Like how does a brand gain traction in the NFT world? We read that NFT collections are sold for exorbitant prices, but those are usually exceptions. To really make some headway and generate some buzz there are a lot of other factors that come into play. You must have a strong understanding of the NFT marketplace, what you want to offer, and the intent behind launching your NFT collection. 

This becomes even more complicated when you approach NFTs from a brand’s perspective. You need to understand your audience, marketing intent, and how it ties up with your brand’s image before going ahead. 

But above all these, the NFT world has shown us it is important to focus on the design too. At the end of the day, NFTs are still an artist’s medium, and it takes good design to make them stand out. 

So how does it all connect, and what can you do to ensure your NFT shines through? 

Let’s take a look at some of the insights, and inspiration, the Kimp team has curated for you.

Is design important for NFTs?

This blog is all about NFT designs. But before we dive into the intricacies of that you might be wondering how important design is to an NFT. Sure this is a topic that’s covered whenever someone speaks of NFT trends and what is really working for creators in this field. But how does this tie into an NFT’s success? 

Let us explore a few NFT statistics to find out.

NFT trading saw a massive jump in the third quarter of 2021 and reached a whopping value of $10.67 billion. And much of this success came from Axie Infinity, a play-to-earn video game from Vietnam. 

But this is a breakout story and not the norm. The average selling price of NFTs in 2021 was around $200 on OpenSea, and 53.6% of NFTs sold for less than this. This means that there is more to selling an NFT than just being a sensation. If you want to be in the upper half of this $200 divide, you have to plan to stand out. 

Every week, 15,000 NFTs to 50,000 NFTs are sold. And according to recent reports, collectibles are leading the pack followed by art, sports, Metaverse, games, and Utility. 

The top three categories clearly show us that over 80% of NFTs sold are sold because of their design. Yes, the design makes them collectible and links them with art and sports pop culture. 

So if you can crack this underrated link between the most popular NFTs, you are golden. And, a smart creator knows that even if they sell for $200 today you earn more than that $200. A good design will help you improve the perception of your brand.

So how do you do that? 

Choosing your NFT design style 

Now that we have established that design is important for a successful NFT launch, how do you pick the right style? There are so many design styles that are active in the NFT space. But that doesn’t mean you can just choose one at random and have it work out. It is important to go through a process and choose what suits your brand the best. 

Here is the process that works for popular NFT designers and comes highly recommended by the Kimp team as well: 

1) Pick a target audience 

If you speak to anyone who’s had success selling NFTs they’ll tell you that NFTs are not sold on marketplaces. They’re sold where communities are. This means that success with an NFT design isn’t just about getting it up on any marketplace. It’s about building a community that sees value in it and being visible and present where they are. And that is why it is important to launch designs that will resonate with your audience. 

Remember, every design style appeals to a specific target audience. For example, Gen Z and Millennials prefer a digital art style while Gen X and Boomers tend to like a more traditional art style. 

When you know your audience, choosing the right design style becomes easier and you can be sure that they will receive your NFT design positively.

2) Understand marketing intent if launching a brand 

If you are launching an NFT collection for your brand, it becomes important that you define the intent before anything else. Are you doing this for brand awareness or promoting a particular product? The answers to this question must dictate your decision for the design style. 

An NFT collection for brand awareness will have designs that celebrate the branding identity and choose elements that connect with the audience. But for product promotion, the product will inspire the NFT design more than anything else.

3) Connect emotionally 

Whether you choose a Pop Culture-inspired design or something special and unique to your brand, a design will only succeed when it creates an emotional connection for its audience. So it’s important you choose something that has significant emotional value for your audience to base your NFT design on. And that your NFT’s design is a sincere homage to it. 

When you fill out your design brief, describe the genre, its connection with the target audience, and the significance of the NFT design you are proposing. Experienced design teams, like our Kimp Graphics’ Design Teams will then be able to create something that connects with your target audience. 

Now all of this may sound great but you might still feel like you’re in the dark when it comes to execution. That is why in the next section we break down some of the NFT designs that Kimp has worked on to inspire your next NFT design project. 

Intrigued? Let’s get to it then. 

NFT Design Inspiration: 5 designs to inspire your next NFT 

Our Kimp Graphics Design Teams have been handling quite a volume of NFT design requests. But the best part has been that even within a short span, since interest in NFTs skyrocketed, we have seen a diverse range of these design requests. 

So, we have brought you a snapshot of the types of NFT designs we’ve worked on and a breakdown of the process so that you can take a step ahead in your NFT journey. 

Each of these designs is unique and can give you an insight into picking a design for your NFT launch as well. 

Let’s dive right into it. 

1) Anime-inspired design style 

If you are looking for a design that will have a wide appeal and work with a diverse audience, then pick design styles that appeal to fans of Anime and Asian pop culture. According to studies, NFT adoption is highest in Asian countries so by the law of volume, you are protected. Not to mention that Asian pop culture has become pretty mainstream – especially Anime. 

Anime is a Japanese animation style inspired by comics – specifically Manga. Japanese design and Anime have a far-reaching influence around the world and if you pick the right anime for inspiration, then you can have a hit on your hands. 

That is exactly the thought process behind the NFT designs by Kimp you see below. Our client had this vision and the Kimp Graphics team brought it to life. 

Demon Slayer is a popular Anime that is gaining traction on Netflix now since the third season is rumored to be released soon. This NFT collection features the four principal Demon Slayers on whom the series is centered. And when the NFT becomes popular, the client can expand the collection by modeling it on the other popular characters. 

Anime followers can be very opinionated. And that is why the team has worked hard to bring the essence of these characters to the NFT design. 

Choosing a design of this sort can be a safe bet for a successful NFT launch. 

2) Religious NFT design style 

If you thought that since blockchain and NFT are anything but mainstream only offbeat themes can become NFT designs, think again. As we detailed in the previous section, if you know your target audience and can form an emotional connection, anything can be an NFT design. 

There are no rules as such and maybe that is why Kimp Graphics had the opportunity to design an NFT based on a religious figure recently. Lord Krishna is a popular figure in the Hinduism religion and is also one of the most painted amongst the others in this religion. Since NFT is all but an extension of the art space, our client wanted to replicate the same concept for the metaverse as well.

We also designed an NFT that takes inspiration from the patron saint of Jainism – another dominant religion in Asia. While it does not resemble the style of a portrait that the previous design did, it still captures the essence of the religious figure quite well. 

Kimp Tip: When you are creating NFT designs based on characters who already have a strong visual representation, try to get the details right. In these instances, you can only make the audience connect with the NFT when it represents the image they have seen to date. So stick to the basics and limit experimentation. 

3) Pixelated NFT design 

When CryptoPunks launched, people wondered if these small squares of pixelated designs would get the same respect that art commands. But if you look at the NFT designs flooding the space, you will see that the pixelated designs are reigning supreme. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the team of CryptoPunks has received a lot of compliments. 

One of our clients was also inspired by the same design style and that led to us creating a pixelated NFT design for them. 

Many may have concerns that if NFT designs are not completely unique and “original”, they may not make an impact on the audience. But in this space, following trends can take you very far. People want to collect and own trendy collections. So, if a particular NFT collection gets sold out, they look for others that look similar. It becomes a matter of pride for them. And if you have a collection that taps into a trend, you hold the winning ace.

This design also touches upon another trend in the NFT space – the depiction of pets in different situations. We know that Grumpy Cat and Doge are huge winners, so we took a cue from there and designed this for our client. 

Navigating the NFT space can be tricky, but if you can work with tried and tested design styles, it makes it a little easier. 

And working with a tried and tested design team doesn’t hurt either. Have a unique idea for an NFT design? Get a Kimp Graphics design subscription and make it happen!

4) Modern NFT designs 

Remember how we spoke of Gen Z and Millennials favoring a digital art style? Well, our next NFT design belongs in that category. Modern designs that use colors and strokes that suit the web more than print are a perfect fit for NFT designs. And if you can find some way to connect this design style to the NFT world and Metaverse, it works even more. 

Just take the Bored Ape Yacht Club that went viral after launching in 2021. It wasn’t just a one-hit wonder. Apes are still popular in the NFT space. So, on the request from one of our Kimp Graphics’ clients we decided to combine these two elements, and delivered the design you see below. 

You can also see that these apes are a little cheeky which again was factored into the design keeping in mind that this NFT design needed to appeal to a Gen Z and Millennial audience. For anyone who felt that the Bored Ape collection was a little too simple, this collection will fit like a glove.

Here, the design brief from our customer was quirky and we stuck to it. We ensured that each design stood out a little in the overall collection so that it has something for everyone. 

Collections with diverse and unique NFT designs have a better chance of selling out than those with the same designs. After all, this is a world that runs on FOMO more than anything else. 

Kimp Tip: Whenever you think of NFT designs, think of ways you can design a “collectible” collection. This means that the designs must be unique and also connect to the overall design theme. It incentivizes the buyer to spend more and buy more from the collection instead of just one piece. 

5) Pop Culture inspired NFT Designs

What is an NFT blog without a nod to NFTs’ connections to pop culture? We live in a time when everything that we do can become an element of pop culture almost instantaneously. Like Netflix shows that come out and within weeks, or even days, become so popular that references to them dominate social feeds.

The monetary value of pop culture has also been climbing quite steeply for the last decade. From Funko-Pop bobbleheads to action figurines, characters from pop culture are everywhere. In fact, it is hard to spot a T-Shirt without a pop culture reference on it.

So why not bring this to the NFT world as well? That is exactly what our clients think and as a result, Kimp Graphics has a few pop culture-inspired designs in its kitty. The Medusa and Squid Game are not two things that we ever thought we would mention in the same sentence, but here we are. 

As specific as the Medusa NFT design is, the Squid Game design is also a huge winner. These two designs represent just two spectrums of pop culture and excite us about the endless possibilities left to explore. Perfect for anyone looking to launch a collection.

Launch exciting NFT designs with Kimp

Why be left behind in the NFT race just because you are not a designer? NFT design is an exciting space and if you have an idea that you think will fetch returns, then you should get on with it immediately. It is all about timing here. 

And when Kimp provides unlimited design services, what more do you need? Our unlimited graphic design subscription can help you explore as many different ideas as you want for a flat monthly fee. 

It is a relatively small but valuable addition to your NFT budget and holds the potential to amplify your brand awareness like nothing else. 

Both graphic design and video design NFTs are possible with Kimp subscriptions. 

So why wait? Sign up and start creating today!