In 2024 I launched A Happy Cactus, an e-commerce streetwear brand demonstrating how UX principles drive measurable business results beyond digital interfaces. By integrating blockchain authentication, NFC-enabled storytelling, and sustainable packaging, I achieved an 80% sell-through while showing how physical products can function as interactive experiences.
Product Designer & Founder
Impact & Overview
Key Results
80% sell-through generating $3,700 revenue in 8 weeks (vs. 60% industry average)
220+ users engaged with blockchain authentication and NFC-enabled system during rollout
200% client growth due to this project, expanding from 2 to 6 enterprise clients
100% project deadline adherence maintained over 14 months
Cross-functional team leadership across UX, blockchain, and illustration
10% of profits donated to Saguaro National Park for sustainable impact
How might we build a fashion brand that integrates digital provenance and user-centered design systems from day one?
Research showed consumers wanted transparency, connection, and value but rarely found all three. I reimagined fashion UX with NFC-enabled tags linking to digital artifacts and authenticity data, plus lore-based narratives connecting customers to environmental impact stories.
Discovery
Most labels sell a product, but few build lasting relationships with their customers.
Before launching A Happy Cactus, I immersed myself in the direct-to-consumer fashion landscape to identify where UX principles could elevate not only the buying experience, but the long-term relationship between a brand and its customers.
To understand the problem space I utilized a mixed-methods approach, combining user interviews, competitive analysis, social listening, and experiential insights to uncover opportunities across the full purchasing journey.
Methods
User Interviews
Competitive Analysis
Social Listening
Experiential Research
Sample Sizes
15 Retail Buyers
10 Brand Audits
User Groups
Streetwear Buyers
Online Resale Communities
Myself as the User
Tools Used
Google Docs / Notion
Reddit / Discord
Berify Dashboard
Miro
Opportunity
Build connection through narrative.
User Interviews
To understand emotional and behavioral drivers around streetwear purchases. Users felt disconnected post-purchase.
Opportunity
Make authentication an interactive feature.
Competitive Analysis
To assess how leading brands built hype and trust. Audited and found gaps within use of storytelling and authentication.
Opportunity
Extend product life with digital continuity.
Social Listening
To analyze sentiment across resale platforms. Monitored complaints about counterfeit risk and lack of deeper meaning behind products.
Opportunity
Bridge product with a larger ecosystem.
Experiential Research
To reflect on challenges I faced as a customer. Highlighted need for sustainable post-purchase systems that extend value.
Solution
I designed the brand as a system where every touchpoint builds trust, deepens the narrative, and extends its value.
To address the gaps I uncovered within existing brand models, I designed A Happy Cactus as a fully functional, cross-medium interaction system, with emotional, practical, and narrative touchpoints built around user motivations identified in my research.
Blockchain Authentication
Each garment included a card with a Berify NFC tag. When tapped, customers accessed product information, ownership confirmation, and authenticity verification. This built trust and positioned each garment as a collectible asset within a traceable system on the Polygon blockchain.
Characters & Lore
The world of A Happy Cactus is rooted within an evolving story. Each drop introduces new lore, original characters, and additional commentary on Sonoran ecology and Stoic philosophy. These visuals and narratives transform each garment into a fragment of a larger world.
Grow Your Happy Cactus Event
Format: Mailed NFC tags to friends, family, and Discord members across the world
Interaction: Four weeks, every Friday, users scanned their tags to “grow” their virtual cactus
Grow Your Happy Cactus Event Cont'd
Result: 220 global scans over four weeks, visualized in heatmaps across the U.S. and Europe
Impact: Created pre-drop narrative momentum with measurable engagement
Sustainable Engagement
To counter fast fashion’s disposability, I designed every part of the ecosystem to enhance the post-purchase value. Packaging was positioned as a collector’s box, designed to be kept and reused. Post-drop engagement included limited NFT airdrops tied to specific NFC tags.
Iteration
Where It fell short… (and how I fixed it)
Post-scan experience felt “one-and-done.”
Early feedback revealed drop-off after first NFC scan with users asking "now what?" I updated tag content with evolving story fragments, NFT rewards, and post-drop lore to encourage repeat scanning, repositioning tags as ongoing narrative touchpoints.
Packaging was visually striking, but logistically challenging.
Original cactus green collector's box elevated unboxing but was expensive and shipping-inefficient overseas. I transitioned to lightweight satchel bags with hand-sprayed logos, reducing shipping friction while preserving brand identity and collectible appeal.
Lore delivery was too vague and too fragmented.
Initial mystery approach with abstract visuals and cryptic phrases confused users, especially around Cal, our cowboy skeleton character. I embedded clearer story context into scan experiences, making each scan a discovery moment with drop-specific lore.
These changes helped clarify the user journey, close the loop between product and story, and position each garment as part of a long-form interactive system, rather than just a static purchase.
Conclusion
This project taught me that UX principles extend far beyond the screen.
A Happy Cactus challenged me to design narrative systems and emotional journeys across emerging tech and multiple mediums. I learned how to guide users through ambiguity, clarify story without removing mystery, and turn logistical constraints into creative design opportunities.
