(2022) Creating Great NFT Roadmaps

If you are trying to get your NFT project off the ground or find the next Cryptopunk project before it launches, then you have to understand NFT roadmaps. An NFT roadmap makes it easy to communicate the long-term plans of an NFT project. At Token Page, we understand the importance of using roadmaps to create successful NFT projects. Often many NFT projects are made or broken by the quality of the roadmap. Here, we will take a look at what an NFT roadmap is and reveal some top examples.

What is an NFT Roadmap?

An NFT roadmap is a document that states the long-term plans of the project. When someone reads an NFT roadmap, they will have a clear understanding of where the project creators want to take the project over the next few months to the next few years. Also, a proper roadmap can efficiently market your NFT project.

While NFT roadmaps are text-driven, you will often find some visuals that will help assist the reader in understanding where the NFT project is headed. Additionally, you will find that many NFT roadmaps are presented in a timeline format. That is because the milestones presented in most NFT roadmaps are time-sensitive.

Here are some elements that you may find in a typical roadmap:

Mint date - one of the most important questions that people will ask about an NFT project is the date of the initial mint. This should be one of the first elements that you will find on a new NFT project.
Secondary NFT drop date - You will also find that many NFT projects will have multiple NFT launches. Therefore, you may find that an NFT roadmap will have a secondary “drop” date for new NFTs.
Marketing pushes/campaigns - You will also want to know what type of marketing support is going to be provided for the project. A good NFT project will let you know what type of marketing promotions are being planned. This can include everything from paid media to social media influencers.
Web3 launch - Several NFT projects are planning extensions to the metaverse or Web3. Therefore, you will likely find Web3 launch dates on a typical NFT roadmap.
Merchandising - Once an NFT project has matured, the project managers will look for merchandising or licensing opportunities for the intellectual property.
Community outreach - Many NFTs are active when it comes to community support and community outreach.

What Makes a Successful Roadmap?

Whether you are creating your own NFT project or looking to purchase your next NFT, you should know what makes a successful NFT roadmap. Here are five common features found on most successful NFT roadmaps.

1). Clarity

It should be easy to understand what is going to happen to the NFT project. Therefore, anyone should be able to look at the roadmap and see what is going to happen when. When it comes to clarity, one has to consider both the copy as well as the design. The copy in the NFT roadmap should not have complex technical terms nor should it have long-winded paragraphs. Additionally, the design should be simple and uncluttered.

If you are creating an NFT roadmap, it is a good idea to have several people outside of the NFT world review the contents of the roadmap and see if it makes sense to them. If anything is unclear after a first reading, then it should be revised.

2). Comprehensiveness

You also want to make sure that all of the information that is needed to be known is included in the roadmap. That way people can make a well-informed decision as to whether or not they want to participate in the project. Previously, we discussed what you will find in a typical NFT roadmap. At the very least, the reader should know the mint date, plans, and major marketing push of the NFT project. If there is any important information left out, an NFT investor will naturally pass on the project.

If you are creating an NFT project, be sure to have a checklist of all the important items that need to be in the roadmap.

3). Unique design

The design of the NFT roadmap is as important as the contents. Therefore, you will want to make sure that the NFT roadmap is pleasing to the eye sot hat someone can easily scan and read the information. For those creating an NFT roadmap, investing in a graphic designer will be a smart investment. Many graphic designers have years of experience presenting complex information in an easy-to-read manner.

Good design should allow someone to scan the roadmap and be able to glean the important information right away. If there is anything hard to read at first glance, then the NFT roadmap design should be adjusted accordingly.

4). Understanding the market

A good NFT roadmap will also understand the market that they are trying to talk to. For instance, an NFT project that is targeting art collectors should have a design that is tasteful and straightforward with a higher emphasis on visuals over the copy. On the other hand, an NFT roadmap that is targeting the business community should appear more formal and place a higher emphasis on the copy over the visuals.

One of the best ways to ensure that an NFT roadmap is talking to the right market is to check NFT roadmaps from projects targeting the same market as you.

5). Concise

Finally, a good NFT roadmap will be concise. In many ways, an NFT roadmap is a “pitch” for the investor. In many cases, investors are looking at dozens of NFT roadmaps and they will ultimately only pick one or two at a time. Therefore, a good NFT project will be able to capture the reader’s attention with good design and hold on to their interest with concise copy. Most NFT roadmaps will have a word count between 500 and 1,500.

Examples of NFT Roadmaps

Now that you know that makes a good NFT roadmap, let’s take a look at some of the most successful examples. It’s a good idea to review each of these NFT roadmaps to gain a better understanding of how they became so successful.

1). Bored Ape Yacht Club

The first thing that you will notice about the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFt roadmap is that it is designed like a video game roadmap. After all, this is essentially an art-based NFT project. That means that the future NFT investor or collector will be less interested in reading and more interested in absorbing visual information.

Beyond the excellent graphic design, the roadmap itself is rather comprehensive. The roadmap lays out plans for the project beyond one year period. This demonstrates that the project can retain its value over the long term.

2). Cool Cats

Cool Cats is a great example of a timeline-based NFT roadmap. Notice how the information is broken out into different sections based on a calendar quarter. Right away, you can tell that the roadmap has plans going out for the next two years. Someone interested in the project can see right away what is planned from quarter to quarter.

For those who want to create a time-line based NFT roadmap, be sure not to put too much information and risk clutter. Consider the most important information first.

3). Lazy Lions

Lazy Lions is another NFT project that is in the same vein as the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT project. This project presents its roadmap with an irrelevant and detailed illustration. From there, the reader can jump from section to section. For a visually oriented NFT project, Lazy Lions does a good job of taking the readers through its roadmap information.

4). Azuki

Azuki is a well-known artist who is known for his anime style of work. Therefore, it should be no surprise that this style of art is presented in the NFT roadmap. As you can see, the front page of the roadmap is presented in seven categories. This allows the reader to easily jump from section to section and understand what is planned for the project.

Also, notice that the artwork is not too overwhelming. Therefore, if you are creating an art-based NFT roadmap, be sure to consider some level of restraint when crafting visual elements.

5). Fishy Fam

Finally, Fishy Fam is another example of a visually oriented NFT project that uses a simple map guide to organize its information. What is so great about this NFT roadmap is that you can quickly jump from the section to get the information that you need.

For those who don’t want to use the timeline strategy, using the mapping strategy is a great way of communicating an NFT project’s plans.

Understanding NFT Roadmaps

An NFT roadmap is the ultimate communication tool to help attract collectors and investors alike. At Token Page, we often look at upcoming NFT roadmaps to help steer our readers to the right projects. Be sure to review successful NFT roadmaps to see what makes them so effective.