HSBC launched a major internal initiative to educate its Asia-Pacific employees on the digital asset ecosystem by offering 1,000 commemorative Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) via the HSBC Open Staff digital wallet app. I served as the lead designer and key animator for this project, defining the foundational aesthetic and guiding the animation workflow.
Context
The goal of the project was to provide HSBC employees with hands-on experience and understanding of digital asset capabilities, moving DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology), Web3, and NFTs beyond mere concepts. The visual challenge was to create NFTs reflecting HSBC’s heritage and the Asia-Pacific region, requiring a highly technical, organized approach to the isometric design and subsequent animation.
Date Completed:
Oct 2022
Role:
Lead NFT Designer / Key Animator / Isometric Design Lead
Involvement:
Setting Isometric Grid Standards, Animation Workflow Guidance, Motion Graphics Execution
Overview
The strategic visual plan was to adopt a clean, isometric design language to represent the NFTs, which were intended to reflect HSBC’s heritage and the Asia-Pacific region. As the lead designer, my priority was not just execution but establishing a technical guide for consistency. I implemented a strict isometric framework to be followed by the design team, ensuring all assets were unified and perfectly optimized for the subsequent animation process.
Challenge
The biggest technical and managerial challenge was standardizing the animation workflow and visual perspective across the design team. Since all designers needed to contribute assets that looked coherent and were easily animated, I had to develop and communicate a clear, precise isometric guide and set best practices for layer separation (rigging) to ensure a smoother, faster post-production phase.
Solution
I initiated the project by creating and establishing the isometric guide, which served as the core visual framework for all designers . I was actively involved in guiding other designers on best practices for art preparation and layer separation (rigging) to ensure the animation process was as streamlined as possible. My work resulted in cohesive, high-quality digital tokens that visually represented the bank’s deep commitment to innovation and heritage in the Asia-Pacific region.
Results
The Hello HSBC NFT project was a highly successful manifestation of the bank’s thinking about the future of finance, effectively providing employees with a safe, real-world environment to experience the capabilities of the digital asset ecosystem. The structured design leadership and standardized isometric guide I implemented directly contributed to the efficient creation of the 1,000 commemorative NFTs , supporting HSBC’s goal of learning through firsthand digital experience.
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