I was brought on to Zynga's Web3 team in October, 2023 as a graphic designer to help with marketing, community engagement, and possible merch design. As the sole visual designer on the team, I was also asked to provide art direction and design for the development of their upcoming Web3 poker game called "Pokertown". I directed a collaborative effort in visual presentation with Trick Studio and Hello Beautiful Jerk.
After some rounds of sketches, we settled on setting the game in a dimly lit, semi-futuristic tropical bar, incorporating the Sugartown brand colors into the table and surrounding environment. Early sketches of the logo by me, pulled inspiration from 1950s Las Vegas neon casino signs. The completed logo is a combination of my sketches and finished by HBJ.
The design in the top left corner was the first iteration of what a polished "in-game" version of the table would look like. The idea to include soda cans, empty chip bags, and discarded pizza gave us a sense of the environment and also added a little bit of "degen" irreverence to the otherwise sleek design.
Different angles were tried to make sure we could offer a design that was visually unique from other online/mobile poker games. This also allowed us to test what angle worked best to acommodate all of the UI/UX features and users necessary for gameplay.
The early sketch for the backplate of the game gave us a sense of forced perspective and depth we were going for. These early color tests served to inform the finished game UI by Trick Studio.
Key art and logo design was done in tandem with all three collaborators. Sketches for key art featuring the "Farm Three" Sugartown characters and logo variations were done by me and finished by HBJ and Trick.
Nearing the completion of the design phase, the team came to a unanimous decision that the name "Pokertown" wasn't working and an edgier look should be created to set a different, more mature tone for the game.
The result was a rebrand to the "Royal Nutz Poker Club" or "RNPC" and an edgier visual presentation was created. The team wanted the vibe of a semi-futuristic, gritty, exclusive night club, where players come to blow all their sugar.
Logo by HBJ
After a few Midjourney explorations and sketches by me, we settled on a door in a graffiti filled alleyway, illuminated by neon light. The design was inspired by photos of the entryways to punk shows and secret speakeasies.
We wore our influences on our sleeve when it came to the art style. The linework is nod to the Azuki NFT collection and the gritty surroundings are a subtle tip of the hat to BAYC.
Design by me
Final illustration by HBJ
In our final design we snuck in a reference to the movie "Rounders" with our animated dealer splitting apart and eating Oreos randomly throughout gameplay.
UI by Kamil Krupski
Final table and backplate by Trick
Web3 lingo animations were proposed to pop up for big wins and epic loses. Ultimately they weren't incorporated but were a fun exercise in bringing more "degen" attitude to the game.
Sugartown's X feed gave the Web3 community a cryptic first look at the key art for the soon to be announced game, causing Sugartown NFT holders to speculate and a bump in floor price for Sugartown NFTs.
The illustration of Goat peeking through a slat in the door gave the community a sense that this was an exclusive club and only the most loyal of holders had access.
Goat illustration by me
Finish backplate by HBJ
The sketches to the left served as storyboards and direction for the tone of the game announcement trailer. These shots feature Sugartown's characters known as the Oras, and hinted at a future partnership with Bored Ape Yacht Club's token Ape Coin.
The trailer does a great job at setting the scene for the interior of the club while retaining a few elements from the original design.
Sketches by me
Finished stills by HBJ
The cards featured King, Queen, and Jack versions of the Oras. We made sure that the Oras on the cards reflected the mischievous nature of the characters in the larger Sugartown universe.
Designs by me
Finished cards by HBJ
This graphic was created to promote a future partnership with Mocaverse and the use of their token to access the RNPC. It was a beautiful marriage of the surreal pop art style of Moca and the cartoony linework of the Oras.
Graphic by me
Visual storytelling and easter eggs were used to clue the Sugartown community in that a change was on the way and the Oras were moving on to the Royal Nutz Poker Club and an eventual acquisition by different Web3 company. Both illustrations captured the playful, energetic energy of the Oras as they pointed to new things on the horizon.
Illustrations by me
These graphics featured more easter eggs and gave the community an idea of the vibe they could expect to see when joining the RNPC.
Illustration by me
This was a test for a Mocaverse themed table and backplate design that could be accessible to players for a limited time. This was put together in a hurry and was created using a random collection of Mocaverse graphics that were cut up and put back together in a collage style. Ultimately, it wasn't used but I thought the way the colors came together for this one were especially beautiful.
Design by me