Polygonal Mind opens metaverse's doors to Forbes on The Sandbox platform

About Forbes

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Is there anyone who doesn't know Forbes? One of the most famous American publisher in the business world, whose magazines attract millions of readers around the world. Nothing escapes this company in the world of business, finance, technology, leadership and lifestyle.

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Overview

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The Forbes team reached us with a very clear goal: to create their own space in the metaverse, their own social hub dedicated to younger audiences and crypto enthusiasts.

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In other words, they were looking for a space that was immersed in the spirit and values of their brand, while at the same time focused on the new generations. To host this great project, The Sandbox platform was chosen, characterized by block formats, called voxels.

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Therefore, the project we had to create for them had to be a meeting point between two apparently contrasting styles; on one hand - the classic aesthetics in line with the elegance and exclusivity that Forbes transmits, and on the other hand - a more contemporary and modern style that would connect with the Web3 audience.

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The main challenges

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During the development of the project, both in the conceptualization, the design and development phases, we had to face a series of challenges:

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• Research Forbes' brand philosophy and history
• Adapt the project to the possibilities of the voxelized platform of The Sandbox
• Establish an aesthetic coherence between Classic and Modern
• Create an indoor/outdoor space, including both information and entertainment areas
• Make it a friendly experience for any user

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How we did it

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Every project begins with a previous research phase since it is a core to understand before starting to create. In that sense, our team conducted extensive research on the history of Forbes and its milestones as a brand. That's how we decided that B.C. and Malcolm Forbes, important figures in the publishing house's history, should have a special role.

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We also developed different areas that paid homage to iconic and distinctive brand themes, such as the Highlander yacht, the Fabergé Egg collection and a garage to showcase different pieces of classic motoring, a hobby enjoyed by Malcolm Forbes.

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All these objects were meticulously modeled by our art team, taking into account the voxelized formats and limitations of The Sandbox platform.

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In general, we focused on the interior spaces of the building to have classic references with that touch of exclusivity typical of Forbes, while the exterior spaces would be more focused on entertainment and with a more youthful aesthetic.

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Inside the mansion we found different areas, such as a VIP access restaurant where you can network with users, a gallery where you can contemplate art in the form of Forbes NFT collection of Virtual Billionaires and a store where you can buy exclusive wearables to customize your avatar.

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Architectural and decorative elements such as columns, stone textures, checkered floors, plants and classic furniture, helped us to make the outdoor space a true tribute to the Forbes brand.

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We believe it was vital to dedicate a large area to fun and entertainment so we decided to use the outdoor areas for that purpose. This would be the perfect place to put things like the famous Hilghlander yacht, a large swimming pool for parties with a DJ stage and a beach conference area.

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These areas have a classic 90's feel with contemporary touches, so the balance between modern and classic was achieved.

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It is necessary to keep in mind that not all users accessing the building will be experts on how to move on digital platforms. In that sense, making the experience friendly and understandable for all types of users was a must.

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Therefore, we introduced elements that could also be found in the real world in order to be easily identifiable by users and to guide them in their experience, such as information panels and arrows, among others.

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We only needed to create an experience that had two objectives at the same time: for users to learn more about the lore of Forbes while visiting all the rooms we had created.

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This experience consisted of a series of simple tasks for users to perform, such as talking to a certain humanoid NPC, searching for coins, or taking quizzes about the history of Forbes. Through pop-up screens and icons, the user can easily identify where they need to go to complete the challenges.

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All in all, an informative experience that allows the user to explore all the indoor and outdoor areas.

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Conclusion

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In collaboration with the Forbes team, we were able to create a space inspired by the brand's philosophy, combining its classic style with the modern style of the new generations.The research was key to finding and identifying icons of Forbes and that all the spaces were in coherence with its history.

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We also managed to extract the essential parts of objects such as NFTs and motoring, so that their translation into voxel format did not lose their essence. Finally, we thought about all those issues that could help guide the user through the experience and we applied them, not only in the spaces, also in the immersive experience we designed in order to generate curiosity in users and invite them to discover more.

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You're all invited to the Forbes launch party at The Sandbox!

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