RCRDSHP (Record Shop) is pioneering the future of music ownership and fandom through blockchain technology. As a senior product designer, I worked alongside a talented design team to create a revolutionary platform that enables artists, labels, and fans to participate in a new digital music economy through NFT-based collectibles.

Background

In the evolving landscape of digital music consumption, RCRDSHP identified an opportunity to create a “third wave” in the music industry revolution. The venture-backed platform needed to bridge the gap between traditional music consumption and blockchain technology, while creating new revenue streams for artists, promoters, venues, and independent labels. Our challenge was to make this complex technology accessible and engaging for mainstream music fans.

Challenges

1. Brand integration: working with illustrators to implement a distinctive visual identity that resonates with both crypto-native users and traditional music fans.
2. Complex user experience: designing intuitive interfaces for blockchain-based transactions and digital collectibles ownership.
3. Remote collaboration: working effectively within a global team across 6 different time zones.
4. Technical implementation: supporting developers with design specifications and front-end code to ensure high-quality execution.

Solutions

Brand implementation

Collaborated with illustrator Fanny Papay to implement a unique visual identity that captures the intersection of music culture and digital innovation.

UX design

Under the guidance of the Chief Product Officer, Simon Forgacs, we:

• Developed user flows that simplify complex blockchain interactions
• Created intuitive patterns for digital collectible ownership and trading
• Conducted user research to validate design decisions

Design system

• Designed a comprehensive component library that established RCRDSHP’s visual language
• Created consistent patterns and guidelines for typography, color, spacing, and interactive elements
• Developed documentation to ensure design consistency across the platform

Digital collectibles

• Collaborated with Simon to design the structure and layout of RCRDSHP’s “Collectibles” feature
• Created scalable templates supporting various collectible types
• Designed engaging interactions that enhance the collecting experience
• Contributed to the information architecture for music-related digital assets

Impact

As part of the design team, I contributed to:

• Launch of an intuitive blockchain-based music collectibles platform
• Implementation of a consistent design language across the platform
• Creation of seamless user experiences for both crypto-native and mainstream users
• Development of engaging collectible designs that resonated with the music community

Conclusion

As a senior product designer at RCRDSHP, I contributed to transforming an innovative concept into a fully-functional platform that bridges traditional music consumption with blockchain technology. Working closely with the design team and development squad, I helped create intuitive experiences that make complex blockchain technology accessible to mainstream music fans.

“Bala was one of our first design resources and played a key role in taking our idea and turning it into a visually appealing and functional website… Bala also worked with shape-up squads to make sure each feature our developers implemented had well thought out UX and an attractive and functional UI.”

— Nathan Pahucki, CTO at RCRDSHP