Before Facebook. Before MySpace. Before Emojis.
The Dilly would advance the use of many modern norms, such as rich media profile pages and customizable themes. These basic features had existed on other community message boards, but Jeffrey wanted more. He asked me to help overhaul the user experience as Creative Director, which included talk of a badge that verified profiles could proudly display. We wondered if we could incentivize other kinds of engagement with a variety of trophy badges.
The year was 2000, and the Internet was still new to many people. The concept of a social network was virtually unknown. MySpace would change that, but it was still 3 years away. Way ahead of the curve was my friend, Jeffrey Gilbert, a coding prodigy whose vision for an online gathering space would manifest in The Dilly, aimed primarily at high school and college students.
We likened it to earning your way up the ranks, unlocking and adding to a user’s collection new badges for all manner of mysterious milestones: hours spent, messages posted, number friends (and enemies) made, etc. The Rank Icons were born. Hand illustrated with stylized detail and punk-rock attitude, they were instant hits with the site’s demographic. To boost their mystique, it was never revealed exactly how to unlock them, you just knew if you did. And so did your friends.
