Move over Pokemon, I choose cryptocollectibles.  

Blockchain technology has birthed a new universe of cryptocollectibles -- digital kitties, pandas, bunnies and bots are breeding and people are spending millions to buy, sell, trade these virtual items.  It's the parallel digital universe to old-world baseball cards, stamps, and coins, only these blockchain-based cryptocollectibles are verifiably authentic and unique with secure, provable ownership for collectors.

Academy junior, Suraya Shivji, is working with IDEO on creating planetary cryptocollectibles for a BattleBots-style game.  A designer and developer, Suraya always seems to have her finger on the pulse of digital trends. She has interned at several top tech firms, including Apple, Spotify, and most recently joined IDEO’s Collaborative Innovation Lab as a fellow exploring human-centered design. Here, she gives us a glimpse into her universe and shares some key lessons learned during her time at IDEO...



What project are you working on right now? 
 I’m currently working remotely for IDEO CoLab on a BattleBots-style game that allows users to collect, trade, and battle virtual planets on the Ethereum blockchain.
 
Cryptocollectibles are digital collectibles with verifiable ownership, scarcity, and rarity. Ensured scarcity and rarity are so important because digital assets (put on the internet with code) can be replicated by simply copying and pasting (see: music labels and art). Compared to having the rights to content or physically owning an object, the blockchain provides clear advantages for collecting digital assets. The blockchain gives people the ability to truly own their digital assets, verify an asset’s authenticity, and instantly trade digital assets. 

In 2017, Cryptokitties, a game for breeding digital cats, emerged as the first big cryptocollectible success, having accounted for 14 percent of Ethereum’s transaction volumes within a few weeks. The game we are working on, Cryptonites, is similar in that the virtual assets being owned and traded (planets), hold emotional, speculative, and utility value for the users. You can check out my process behind the V1 prototype on my website. 

 We can all imagine a world where digital ownership is incredibly important. The blockchain makes this possible and apps like Cryptokitties and Cryptonites will pave the way for people to understand and embrace this paradigm. 

Tell us a little about your IDEO fellowship? 

I’m interested in experimenting with emerging technologies and IDEO CoLab focuses on using human-centered design and prototyping to understand how such technologies may affect major societal systems, so that sounded like a lot of fun. I’ve also been a big IDEO fan for a while so it seemed like a great opportunity to work with a group of really smart people. 

 IDEO CoLab is truly interdisciplinary. In my experience, most companies, programs, and career paths tend to pigeon-hole you into one role, but the CoLab expects its fellows to push on all three perspectives, desirability, feasibility, and viability, in equal measure. This was super refreshing because we were able to push themselves within multiple disciplines, similar to what we do in the Academy.

Student Spotlight: Suraya Shivji