Form & Agency

Duolingo: Non-fungible efforts

animation | communication | illustration

Dec 2021 — Mar 2022

A communication campaign for Duolingo aimed at reengaging users in their language studies, leveraging the power of NFTs. This is an entry for the D&AD New Blood competition in 2022, under the Duolingo brief. The brief was about getting people motivated to do their daily lesson.

While streaks are designed to motivate Duolingo’s users to come back to their lessons, they have slowly lost their novelty and appeal. Once learners fall off a long streak, they lose their motivation to learn again. Since NFT has been the hottest thing in mainstream culture for 29.7% of Gen-Zers, owning an NFT is owning the ultimate bragging material.

Our solution: We gave them a solution to immortalize their streaks and showcase it in an even cooler way. By recording our users’ learning data, we’re generating a unique NFT for everyone. Upon being minted onto our eco-friendly blockchain, these NFTs will store users’ streaks and can be updated as they progress through their learning journey. Users can share their NFT onto social media in whatever way they want for the ultimate brag.

The illustration direction for the NFTs is pixel art combined with isometric/trimetric perspective drawing. The rest of of the art directions follows the Duolingo visual identity like Feather Green colour or the DIN Next Rounded typography.

The final promotional video is the toughest part of this execution phase. I had to finish it from start to end within 1 week before the submission deadline.

Bảo Anh as motion/animation designer and character illustrator
Diệu Ly as graphic designer and animation support
Hà Đàm as copywriter
Duy Nguyễn as copywriter
Farida Kbar and Thanh Ngo for consultation
(Personally thanks to The Lab Saigon for these valuable experiences working with NFT projects)
This entry joined the competition under Hà and Duy’s college – RMIT University Vietnam