UX · Product Design · Case Study
Inception
UX designer
June 2023 – Jan 2024
Website
Inception is a social deduction game inspired by Goose Goose Duck, set in a Doge-themed world. While the game itself was still in development, the team needed a marketing website to build early awareness and trust ahead of launch — and to lay the groundwork for an upcoming NFT Collection. I led the visual design of the homepage, working from a content framework the wider team had already agreed on, through an internal design pitch process.
At the time of design, Inception had no playable build to showcase. This meant the homepage's job wasn't to onboard players into gameplay — it was to do the pre-launch brand-building work. The site needed to:
Establish a strong first impression of the game
Attract early community members
Set up the narrative groundwork for the future NFT Collection, game launch, and marketing campaigns
Before any visual work began, the team aligned on what the homepage needed to accomplish.
Business goals
Build hype ahead of launch
Establish project credibility
Drive community sign-ups
Prime the audience for the NFT Collection drop
Communicate the roadmap to show long-term direction
Support marketing's ongoing campaigns
User goals
What is this game?
Does the tone and gameplay appeal to me?
Is this project credible?
How does the NFT Collection relate to the game?
Where do I go next to follow or join?
Working with the UX team, I helped map the homepage onto a narrative arc.
01
Awareness
02
Interest
03
Trust
04
Conversion
The homepage needed to balance several tones at once: cartoon humor, mystery/suspense, social-deduction intrigue, and Web3 credibility and collectibility. Game art assets — characters, environments, and world-building elements — were provided by the game design team. I explored multiple visual directions built on top of those assets and presented them as part of an internal design pitch alongside other proposals.
Mood-board & Draft version
1
Hero impact over information — lead with a visual hook, defer explanation.
2
One core message per screen — never make a user hold two ideas at once while scrolling.
3
Collection after gameplay, before Roadmap — earn buy-in before asking for Web3 trust.
4
Roadmap as a trust mechanism — reassure right before the ask.
5
Conversion placed last — The sign-up only comes once it's been earned.
6
Slide-based scroll + progress rail — the page advances like a slideshow, with a left rail always showing position.
Collaboration
This was a cross-functional effort. My specific deliverables were wireframes and high-fidelity visual designs, developed through an internal pitch process against other concepts within the team.
Game design/art — supplied characters, environments, and world-building assets
UX team — co-developed content strategy and section ordering
Engineering — reviewed designs for build feasibility
Marketing — aligned on messaging and campaign timing
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