Please describe your proposed solution

We, at the NFT Guild, believe that NFTs are currently the best available technology for the representation of property. Regardless if the property represented by NFTs are artworks, collectibles or real world assets (RWAs), the fundamentals of the technology are the same, and the potential applications and use cases are almost limitless. When coupled with Cardano, their potential to revolutionise how property is recorded, in almost every aspect of society becomes clear. That’s what motivates us to continue building around the technology of NFTs, even though the hype cycle may have ended, and especially to try and create easy to use, but powerful solutions that are freely available to anyone in the community.

As NFTs evolve, the need for accessible, structured, and detailed educational resources becomes crucial to enable individuals to understand these digital assets effectively. Funded in Catalyst F9, the Cardano NFT Guides began addressing this by providing clear written explanations in the form of an online course (link above).

Yet, many people learn better through visual demonstration and active engagement. We propose to expand "The Cardano NFT Guides" by introducing three new chapters and enhancing the guides with video lessons.

Video lessons will break down complex processes into digestible, step-by-step visual walkthroughs. This caters to different learning styles and combats the overwhelm that can discourage newcomers.

The goal is to transform understanding into confident action by guiding users through the practicalities of NFTs on Cardano.

This project will engage a broad spectrum of the Cardano community, from new entrants curious about NFTs to seasoned creators looking to refine their knowledge. By lowering the entry barrier and enhancing learning methods, we aim to attract a diverse audience. By focusing on visual learning and interactive engagement, we cater to various learning styles, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the course.

The impact of the expanded guides will be measured through user engagement metrics. We will track website traffic and video views to gauge engagement with the expansion.

Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

Expanding the guides with new lessons and adding videos will make NFT knowledge genuinely more accessible to a wider audience. This will contribute to the overall growth of the Cardano community.

Clearer understanding of minting, marketplaces, and best practices will allow artists and developers to bring their NFT visions to life with fewer hurdles. This drives innovation and boosts the quality of NFT projects on Cardano.

We will measure the impact of our project through several key performance indicators, including:

Website Traffic: Number of unique visitors and page views on the guide's website.

Video Engagement: Number of views of the video lessons, which indicate the content’s reach and popularity.

The guides will remain a free, public resource on our dedicated website, ensuring maximum reach and continuous value to the Cardano community. All expansion materials will be integrated into the existing free Cardano NFT Guides course.

Based on community feedback and technological advancements, we will update the guides to keep them relevant and useful over the lifecycle of this expansion.

What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

The NFT Guild is dedicated to building tools and developing standards for the Cardano NFT community.

Founded by the Cardano Foundation in November 2021, the NFT Guild is now spearheaded by dedicated Cardano community members. Our team stands out because of its diversity, boasting a range of backgrounds and areas of expertise that include developers, stake pool operators (SPOs), artists, NFT project creators, community managers, and organizers. We have a proven track record of delivering successful projects and tools for the Cardano community. Most relevant for this proposal is our Swap Pools project that demonstrates our ability to create user-friendly UI for complex smart contract interactions.

Additionally, our team has successfully completed and closed out multiple NFT focused proposals from Catalyst Fund 8 and 9, and is currently nearing the close-out of a F11 proposal (<https://milestones.projectcatalyst.io/projects/1100202>). This experience has equipped us with the project management skills, technical expertise, and community engagement strategies necessary to deliver high-quality results within budget and on schedule.

We have robust processes in place to ensure proper management and accountability of funds. We have created a dedicated system for tracking the contributions of each guild member. All fund movements are transparently tracked in dedicated channels in our Discord server: <https://discord.gg/7HCxDryPHk>

Our operations are transparent, and we maintain an open line of communication with the community and stakeholders at all times.

Our past successful projects and regular community events demonstrate our ability to deliver on commitments and manage funds responsibly.

What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Milestone 1: Milestone 1 - (Month 1 &amp; 2)

Milestone Outputs:

1. Write and publish all lessons of the first additional chapter.
2. 3-4 video lessons are edited and published to both YouTube and the NFT Guild Website.

Acceptance Criteria:

1. The chapter and all its lessons should be published on the Cardano NFT Guides website.
2. The videos should be publicly available on YouTube and the NFT Guild Website.

Evidence of milestone completion:

1. Link to the chapter.
2. Links to both YouTube and the Cardano NFT Guides pages containing the videos.

Milestone 2: Milestone 2 - (Month 3 &amp; 4)

Milestone Outputs:

1. Write and publish all lessons of the second additional chapter.
2. 3-4 video lessons are edited and published to both YouTube and the NFT Guild Website.

Acceptance Criteria:

1. The chapter and all its lessons should be published on the Cardano NFT Guides website.
2. The videos should be publicly available on YouTube and the NFT Guild Website.

Evidence of milestone completion:

1. Link to the chapter.
2. Links to both YouTube and the Cardano NFT Guides pages containing the videos.

Milestone 3: Milestone 3 - (Month 5 &amp; 6)

Milestone Outputs:

1. Write and publish all lessons of the third additional chapter.
2. 4-5 video lessons are edited and published to both YouTube and the NFT Guild Website.

Acceptance Criteria:

1. The chapter and all its lessons should be published on the Cardano NFT Guides website.
2. The videos should be publicly available on YouTube and the NFT Guild Website.

Evidence of milestone completion:

1. Link to the chapter.
2. Links to both YouTube and the Cardano NFT Guides pages containing the videos.

Final Milestone: Final Milestone - (Month 7 &amp; 8)

Milestone Outputs:

1. Close-out report and video submitted to the Catalyst team and the Cardano community.
2. 3-4 video lessons are edited and published to both YouTube and the NFT Guild Website.

Acceptance Criteria:

1. The close-out report and video have been submitted to the Catalyst team and the milestone module.
2. The videos should be publicly available on YouTube and the NFT Guild Website.

Evidence of milestone completion:

1. Links to the close-out report and video.
2. Links to both YouTube and the Cardano NFT Guides pages containing the videos.

Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

The NFT Guild core team is a global team comprised of individuals with a diverse set of skills and backgrounds. Our members are spread across various time zones and can offer a broad range of expertise in Cardano and NFTs, covering areas like development, stake pool operations, art, NFT project creation, community management, organization and project Catalyst.

The NFT Guild Core members working on this project are:

Anamaria Kövesdi (New Mindflow) (UI/UX Design)

<https://www.linkedin.com/in/anamaria-k%C3%B6vesdi-354649106/>

Rares Kövesdi (New Mindflow) (Project Manager, Product Owner, Writer)

<https://www.linkedin.com/in/rares-k%C3%B6vesdi-551260106/>

New Mindflow [<https://www.newmindflow.com>] are:

Artists and entrepreneurs, in the Cardano NFT space since Day 1. Creators of the Trybbles (<https://www.trybbles.com/about>) &amp; Icons (<https://www.newmindflow.com/works/icons-part-2>) Cardano NFT projects. Cardano Project Catalyst funded proposers. Members in various Cardano &amp; Catalyst projects, initiatives &amp; communities for nearly 4 years.

Award-winning filmmakers, film and animation directors, app and game developers.

In January 2021 they moved into the web3 economy granting new life to one of their projects in the form of an NFT collection on Cardano.

Since then they have released multiple art NFT collections on Cardano, and have been involved in multiple NFT and Cardano related groups and organisations, most notably being core members of the NFT Guild (<https://www.nft-guild.io/>).

In addition New Mindflow are the authors of the Cardano NFT Guides (<https://www.nft-guild.io/cardano-nft-guides>), the most prominent source of knowledge about everything NFTs on Cardano.

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

The majority of the budget is allocated towards labor, reflecting the intensive effort required to produce well-researched, high-quality educational materials and multimedia content.

Budget Breakdown by Milestones

Milestone 1 - (Month 1 &amp; 2)

Outputs: First additional chapter, 3-4 video lessons

Cost Breakdown:

Chapters: 13000 ADA

Videos: 10200 ADA

Marketing &amp; Promotion: 1800 ADA

Total Milestone Cost: 25000 ADA

Milestone 2 - (Month 3 &amp; 4)

Outputs: Second additional chapter, 3-4 video lessons

Cost Breakdown:

Chapters: 13000 ADA

Videos: 13600 ADA

Marketing &amp; Promotion: 1400 ADA

Total Milestone Cost: 28000 ADA

Milestone 3 - (Month 5 &amp; 6)

Outputs: Third additional chapter, 4-5 video lessons

Cost Breakdown:

Chapters: 13000 ADA

Videos: 13600 ADA

Marketing &amp; Promotion: 1400 ADA

Total Milestone Cost: 28000 ADA

Final Milestone - (Month 7 &amp; 8)

Outputs: Close-out report, 3-4 video lessons

Cost Breakdown:

Videos: 13600 ADA

Marketing &amp; Promotion: 1400 ADA

Total Milestone Cost: 15000 ADA

Total Project Costs: 96000 ADA

No dependencies.

How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The allocation of hours and ADA is based on realistic estimates of the time and resources needed to produce high-quality educational content. The costs are aligned with the complexity and technical requirements of each task. The budgeting reflects competitive rates for professional blockchain educational content creation and multimedia production, comparable to industry standards within the blockchain education sector.

The investment in these educational resources is justified by the potential to significantly increase engagement and understanding within the Cardano community.

Our track record, including successful past Catalyst proposals, the original Cardano NFT Guides, and community-focused initiatives, demonstrates our commitment to delivering value and utilizing funds effectively. Our transparent budget breakdown and planned impact measurement ensure this project is both high-impact and accountable.

By investing in this educational expansion, the Cardano community is equipped with the tools and knowledge to further explore, innovate, and expand the NFT marketplace on Cardano.