Turning illustration into a collection
The challenge was to create 500 unique characters by hand while keeping the collection visually consistent, diverse, expressive, and full of personality without relying on AI or procedural generation.
The Michis NFT: Web3 Project.
A Web3 art project and NFT collection of 500 hand-drawn cat avatars, created as a colourful, diverse, community-driven brand with original illustration, website design, merch, collaborations, and an NFTNY billboard moment.
Location
London, UK
Date
2021
Contribution
Founder, Branding & Illustration
About the project.
The Michis is a collection of 500 unique, fun, and diverse limited edition NFT cat avatars living on the Ethereum blockchain.
The full collection was created by hand, with no AI assistance or procedural generation. Each token was drawn one by one, with attention to colour, attributes, accessories, personality, and the intense gaze that became part of the collection’s identity.
The project grew beyond the collection itself. I created the branding, illustrations, website, shop experience, community moments, NFTNY21 billboard artwork, and a secondary artist collaboration collection featuring 25 international artists.
Challenges.
Building a brand beyond NFTs
The Michis needed to become more than another NFT project. The website, roadmap, merch, community activations, and NFTNY21 billboard helped turn the collection into a small but meaningful brand with a stronger identity.
Celebrating community and collaboration
Community was central to the project. From featuring collectors on the billboard to creating a secondary collection with 25 artists, the challenge was to make people feel included, represented, and part of the creative journey.
