Product / UX Design · Emily Carr · March 2026
Track, show, and trade
your collection.
A blind box tracking app built from the ground up for the culture.
01 / The Problem
Collectors are Flying Blind
The blind box market has exploded — but the tools haven't kept up. Collectors spend thousands without knowing their odds, end up with stacks of duplicates, and have no easy way to trade, track, or show off their progress.
Duplicate Pile-Up
No simple way to log, trade, or sell repeated figures. Dupes just stack up.
Zero Collection Tools
Collectors track everything in notes apps or spreadsheets. There's no dedicated home for their collection.
Fragmented Community
Trading happens across Reddit, Discord, and Instagram with no trust layer or central hub.
02 / Research Trip
Going In-Store to Understand the Experience
As the team's domain expert and a collector myself, I led a field trip to understand the physical blind box experience firsthand — the browsing ritual, the unboxing moment, the emotional highs and lows of the pull. What we found in-store confirmed everything we'd heard in research: the thrill is real, but the aftermath (duplicates, no tracking, no community) lets collectors down every time.
In-store research — observing the blind box ritual to inform design decisions
03 / Solution
One App. Your Entire Collection at a Glance.
BOXDEX is the only app that combines collection tracking, live rarity odds, and peer-to-peer trade matching — purpose-built for blind box culture. Every feature starts with what the collector actually needs.
Collection Dashboard
Beautiful digital display of every figure you own. Flex your hauls, track your sets, see your progress.
Trade & Dupe Manager
List your duplicates, browse others' lists, and connect for easy trades — with a trust layer built in.
Odds & Rarity Engine
Real pull rates per series. Common, Rare, Secret tiers visualized clearly — no more flying blind.
New Release Alerts
Get notified on drops from Token, POP MART, and more. Never miss a series launch.
Series Completion Tracker
See exactly how close you are to completing a set and what you're still missing.
Badges & Milestones
Community rankings and achievements that celebrate wins — not just inventory management.
04 / Loading Animation
Something Pretty While You Wait
BOXDEX pulls from a large library of figures, series, and rarity data — so there's a moment of summoning. This animation plays during that window, giving the wait a sense of energy rather than emptiness. The playback speed isn't fixed; it adjusts dynamically based on actual load time, so the motion always feels purposeful rather than arbitrary.
05 / Key Screens
Designed for the Collector's Flow
Core screens from the Figma prototype — built around how collectors actually think about their hauls.
Home
Collection
Profile
Add to Collection Flow
Three-step flow for logging a new pull — fast, satisfying, and designed to feel like part of the unboxing ritual itself.
06 / Visual Identity
Built for the Culture
The BOXDEX visual identity leans into the joy and collectability of the hobby — bold, playful, and premium at the same time. Designed to feel at home alongside POP MART and Token aesthetics.
07 / Business Model
Collector-First Monetisation
Freemium at the core — collectors get real value for free, with paid tiers that feel worth it.
Free
Starter
25 figures, basic tracking. The full experience to get hooked — no credit card needed.
$1.99
Per Spot
Pay per new slot added to your collection. Hate subscriptions? This one's for you.
$10.99
Per Month
Unlimited collection storage, verified collector badge, and priority trade matching.
Retail Collabs
Revenue share with POP MART and Token for full-set bundle promotions.
Influencer Partnerships
Sponsored drops, affiliate links, and co-branded release campaigns.
$40–150M GMV
Capturing just 1–3% of global collector-driven spend through tracking and trading services.
08 / Reflection
Domain Expertise as a Design Superpower
Being a collector myself meant I could push back on assumptions, advocate for real user behaviour, and spot gaps that non-collectors would miss entirely. Domain expertise isn't just context — it's a design tool.
What Worked
Leading the in-store research gave the team direct, unfiltered insight into the blind box ritual — the thrill, the disappointment, and the community pull. It grounded every feature decision in something real.
What's Next
MVP app on iOS and Android with core tracking and rarity engine. Direct POP MART and Token integration. 1,000 beta collectors by Q3 2026. Then: a dupe marketplace, influencer program, and community leaderboards.