Casinobyn: A Viking-Inspired Casino Affiliate Experience from Scratch
Sweden
2023
Casino
Lead UX Designer
Background
Casinobyn is not your typical casino affiliate platform. Built entirely from scratch, it reimagines casino comparison through a story-driven Viking village theme, led by fictional mascots Harald and Gullvi. I was responsible for crafting the full user experience from brand identity and mascot design to UX architecture and visual storytelling.
Goal & Vision
The client wanted to launch a casino affiliate platform that stood out in a saturated, often impersonal market. Instead of relying on generic listings, they envisioned a themed Viking village. The challenge was to craft this experience from scratch building a brand, characters, and a user journey that felt warm, trustworthy, and delightful, while still driving affiliate conversions.
Process
Branding & Characters: Using MidJourney AI, I created Harald and Gullvi, a Viking couple who personify trust and guidance. Their personalities shaped the site’s tone and became central to the brand identity.
Visual Theme & Structure: I designed a Viking village-inspired UI where each casino appears as a hut, grouped into gold, silver, or bronze tiers. Warm wood textures and playful elements brought the village concept to life.
UX & Conversion Focus: The flow was built for clarity and quick decision-making, with visible ratings, mascot tips, and key info upfront. A mobile-first approach ensured smooth navigation and strong affiliate conversions.
Branding
The brand centered around a cozy Viking village, brought to life by mascots Harald and Gullvi. Their friendly, folklore-inspired presence made the site feel personal, warm, and distinctly Swedish.
Final Design
The final product featured a wood-themed interface with casino “huts” arranged by tier. Clear CTAs, mascot dialogue, and mobile-first navigation created an engaging and intuitive user experience. A language switcher was added to support both Swedish and English users, making the platform accessible to a wider audience.
"I’ve visited a lot of casino comparison sites, but this one really stood out. The Viking theme made it feel less like a sales page and more like a fun experience."
User
Stockholm
4.7*
User rating
30%
Clickthrough rates
1,200
Avg. daily users
Outcome
The site launched successfully with increased user engagement and a 30% boost in affiliate clickthroughs. Harald and Gullvi became central to the brand’s ongoing content strategy.
Learning
Strong narrative and character-driven design can build trust in low-trust markets. Starting from scratch allowed full creative alignment between brand, UX, and business goals.