Non-Fungible Tokens

Criterion A: Planning

My learning GOAL
I have always been passionate about working on the concept of Non-Fungible Tokens, but never got an
opportunity to channel my passion in a proper manner. The personal project has provided me with an
opportunity to express my thoughts and ideas in a proper and well-structured manner to come up with a
product that I dreamt of.

In this project, I want to Understand the complexity of the blockchain network and the designing aspect
of NFTs. It has been a short period of time, only about a year since Non-Fungible Tokens, more commonly
known as NFTs, are getting the recognition they deserve. Ever since the Bored Ape Yacht Club and the
CryptoPunks collection have boomed in popularity, NFTs have been a topic of interest to me, which made me
choose this topic for my personal project.

Before this project, I was only aware of major aspects of the NFT world. I knew to some extent what NFTs
were, to summarize, they are unique digital media that can be bought or sold. I also knew the involvement of
cryptocurrencies in that market. Cryptocurrencies, most popularly Ethereum, are used for the buying and
selling of NFTs. I researched new and advanced features like Lazy Minting on popular marketplaces like
OpenSea, Rarible, SuperRare, and Binance. Lazy Minting is a way to minimize the losses of the seller by only
taking gas fees (transaction fees) after the NFT has been sold. I have had a personal interest in the NFT world
since early 2020. I was frequently involved in the OpenSea marketplace, as a member of their discord server,
and Twitter community, and a frequent browser on their marketplace website. I have been involved in the NFT
world because I have always been a frequent user of technology. When I heard about the development of
NFTs, I immediately showed interest because they could make serious advancements in the digital world.

To achieve my goal, I will be using skills that I have already developed. First and foremost, I will be using
communication skills since my product also includes an essay. I will decide on appropriate forms of writing that
are suitable for the most effective way of communication for different purposes like an essay for
communicating information which is also based on the age range or literacy of the audience. Along with
sharing my thoughts, ideas, and learning with my respective target audience digitally through the most
effective mode of communication. I will be using research skills because I need to be able to collect and verify
data, access specific information related to my topic and the content I would want to include in my essay, and
evaluate and select information sources based on reputability in the NFT community. Lastly, I will be using
self-management skills which are essential for any project. My long-term goal, the essay, and the NFT is going
to be accomplished by me because I have broken down the long-term tasks into smaller short-term tasks like
completing the research work, finishing the beginning, completing the paragraph on the blockchain network,
etc. This would help me make sure to balance my work on the project with my school academics.

Even with my prior knowledge, I only knew about the general aspects of NFTs, and it got me thinking, how
does the NFT universe actually work? Behind-the-scene elements like the blockchain network show great
complexity but are vital to the success of NFTs. This will be one of the major aspects that I focus my project on.
Using the opportunity of the personal project to help me learn extensively about this technology ensure that I
maximize my learning.

To look at this topic from a particular perspective, I will be choosing the global context, Scientific and Technical
innovation. This global context is connected to my topic of NFTs because scientific and technical innovation
splits into major branches, one of them being digital technology. The newest aspect of digital technology is
NFTs, meaning that this global context would be topic-appropriate for this project.

Choosing the personal project topic. (Figure 1.1)

An image of Bored Ape Yacht Club #8817 sold for roughly 3.4 million dollars. It is part of the collection that sparked my
interest in NFTs. (Figure 1.2)

Deciding which global context would be most appropriate with NFTs. (Figure 1.3)
My final Product & Product Goal
My product goal is to create an NFT that I will be selling on OpenSea
because it is the most reputable and popular NFT marketplace, and an
essay regarding the information on NFTs that will be published in popular
NFT discord servers like the OpenSea, NFT worlds 1 and NFT worlds 3
servers, Reddit, and LinkedIn. I chose platforms because they have a
combined user base of over 1 million people. When I publish my essay on
the respective platforms, I will be asking for feedback to help me further
improve my skills. The essay would start off with general information about
NFTs, it will include definitions, examples, future plans, etc. Then, it would
also focus on the Blockchain Network which is how the NFT world functions.
The NFT that I will be creating will be an individual piece of art, it will not be
in a collection. I hope that my essay will be able to grasp the interest of
readers in NFTs, and I hope that it also gives them an understanding of how
that technology works. Something new that I will learn throughout the phase
of writing my essay will be the blockchain network. Additionally, I will be
going into more depth on certain aspects of NFTs that will help improve my
knowledge.

Diagram of the connection between my Learning Goal and Product Goal. (Figure 2.1)
Product Success Criteria
The success criteria mentioned in the table below help to prepare the product because I have included
points like using the standard essay format, functioning as a resource, and having no monetary
investment. These points will help me to meet the success criteria if I follow these when writing my
essay or selling my NFT.

These success criteria are based on research. The success criteria for the Form are based on research on the
structure of an essay, the ideal word count, and the most popular type of digital media on OpenSea as audio
files, animations, and videos are also sold apart from art. In terms of audience, I researched the age range that
is most frequently using digital technology. I also inquired about the concept of lazy minting which helped me
learn about a cost-effective way to sell my NFT.

I used the Form, Function, Aesthetics, Audience, and Cost template. I felt that it covers all major
aspects of an essay since all success criteria of a text piece would fall under form, function, and
audience. The NFT falls under the categories of form, function, aesthetics, and cost. Thus, it was
effective to go with these templates as all the success criteria fell into these components. There is a
grading rubric below as well.
Goals:- My goal is to publish an essay based on NFTs that gets at least Justification
1000 cumulative views on discord and Reddit within 2 weeks. Along
with that, I would be making an NFT that I would sell on OpenSea.

Form The first product, an essay, will be a google I chose this success criterion
document with the content. I will be using various because the standard form of an
sites for research, but the only material tool required essay is easily understood and
is my laptop. The essay will be around 1750 words. I very well structured. The NFT will
will be following the classical structure:- Title, be created using photoshop which
Introduction, Body Paragraphs, and Conclusion. It is one of the most professional
should have at least 6 body paragraphs. My second image applications.
 product, the digital art, or Non-Fungible Token will
have the form of an image, I will design it using tools
like photoshop.

Function The essay will function as a resource for people who The function of the essay is very
are already into or getting into the NFT world to help important, success would only be
them know how it actually works. The essay will help reached if the essay acts like the
people learn about the blockchain network and know resource it is meant to be. The
what NFTs actually are. There is almost no essay also needs to be easy to
maintenance for this product, however, if any major access so I can engage a larger
feedback is received by me, I would implement it. My target audience, which would be a
second product would act as every piece of digital art measurement of success. I also
on OpenSea. Meaning that it can be brought. There want the essay to have no
is no maintenance of that artwork. maintenance so it won’t need to
be re-uploaded multiple times. The
NFT needs to function like the
majority of digital media on
OpenSea so that it is easily
bought.

Aesthetics My NFT should be vibrant, and eye-catching, with a This will be so that my NFT gets
colorful background, certain accessories, and a more people to click on it when it
visually appealing theme. There should be at least 1 is uploaded on OpenSea, this will
accessory, a non-white background, and it should be allow me to get more views and
colorful. increase the chance for my NFT to
be bought.

User/Audience The audience for this project is pre-teenagers, and I chose this audience because age
young to middle-aged adults in the age category of groups older and younger than
11-45. this range tend to use technology
I want to get over 1,000 combined views, adding in a very small amount if any.
individual views from all platforms on that I have my Along with this, the complexity of
essay and NFT. understanding NFTs will tend to be
difficult for people under this age.
The essay will be very easy to access, I will be
publishing it on some of the largest NFT-based
discord servers, and a very active NFT Reddit
community. All they would have to do is click on the
file and it will open up.
The communities that my essay is published on
should have a combined following of over 1 million.

Cost There would be no cost in publishing my essay on If I have no cost then I will match
discord or Reddit, however, when I mint(sell) my NFT this success criterion. This is
on OpenSea, there will be gas fees or transaction important as a success criterion to
fees. To make sure that I don’t lose any money, I will make sure that in the possibility of
use a feature known as Lazy Minting. This means the NFT not selling, I don’t lose
that the gas fees, around 2.5% of the price I list the any money in terms of
NFT for, will only be deducted when my NFT has transactional or gas fees.
sold, technically making it so that there is no cost.

Level Form Function Aesthetics User/Audience Cost

1-2 The essay is very short, The essay has The NFT is in The essay and Over 1000
beneath 500 words. It very minimal black and NFT get less than USD in
has 2 or fewer body content regarding white, it has 500 combined combined
paragraphs. NFTs. no views. spending.
background.

3-4 The essay is short, The essay has The NFT uses The essay and Less than
 beneath 1000 words. It some content very basic NFT get more 1000 USD in
has 4 or fewer body regarding NFTs. colors, it has than 500 combined
paragraphs. But it is very short no combined views. spending
and concise. background.

5-6 The essay is long, The essay has My NFT is The essay and Less than
beneath 1500 words. It ample content colorful and NFT get more 500 USD in
has 5 body paragraphs. regarding NFTs. has a than 1000 combined
It is fairly detailed background, combined views. spending
and specific. but there are
limited
accessories.

7-8 The essay is over 1500 The essay is very My NFT is The essay and No cost in
words long and has over content-heavy vibrant, it has NFT get more any manner.
5 relevant body with information a colored than 3000
paragraphs. regarding NFTs. background combined views.
It is very detailed and there are
and specific. excellently
made
accessories.

Planning to achieve the Product / Timeline

To manage my time, I use a GANTT chart that shows the task that I am supposed to complete along
with their respective dates, and which aspect of the project they are based on. For example, the first
task is based on general research on NFTs, the GANTT chart depicts that it is based on the research
aspect of my project. Another tool used by me is the MacBook in-built reminders application. I set
dates that I need to work on my tasks on for the next two tasks that I am supposed to do.

All the tasks that I have mentioned in the Timeline Table, are based on helping me meet or even exceed my
success criteria. All the tasks have been related either to the form, function, target audience, or cost aspect of
the success criteria. To help me keep track of my progress throughout this project, I have divided my long-term
goals of writing the Essay and creating the NFT into smaller, short-term goals like research, completing
individual paragraphs, and more. While planning all these tasks, I have kept in mind my school academic
schedule and task submissions which allow me to maximize my engagement in this project.

Completio Task Details Any Relevant Success Criteria Note / Remark

n Date change
s?
Justify.
..

October 6 General research No This would be based on the What are NFTs?
on NFTs for the change content of the essay so it can History of NFTs.
essay. s yet. serve its function as a Relation with cryptocurrency?
resource. How to determine value?
And other questions.

October 10 Elaborate No Similar to the first one, for the What is blockchain?
understanding of change content of the essay. How does it work?
blockchain and s yet. How does it help NFTs?
smart contracts. What are smart contracts?
What is the purpose of smart
contracts?
And other questions.

October 19 Learning how to No This will be based on the How to mint an NFT on
create an NFT and change learning of the form of an OpenSea?
sell on OpenSea. s yet. NFT and how to create one. How to select the Lazy minting
The selling aspect is based option?
 on the Cost success criteria. How to create an NFT?
What should my NFT be
based on?

October 25 Start writing the No This will be based on the The introduction should be
essay and complete change form of the essay. Following around 250 words so the
the introduction. s yet. the Introduction, Body essay can ideally be around
Paragraphs, and conclusion 1750 words.
structure.

November Completion of Body No This will be based on the Should be around 400 words.
2 paragraph 1 which change form of the essay, the first
is based on the s yet. body paragraph. This will
history of NFTs and also enable it to fulfill its
their current state. function as a resource.

November Completion of body No Same as body paragraph 1. Should be around 500 words
9 paragraph 2 based change
on how NFTs s yet.
actually work and
the blockchain
network, along with
smart contracts

November Completion of body No Same as the other two body Should be around 500 words.
15 paragraph 3 based change paragraphs. But this
on the future of s yet. paragraph will really grasp
NFTs and involving the readers’ attention
some information because of the immense
about metaverse. technological development
talked about.

November Completion of No Relating to form and function, Around 200 words.

19 conclusion and change along with the target A sum up of what has been
essay s yet. audience who would be discussed in the essay and a
interested in this topic. general conclusion.

November Feedback on essay No Would help with the overall that Implement feedback is
22 received and change form and the implementation received by an English
implemented. s yet. of feedback and will make teacher.
sure that it is able to carry
out its function with more
effect on the audience.

November Put the essay on No This is the stage where my Make sure to put this essay as
24 the NFT Reddit change target audience comes into a PDF file.
community text s yet. play because they are
channel, and the reading the essay.
OpenSea, NFT
World 1, and NFT
World 2 discord
servers.

November Complete the No The NFT is in a form of a NFT should be cheap in cost.
25 creation of the NFT change digital art piece, and it follows
on photoshop and s yet. the lazy minting function on
uploaded on OpenSea.
OpenSea with Lazy
minting enabled.
Timeline table with the date of completion of each task. (Figure 3.1)
Red - Research Related
Blue - NFT Creation Related
Yellow - Essay Related
A Gantt chart representing each task's time frame. (Figure 3.2)
The Mac in-built Reminders Application is used by me to manage my time. (Figure 3.3)

Criterion B: Applying skills

Applying skills to achieve the Learning Goal:
To achieve my learning goal, I have made significant use of research skills. Research skills are split
into two major categories that are Information Literacy Skills and Media Literacy Skills.

Under the category of Information Literacy Skills, my project required me to follow most aspects. Starting off
with making connections between various sources of information because this skill helped to the fullest extent
in comprehending the information and maximizing learning. Along with this, to make sure the information
sources were reliable, I had to use the skill of Evaluating and Selecting information sources and digital tools on
their appropriateness to specific tasks. Since I had used multiple platforms to publish my products, I definitely
needed some knowledge regarding the presentation of information in a variety of formats and platforms. I also
required the skill to understand and use technology systems because my project is very digital-based. To
further improve upon the strength of my research, I had to identify both primary and secondary sources and to
make sure my project was authentic, I had to understand and implement intellectual property rights and most
importantly, create references and citations, use footnotes/endnotes and construct a bibliography according to
recognized conventions. Thus, I used Information Literacy Skills to a great extent to achieve part of my
learning goal.

Moving on to Media Literacy skills which were even more prominent compared to the other category. I used
this in multiple instances, starting off with locating, organizing, analyzing, evaluating, synthesizing, and
ethically using information from a variety of sources and media (including digital social media and online
networks), which was used when I was researching to accomplish my learning goal to make sure I can use the
sources and media effectively. Next, I had to demonstrate awareness of media interpretation of ideas to
interpret and comprehend the information that I learn. To further amplify this particularly, I had to make
informed choices about personal viewing experience to access reliable sources and stay away from biased
content. To make sure that my research was conducted with accuracy and precision, I had to seek a wide
range of perspectives from multiple and varied sources. In addition, this helped me communicate information
and ideas effectively to multiple audiences. Most importantly for my research and learning under this category,
I compared, contracted, and drew connections among resources which made my learning significantly better.

To conclude, one of the most prominent skills that I used when achieving my learning goal was research skills,
this is inclusive of both, Information Literacy Skills, and Media Literacy Skills. These skills helped me
strengthen my knowledge of the subject to a great degree.

Here is some of the research that I have conducted:-

Points to research:- (What are NFTs?) (Popular NFTs) (How do they function?) (What is blockchain?) (How to
create NFTs?) (Involvement of cryptocurrencies) (NFT marketplaces) (NFT marketplaces features) (The future
of NFTs) (The relation of NFTs with the metaverse)

An NFT is a Non-Fungible Token which is a digital asset that represents real-world objects like art, music,
videos, GIFs, and more. Non-Fungible Tokens are bought and sold online using cryptocurrency, the most
popular being Ethereum. NFTs are blockchain-based tokens that each consist of a unique media, meaning that
it is one of a kind. This uniqueness and distinctiveness of the media indicate that it can’t be exchanged
equivalently like other crypto-based assets. A simple way of understanding the blockchain function is to think
of it as a digital certificate of ownership and authenticity of your asset which can be any media inclusive of but
not limited to the ones listed previously.

NFTs are either sold individually or in collections. A collection usually has a group of NFTs that are brought and
sold individually that are focused around a certain theme. The most popular NFT collections are CryptoPunks
and the Bored Ape Yacht Club existing from June 2017 and April 2021 respectively. They have total volumes
of over one million Ethereum and seven hundred thousand Ethereum respectively, at its max, Ethereum was
over 4500 USD making their volume reach into the billions. The most popular individual NFT is the most
expensive one ever sold which is “The First 5000 Days” by artist Beeple which was brought in auction for 69.3
million dollars!

NFTs function on their respective cryptocurrency blockchains. Most NFTs work on the Ethereum blockchain
which is a publicly available record book of transactions.

NFTs are fairly straightforward to create, as per Investopedia, there are several key steps. Starting off with
deciding what you want to make. Then, you choose a blockchain, most people choose Ethereum, but Solana is
gaining popularity as well. After that, you select an NFT wallet, there are two very popular options, MetaMask,
and CoinBase Wallet, and connect it to an NFT marketplace, the most popular by far is OpenSea. Then, you
create the NFT and then upload your media on the marketplace and fill out the details like name, description,
and price. Till here, the NFT is created, but it isn’t available for sale yet, this will be done by listing it by clicking
sell or the appropriate button.

The most used NFT marketplace (a website or application in which NFTs are brought or sold) is OpenSea, and
its popularity is unmatched by any other marketplace. This marketplace has many features that help user
functionality and navigation. Lazy Minting is a relatively new feature that allows the seller of an NFT to pay the
gas or transactional fees only after the NFT has been sold. This feature received a great public response, and
increased the number of sellers on the marketplace, thus, others implemented it. Another feature that was
recently implemented in OpenSea is the Gifting feature. NFTs have grown immensely in popularity and people
wanted them, thus, making them a giftable item that people can gift to each other.

There are many things that are held in the future of NFTs. According to the report released by the consulting
and global research firm VMR (Verified Market Research), the overall value of the NFT market is expected to
rise to $231 billion by 2030. However, this is not where the growth stops because NFTs are also being
implemented into Video Games and even sports like the NBA top shot website which is already a collection of
NFTs of professional(NBA) basketball moments. The most interesting thing that NFTs can be used for in the
future is the Metaverse.

The term metaverse is rapidly increasing in popularity with one of the biggest companies in the world,
Facebook, now known as Meta has changed its name to be focussed around this term. Companies like Sony
and KIRKBI each invested over 1 billion dollars into Epic Games to support their metaverse project. The
metaverse is basically a single and shared 3D world where we can play as a character by doing virtually
anything we can do in the real world, online. Now you may be wondering, how are NFTs impacting this
complex technology? Well, NFTs are used as the Metaverse’s real estate. You buy the land as if it is an NFT
because it is a digital asset, exactly what Non-Fungible tokens define. Like the real world, this land can
appreciate or depreciate in value just like real estate and you can construct houses in the plots that you own
inside the world and sell for profit. Also, the art NFTs that people buy can also be imported into their houses as
a piece of artwork or in an exhibition in the metaverse in the near future. Companies have also been coming
up with ideas like avatar clothing, accessories, etc. In the Roblox Metaverse, a digital Gucci bag was sold for
$4,115.

Over $500 million worth of real estate was purchased in the metaverse so far and there are over 400 million
monthly active users! Currently, the most popular metaverse is Roblox, however, the target audience of this
metaverse is largely focused on younger audiences since it is focused on video games. The company is
already adapting to make its audience the largest possible with other metaverses starting up like Decentraland
and The Sandbox who are all focused on giving the true metaverse experience. The biggest thing to look out
for is that Meta, previously known as Facebook will launch their metaverse which is expected to be the most
advanced by far in the near future. Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, has already sold 10 million Meta Quest 2
headsets that will be used to access the metaverse using Virtual Reality.

Locating, organizing, analyzing, evaluating, synthesizing, and ethically using information from a
variety of sources and media. Evaluation of 3 sources on account of the source, the reason for access,
and key takeaways. Sources in MLA format.
Citation (MLA) Source Reason for Access Key Takeaway

Conti, Robyn. "What Forbes is an American I accessed this An NFT is a Non-Fungible Token
Is An NFT? How Do business magazine source in the hope which is a digital asset that
Nfts Work?". Forbes that features essays to clear my represents real-world objects like
Advisor INDIA, on business, finance, understanding of art, music, videos, GIFs, and more.
2022, investments, NFTs and their Non-Fungible Tokens are bought
https://www.forbes.c technology, science, function which and sold online using
om/advisor/in/investi and more. It is includes information cryptocurrency, the most popular
ng/cryptocurrency/w considered a very on the blockchain. being Ethereum.
hat-is-an-nft-how-do reliable source of A simple way of understanding the
-nfts-work/#:~:text= information. blockchain function is to think of it
Essentially%2C%20 as a digital certificate of ownership
NFTs%20are%20lik and authenticity of your asset
e%20physical,one% which can be any media inclusive
20owner%20at%20 of but not limited to the ones listed
a%20time. previously.

"How To Create An Investopedia is a I accessed this The six steps to creating an NFT
NFT". Investopedia, financial media source to are: Figure Out What You Want to
2023, website. It has some understand the Create, Choose a Blockchain, Set
https://www.investop of the best writers designing aspects of Up an NFT Wallet, Choose an NFT
edia.com/how-to-cre around providing NFTs along with Platform, Create the NFT, and List
ate-an-nft-6362495. information on certain pieces of the NFT for Sale.
investments. It is advice on the
considered a very marketplace, which
reliable source of blockchain to use,
information. and more.

Nast, Condé. "What Wired is an American I accessed this The term metaverse is rapidly
Is The Metaverse, magazine that focuses source because I increasing in popularity with one of
Exactly?". WIRED, on technology. It uses wanted a deep the biggest companies in the
2021, first-hand information understanding of the world, Facebook, now known as
https://www.wired.co from some of the best metaverse including Meta has changed its name to be
m/story/what-is-the- technological minds in its function, purpose, focussed around this term.
metaverse/. the world thus, it relation with NFTs, The metaverse is basically a single
Accessed 4 Jan isconsidered a very and more. and shared 3D world where we
2023. reliable source of can play as a character by doing
information. virtually anything we can do in the
real world, online.
The Research Document:-
 Learning Goal Research Page-1 (Figure 4.1) Learning Goal Research Page-2 (Figure 4.2)

Learning Goal Research Page-3 (Figure 4.3)

Applying Skills to create a product:
To create my product I made significant use of thinking skills. This includes all three aspects: Critical
Thinking Skills, Creative Thinking Skills, and Transfer Skills.
Under the subcategories of critical thinking skills and creative thinking, I had to revise my understanding based
on new information and evidence as well as consider ideas from multiple perspectives because I was using
informative content for my essay. Along with this, I analyzed complex concepts into their constituent parts and
synthesized them to create new understanding which helped me collate certain points of my knowledge
regarding the topic. To make sure the process of my project creation went seamlessly, I had to identify
obstacles and challenges which I could immediately correct to maximize efficiency. To further improve upon my
knowledge, I used models and simulations to explore complex systems. In addition, I identified trends and
forecast possibilities and created visual diagrams, and brainstormed to generate new ideas and inquiries which
was a form of practicing visible thinking strategies and techniques. This helped when designing the NFT. To
make sure the content of my essay was up to mark, I made unexpected and unusual connections between
multiple ideas. I applied my knowledge to generate new ideas, products, and processes essential for any
project. Most of all, I used these particular skills when I created original work and ideas by using existing
pieces in new ways.

Moving onto another subcategory, Transfer Skills. In terms of transfer skills, I focussed on these aspects.
Starting off with utilizing effective learning strategies when making connections between subject groups and
disciplines. Since my project is entirely digitally based, I had to use skills that I acquired when using
technology. As stated previously, I had to apply my skills in an unfamiliar situation of creating a Non-Fungible
Token, but the most important skill that I developed
and applied in this category is transferring current
knowledge to the learning of new technologies which
helped immensely in writing my essay. Thus, thinking
skills were the most important skills applied when
creating my products.

To figure out the product that I designed, I had to

choose a popular theme of an NFT that would sell
online without much difficulty. To do this, I
brainstormed, thought, and researched the most
popular NFT collections on OpenSea, and what they
are based on. Here are the findings:-
On OpenSea, 4 out of the 10 top collections are
based on animals, out of that 3 are on apes, and 1 is on wild hounds. This informed me that popularity is high
in Apes, and other animals including but not limited to Fish and Dogs in their art, suggesting that I create an
animal character.

Along with the Animal category, popularity was booming in Pixel Art, this is mainly because the most popular
NFT collection of all time, CryptoPunks, is based on pixel art. All CryptoPunks pixel art is very basically built,
they are only 24x24 in dimensions yet, the collection has the highest sales. Thus, simple pixel art is very
popular in the NFT market.

Analyzing the NFTs in the animal-based collections, I found that most of the recently sold, most viewed, and
most favorited NFTs have these features in common:- A unique outfit, abnormal skin which is usually
differently colored, and a block-colored background. The current top 10 NFT collections. (Figure 4.4)
Also, certain accessories like chains, devil horns, chewing
gum, sunglasses, hats, caps, etc.

I decided to create a pixel art fish with all these specifications. I used pixilart.com and photoshop for the
creation of this image.

Then, I created my second product which is my essay on NFTs that I will be publishing on various Discord
servers and Reddit communities. This is the format that I followed when writing my essay:-
1. Introduction
2. Body paragraph 1 on the history of NFTs and their current state.
3. Body paragraph 2 on the function of NFTs, blockchain networks, smart contracts, and more.
4. Body paragraph 3 on the future of NFTs and the Metaverse.
5. Conclusion
(3-4 photographs of my product → In process)

An image of the NFT part of my project. Resizing the image to make it increase the quality
Roughly 50% done. (Figure 5.1) (Figure 5.2)

The essay. Roughly 15% done. Around 50% done.

(Figure 5.3) (Figure 5.4)
Applying Self-Management skills
I did make use of different skills when achieving my learning and product goal, however, the skill that I
used most is Self Management Skills. Under the large heading of Self Management Skills, I made use
of all subcategories which are inclusive of Organization Skills, Reflection Skills, and Affective Skills.

In organization skills, I had to plan short and long-term assignments and meet deadlines for this project but
also create plans to prepare for my school academics which include summative and examinations. Since my
academic performance is important, I had to create plans to prepare assessments. To do this I had to keep and
use a weekly planner, set goals that are challenging and realistic, and plan strategies and take action to
achieve my personal and academic goals. To make sure I performed well in class, I had to bring the necessary
equipment, keep an organized and logical system of information like subject-specific notebooks, and most
importantly, use technology effectively and productively.

Moving on to reflection skills, I developed new skills, techniques, and strategies for effective learning and
grasping information and content to the fullest extent. Along with this, identifying the strengths and
weaknesses of my personal learning strategies was important as it was a form of self-assessment that would
allow me to know which points I need to dedicate more time to.

Lastly, affective skills. Since there was a lot of academic pressure on us like meeting deadlines, practicing for
subject assessments, and self-studying, I had to manage the state of my mind. To do this, I practiced focus
and concentration and as well as, practiced strategies to develop mental focus and overcome distractions. This
was done by creating a schedule and devoting my time to one thing at a time and only moving on after the
allocated time has passed, during this time there are absolutely no distractions and I will be focused purely on
the task at hand. To make sure that I continued working, I had to demonstrate persistence and perseverance,
and practice strategies to reduce stress and anxiety. I did this by listening to podcasts of Kobe Bryant, in which
he talks about his mentality, known throughout the world as the Mamba Mentality. Which indicates and refers
to the 5 pillars of his mentality - passion, obsession, relentlessness, resiliency, and fearlessness. This also
helped in self-motivation which is another important aspect of self-management.

Setting reminders on a website to keep my schedule Listening to podcasts of Kobe Bryant’s mentality.
prepared for Saturday. Creating a to-do list. (Figure 6.1) (Figure 6.2)

Criterion C: Reflecting
Harvey Specter from the popular show ‘Suits’ once said, “The only time success comes before work is in the
dictionary.” This quote pushed me and motivated me to complete my final products.

I had planned to successfully create two products, a detailed essay regarding NFTs that covers all these
points:- Definition, Popularity, History, Current Status, Creation, Marketplaces, Function, Technology,
Metaverse, and Future.

The second was to create an NFT that is uploaded on OpenSea. Both of these were successfully created. A
lot of research had gone into creating both of these products. For the essay, I had to use my preliminary
knowledge and learn multiple new concepts to successfully write a detail-oriented piece. Even for the NFT,
which was digital pixel art, I had to study the market on OpenSea and see which categories are gaining
popularity, find out common traits and features within popular NFTs, and implement them into my own.

The NFT was a pixel art of a goldfish with orange skin and a light orange pattern with green eyes, a colorful
chain, and blue background. The image of it successfully listed on OpenSea is below. The essay is a 5-page
document in which 3 pages are the content and the other 2 are the bibliography. Apart from the content in the
first 3 pages, there is also a timeline that I created to give a graphic representation of the history and current
state. The images of the 3 content pages are below as well.

I connected the entirety of my project to a global context, scientific and technical innovation. This was done
because of a variety of reasons, the most prominent being the ability to get an appropriate perspective on my
project. This global context was heavily connected to my topic because of certain points in common like
consequences and responsibility. Certain people invest in NFTs as well hoping that the value goes up but there
are consequences and responsibilities because it’s a highly volatile market. It is definitely connected to the
Information Age because of the function of the blockchain which records transactions, data, etc. Systems,
models, and products are all categories that can be applicable to NFTs which is the theme of my project.
The products (NFT and Essay):-

Final NFT. Successfully listed on OpenSea. (Figure 7.1)

Essay Page 1 (Figure 7.2) Essay Page 2 (Figure 7.3)

 Essay Page 3 (Figure 7.4)
My products were inspired by Elon Musk and the success of the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT collection on
OpenSea. Elon Musk, one of the greatest technological minds of all time, inspired me to dwell deep into this
technology and gain knowledge about it. This encouraged me to write my essay which is a compilation of all
the information that I found in a well-structured format. I was inspired to create my NFT after I found out about
the immense success of one of the most popular NFT collections of all time, the Bored Ape Yacht Club
because it made me wonder how a simple digital image of an Ape wearing clothes and accessories could be
sold for millions of dollars? This made me want to create an NFT that was a combination of Pixel Drawing
because of the collection CryptoPunks and an animal with a unique pattern and accessories like NFTs from the
Bored Ape Yacht Club.

There were some changes from the initial plan of my product to now during the process. Firstly, I wanted to
make my essay brief and concise but I ended up making it prominently detailed. This was beneficial because I
was able to add more information using technical phrases and jargon, which helped me apply most if not all of
the knowledge I gained during research. Second, I wanted to create my NFT with a visual of an online painting,
but instead, I went for pixel art. This is because pixel art was rapidly gaining popularity and the collection with
the highest sales is based on it, increasing the popularity of my NFT. Third, I originally planned to make an
NFT with an Ape on it but changed it to a Fish because there were hundreds of established collections with
Ape art because of the popularity it gained from the Bored Ape collection so the chances of my NFT becoming
popular were reduced because there was more competition. This competition was significantly reduced for a
Fish NFT because there weren’t nearly as many existing products.

The success criteria helped me crucially because it was made to help me achieve my goal to the maximum
extent. The success criteria were based on research, for example, the form is based on the structure of an
essay, the ideal word count, and the most popular type of digital media on OpenSea as audio files, animations,
and videos are also sold apart from art. I applied a similar approach in research for the other categories as
well. I hoped to meet all my success criteria and most importantly, exceed the benchmark. I was successful in
achieving many but improvements could still be made.
Evaluation of the product based on the success criteria:-
Criteria Level Justification

Form 7/8 As per the survey that I conducted, most of the audience thought that my essay was of
perfect length. Some thought that it was lengthy while few thought that it was short.
Another part of my criteria was relevancy and for that, most of the audience thought that
all paragraphs were relevant. Few thought maybe and even fewer said no. Hence, I
rated the form a 7/8 because some people thought that the essay was lengthy or short,
and a few thought that the paragraphs aren’t relevant.
(For the statistics, see figures 8.1 and 8.2)

Functio 7/8 Most people said that the content of the essay was detailed and specific, and more
n importantly, they liked reading the essay. Some people responded ‘maybe’ and few
responded ‘no’ to liking the essay thus, I rated the function as a 7/8.
(For the statistics, see figures 8.3 and 8.4)

Aestheti 6/8 The aesthetic of my product was based on 2 things, the visuals on my essay and the
cs NFT. Starting off with the visual in my essay, which was a timeline to summarise the
history and current state of NFTs. Almost every respondent selected ‘yes’ to the timeline
being aesthetically appealing and helpful. For the NFT, most respondents rated it an 8
out of 10. Hence, I rated aesthetics a 6/8 mainly because there was only 1 visual in the
essay.
(For the statistics, see figures 8.5 and 8.6)

User/Au 6/8 Overall, my essay and NFT got combined views of over 4500! Nearly all of this was on
dience Reddit while only a few were on Discord, OpenSea, and LinkedIn. The distribution of
audience recognition is the main reason why I rated this category a 6/8.
(For the statistics, see figures 8.7 and 8.8)

Cost 8/8 There were absolutely no costs in my project whether it was selling the NFT, marketing
for the essay, etc.
 (For the statistics, see figure 8.9)
After analyzing the success and effectiveness of my product, I figured that there could be some improvements.
Starting off with making the essay slightly shorter, around 150-200 words shorter than it is would definitely help
reduce the percentage of people who thought it was lengthy. Second, I could have improved from an aesthetic
standpoint by adding more visuals in the essay, currently, there is only 1, and adding a couple more would’ve
helped grasp the reader's attention. Finally, in the user/audience category, I could’ve done more promotion of
OpenSea, and LinkedIn on discord. I had promoted the Reddit link to a large extent which is the reason for its
high user outreach, if the same would’ve been done for the other two platforms, the distribution of views would
be less Reddit oriented and more balanced.
Evidence for each success criterion (Survey Responses):-

(Figure 8.1) (Figure 8.2) (Figure 8.3)

(Figure 8.4) (Figure 8.5) (Figure 8.6)

Audience Outreach:-

(Figure 8.7) (Figure 8.8)

(Figure 8.9)
Reflection: The impact of my project on my learning
Albert Einstein once said, “The only source of knowledge is experience.”
Through this Personal Project, I have learned a great deal about a new aspect of something that I have always
been engaged with and interested in, technology. Prior to this project, I viewed NFTs as another popular
system of technology that will dull down in a few months and more importantly, the technology and systems
used in the NFT industry are too complicated for someone with little prior knowledge like me to understand.
Another thing that I thought about before this project was that NFTs can only be created by expert graphic
designers, professional artists, and experienced coders. Through the process of this project, my views on
these points have changed immensely. I now believe that NFTs have future applications that will help them
maintain or even exceed their current popularity. Apart from this, I know that understanding this new concept
isn’t as complicated as it may seem but rather simplistic and logical. In addition, I learned that NFTs can be
created by anyone, even the most basic pixel art drawing can sell online.

The entire process of this project has allowed me to learn about NFTs substantially. I have grown my
knowledge regarding NFTs, this includes multiple aspects of it like definition, popularity, history, current status,
creation, marketplaces, function, technology, the metaverse, and the future. Covering these aspects allows me
to implement the fundamentals of NFT like the blockchain, etc, into other technologies as well. I have also
learned how to create basic pixel art as a result of creating a pixel art NFT, designing, and selling an NFT.
Apart from this, in a more general sense, I have grown in understanding an important economic aspect that
may be implemented in the near future, cryptocurrency. Most importantly, I have grown in my ability to follow a
learning process in which I can learn skills, apply them, and reflect upon them to the maximum extent. I gained
most of this knowledge through the help of research and self-exploration through various sources of
information like websites, videos, books, surveys, interviews, data, and more.

Something essential that I learned from this project that I will definitely use throughout my life is that hard work,
determination, perseverance, resilience, and dedication can be used to reach your goals and even exceed
expectations. Relative to me, this meant daily learning about new aspects of technology even generally apart
from just focusing on NFTs. However, I definitely kept that in mind to make sure I go more detailed into that
aspect because that is the core of my project. This project has definitely validated my belief in the famous
quote by Kobe Bryant, “Dedication sees dreams come true.”

Learner Profiles that I developed throughout this project:- This project has made me understand that
technology truly fascinates me. Accomplishing the goals that I set out for this project has made me proud and
appreciative of this learning process since it has helped me develop and transcend many learner profiles.

● Inquirers:- I was able to be an inquirer because I had to do tons of research throughout my project.
Whether it was the task of researching content for my essay or even research for what NFT I should
make and how? While doing this, I made sure to maintain my curiosity and enthusiasm to make sure
that my research was done in the best way possible.
● Knowledgeable:- I was able to be known as I had to use and gain a conceptual understanding and
engage with ideas that have a global significance. I made connections with new topics to my
preliminary knowledge to make sure my content and understanding were as strong as possible.
● Thinkers:- I was able to be a thinker because I had to use my critical and creative thinking skills when
creating my product. For instance, this can be when I was making visuals for my essay or my NFT,
even thinking of applications of NFT technology, etc.
● Communicators:- Throughout this project, I have had to be a communicator because I confidently and
creatively express myself, especially when I was writing my essay. I had to use my language and
literature skills which fall under communication when displaying my ideas in a professionally structured
format. To communicate my ideas to a further extent, I used visuals in my essay.
● Reflective:- The personal project prompted and encouraged me to reflect upon the journey that I have
experienced. I considered my experience, as well as analyzed my strengths and weaknesses to
continue developing myself both personally and academically.

Impact of the project on the community:- After completing this project, I felt some satisfaction because of the
knowledge, information, and learning that I was able to communicate to the community. I feel that my essay
has an impact on the community, especially on people who are interested in NFTs, cryptocurrency, or even the
metaverse which is a vast audience. Not only would this help introduce newcomers to this technology but also
allow involved individuals to increase their education and expertise in these fields by getting to know more
about it.

Development as a learner:- I’ve grown significantly as a learner after finishing the personal project. I have
become a more inquisitive, knowledgeable, thinking, communicative, and reflective person. Apart from this, I
feel that I have become more balanced as a student because I honed my skill of organizing and time
management by practicing this with school academics and personal projects. In addition, this project has
allowed me to see technology as a whole from a new perspective which is the global context of ‘Scientific and
Technical Innovation’ as opposed to my previous broad and unfocussed lens of looking at this field. I feel that
this project has developed my foundation in technology as well because I understand a fairly complex concept
like the blockchain which has many applications and understand all important aspects a new piece of
technology has that can be explicated.