplishments, we created a layered reward structure that celebrated both small wins and major milestones.
Collecting Blankos
I designed an inventory system that made managing dozens (or hundreds!) of Blankos feel effortless rather than overwhelming. The inventory wheel provided quick access to your collection while maintaining the game's playful aesthetic.
Fun . Goofy .You
Every design decision was filtered through our core brand values: Fun, Goofy, and You. "Fun" meant prioritizing enjoyment over complexity, "Goofy" encouraged us to embrace playful quirkiness rather than taking ourselves too seriously, and "You" emphasized personal expression and customization.
Inventoy Wheel
Initial wireframe concept of the inventory wheel, aiming to provide rapid access and intuitive navigation within the inventory system.
Trading Blankos
Marketplace UI designed to clearly present NFT trading options, simplifying transactions
Game UI
Early Map Creator
Players needed a way to add custom setings to their worlds before creation.
Object placement
We tested multiple approaches to seemingly simple features like object placement grids (4×4, 5×5, 8×8) to find the sweet spot between creative freedom and usability.
Selected Inventory Wheel
Blankos Selection Screen
Xbox One Controller Layout
Controller UX & UI Design
For console players, every interaction needed to feel intentional and effortless. I implemented intuitive visual cues, clear button prompts, and adaptive UI elements that instantly reflected the player's chosen input method.
Implemented intuitive visual cues, clear button prompts, and adaptive UI elements that instantly reflect the player's chosen input method, significantly improving accessibility for first-time and experienced players alike.
Nintendo Controller Layout
Social Expression
To enhance the "party" atmosphere, I integrated emotes that let players express themselves through dances, poses, and reactions—adding another layer of personality to their Blankos.
Highlights
Crypto Trading
One of my biggest challenges was designing cryptocurrency trading interfaces that felt as simple as traditional in-game purchases while maintaining the security and transparency blockchain requires.
NFL Collab
Exclusive collaborative Blankos design
Branding Collabs
special-edition Blankos created in partnership with notable brands
The Output
Valuation Milestone
Contributed to Mythical Games achieving a $1.25 billion valuation, reflecting strong investor confidence.
Engaged Economy
Increased player interaction with the in-game marketplace, resulting in over 100,000 NFTs actively held by players
Player Retention
Perhaps most importantly, our refined onboarding experience led to 25% higher day-one retention rates—showing that thoughtful UX design directly impacts a game's success metrics.
My Time
Working on Blankos Block Party was unlike any other project in my career. It blended game design with UX in a truly innovative space, teaching me invaluable lessons about designing for engagement and delight not just efficiency or clarity.
Our collaborative approach brought together designers, developers, and community managers in workshops where we'd sketch wild ideas on whiteboards. Many of those spontaneous concepts evolved into beloved features, proving that creativity thrives at the intersection of diverse perspectives.
