To say the least, when one enters into blockchain space it is a challenge. It is tough, it’s competitive and also technologically advanced; which makes it not be known where it will go. In that breath, the difficulty is in understanding what people want from web3 products, which often leaves its creators biting their fingers about UX.
3 Reasons why UX is crucial in web3
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| https://dexola.medium.com |
It’s first important to understand why UX is so important in the blockchain space.
As of February 2021, 9.8 million people in the UK owned some form of cryptocurrency. That’s an incredible 553% increase from 2018.
But while the space is growing enormously, we’re still striving for mass adoption. We believe the final piece of the puzzle could be an increased focus on user experience in the space.
Here’s 3 reasons why.
1. Creates trust in a new space
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| https://www.pwc.com |
It is common for scepticism to come along with change. The majority of people expect that there must be some form of trick when we are asked to do something differently from what we have always done. (If you don’t believe us, check out these hilarious predictions about the internet from the mid 90s.)
The trust issues being experienced by Web3 as a result of its predecessors are also being encountered by Blockchain technology in Bitcoin, NFTs for digital arts and even metaverse where one could hangout.
“I don’t really understand.” “It’s too complex” “There is no doubt that it is a swindle.”
Are typical perspectives towards web3 space. But we consider changing these narrow-minded thoughts through UX.
How?
Creating faith will help us achieve this goal.
A website with a strong backend can lead to it being seen as more trustworthy; 47% of individuals anticipate that a webpage should not take longer than two seconds to load. Anything over this duration might make users to think your website is counterfeit.
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| https://medium.com/oasis-protocol-project |
On the other hand, create faith via user interface. Notice how Oasis.app, a decentralized finance platform that enables you to borrow against your crypto, has an interface design that exudes trust. A simple approach devoid of clutter and heavy on graphics will be much more inviting for the user.
2. USP in a developer-dominated field
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| https://www.leewayhertz.com |
Technology advancements often lead to widespread innovation.
However, many innovators stumble into the rabbit hole of their idea’s adequacy. The mid-’90s rise of the internet saw a lot of sites created with not much more than the seed idea in mind; and most failed.
Web3 may be at this same point. To advance decentralized exchanges, DAOs and DeFi platforms, developers are turning to blockchain technology. But just as in the 90s, UX is an afterthought.
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| https://www.simublade.com |
Our experience has shown that thinking that product alone is sufficient leads to user-unfriendly blockchain-based applications which are difficult for users to navigate through and as well as being lacking in aesthetic appeal.
This is where UX comes in. In a world currently dominated by developers, sites that have the look, flow smoothly and can be easily navigated will be memorable.
3. Vital to a young target market
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| https://blog.chain.link |
It can be challenging to get people to change the way they’ve always done things as we have already mentioned. Younger generations, on the other hand, are pivotal to the blockchain space since they are often more tolerant and not yet set in their ways.
Nevertheless, millennials and gen Zs do have some downsides.
Firstly, they are less patient than previous generations. Generation Z specifically has grown up in an era when you could easily get information from a web search or by tapping through endless screens on a smartphone.
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| https://dionhinchcliffe.com |
For this reason, it is important that web3 projects take the relationship between back end and UX very seriously. It does not matter how ground-breaking your product is; if your target audience is below 40 years old then there will be no time for waiting at all.
Moreover, this age-group does not remember all those terrible web design UX that was before noughties. Instead, they grew up with websites and apps being treated like works of art and will demand nothing less with web3.
Blockchain UX Patterns
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| https://stock.adobe.com |
Are you building stuff on the web3? A dapp, an NFT project, a crypto platform or any other thing are some of what we have compiled for common and reliable UX patterns that exist in blockchain technology.
The kind of product being created determines the patterns to be used. There are those who are looking for ease of use and functionality as they make their own projects while others prefer design over all else.
Digital Wallets UX Patterns
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| https://dribbble.com |
Simple UI
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| https://dribbble.com |
Consequently, it’s important that designs for crypto wallets should take this into account since their user base might not have a lot of knowledge.
Wallets can serve various purposes including purchasing, sending or just holding crypto. Complex UI will only confuse starters. Keep everything together so that the user does not get lost in the process.
Another aspect which is significant when digital wallets are concerned with is wallet address. These have become something of an obstacle in cryptocurrency world where many are made up as random assortment of numbers and letters.
There needs to be another way around digital currencies’ wallets about addresses or make it easy for them to be discovered and shared.
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| https://cryptocurrencyfacts.com |
One of the most popular wallets, MetaMask makes life easier on its users by allowing them to copy its wallet address from home screen using only one click/tap. This means that users do not need to recall or note down their wallet address at all.
Safety
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| https://cryptopotato.com |
The safety issue is one that crypto has faced. In the eyes of those born in the crypto world, this area seems to be the most secure way but other people are suspicious about having no bank to go back to. For this reason, it is crucial for any DeFi product to translate its UX into a language of safety and privacy.
There is another example with MetaMask where Metamask has users enter their secret backup phrase again after creating a wallet. The app designer intentionally prevents users from copying and pasting the phrase into an input box. This means that the user will have written down his /her secret recovery phrase used to access the wallet.
DeFi UX Patterns
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| https://dribbble.com |
Be prepared for the user to make mistakes
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| https://medium.com/@cryptonator_s |
We are all new, it’s still early in DeFi. So be prepared for the user to make mistakes. Have you thought through every possible situation where a user can find himself? No link to their wallet, insufficient tokens, excessive tokens submitted, approaching liquidation etc.
Users need to know why something has gone wrong and not just that something has gone wrong. DeFi is intricate; an error message stating ‘error’ will not do.
This issue occurred while we were working on crypto launchpad Launchpool.
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| https://www.blockchainx.tech |
The crypto launchpad enables staking and integrates multiple blockchains. Since there are so many different requirements, the user needs to know why his transaction failed. The Launchpool app will tell them if they’re trying to stake too much of a token or if they are using the wrong wallet.
New terminology
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| https://medium.com/interdax |
Sharding, farming, staking, mining. The space of decentralized finance is flooded with new terms. To note is that a lot of these terminologies will not be fully understood by many new users.
Your application can assist beginners to understand jargon using simple tooltip.
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| https://medium.com/@adarweinreb |
Bancor does an excellent job in this regard. This DeFi protocol permits its users to change tokens immediately instead of doing so via platforms like Coinbase. Thus, the app contains numerous intricate words; Bancor explains them to its visitors as they hover on them for definition.
Multiple networks
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| https://www.obvious.technology |
UX for these dapps, which can be operated on multiple networks such as ETH and BSC, will have to be different.
Blockchain based apps need to minimize the UX complexities that come with diverse blockchain networks until there is a fix on cross-chain interoperability.
We did it for them, this was our motto when we were developing Launchpool app.
If a user is not on the network as he tries to use the app, he or she will get notified and they just need to add the network in MetaMask. This prevents users searching for new network details like RPC and chain IDs that they might not know about.
Status of transactions
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| https://medium.com/hackernoon |
As we said previously, the speed of web2 is almost instant, and this extremely quick pace has made us intolerant. It can make anyone think that your product is not working if there are any pending transactions.
Leaving links to a blockchain explorer such as Etherscan or BSCscan so that users can see their transactions can help provide transparency and assurance that their transaction will be confirmed.
Uniswap serves as a good example in this scenario. After swapping, the DEX enables its clients to track their transaction progress, which leads them to verify it on Etherscan.
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| https://www.uplabs.com |
Have a provision within your site or app where users can see their NFTs as opposed to having to go to sites such as Etherscan or BSC Scan.
However, other networks do not have this luxury, unlike OpenSea which acts as a hub for Ethereum based NFTs. For example, it is quite difficult to view the NFT you own on the Binance Smart Chain network.
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| https://nbatopshot.com |
NBA Top Shot, one of the most successful NFT projects globally and leader in this space, provides direction on what these platforms should look like. On top of that, it has an entire website dedicated to buying, selling, collecting and viewing NFTs named Top Shot.
Create a story
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| https://cointelegraph.com |
There is a need to make a path for your followers. Find out how we did it with our ‘Quest for Satoshi’ project, which helped us build a narrative around Bitcoin Origins.
If there is a story behind your NFTs, it will attract more new users. So that they can buy into the project, this onboards and educates them about the brand. Also, the more they keep developing the tale of events; the more they enhance their community’s loyalty towards it in the process.
Play-to-Earn Gaming UX Patterns
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| https://dribbble.com |
Longevity
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| https://www.antiersolutions.com |
If and when it comes to play-to-earn gaming, the creation of a lasting user experience is a biggie.
Unlike previous gaming markets where graphics and realism were everything, blockchain players are more interested in earning opportunities.
Therefore, games must offer long-term value to their gamers as this can have an impact on the price of gaming NFTs.
Ownership of assets and items
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| https://bingxofficial.medium.com |
Before the introduction of the play-to-earn model, gamers did not really own their in-game items. Yours may be a FIFA Ultimate Team card or Fortnite skin or Call Of Duty gun; but so many others also had them too. Your asset was not exclusive. Neither could it be sold outside the game.
Axie Infinity and Sorare are P2E games that enable players to own their assets fully as NFTs. As such, these players are able to get their assets out of the game into real money spin offs or sell them off for cash.
Web3 UX Designer Hunting
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| https://medium.com/nybles |
The right web3 UX designer will depend on your budget, project, briefing and other factors. However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Primarily you need to know what options are available.
If you want to improve users’ experience, the best choice would be hiring a freelance UX designer or a UX design agency.
Freelance UX designer vs UX design agency
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| https://adamfard.com |
The range of freelance UX designers is vast, from simple designers who provide such services on Fiverr and Upwork to the experienced and professional specialists in this field.
In web3 where they are still emerging, it can be harder to find freelancers who specialize in blockchain UX design. Freelance designers are usually cost-effective, but not exclusively so. Nevertheless, even when affordable it should never slip one’s mind that there is a limit beyond which one person cannot go any further by themselves. Thus, depending on a single freelancer may not always yield the best results.
Deeper solutions are offered by web3 UX agencies and product design studios that charge more. From a small number of employees to large-scale full-fledged agencies who can execute your idea. A major advantage of agency working is the fact that you will have a whole team at your disposal. At Avark for instance, we start with our UX team, who creates user flows and product functionalities before handing over to our experienced web3 UI designers to style up the interface and dapp screens.
There is a possibility that there are also strict processes within these agencies concerning dealing with your project. You will likely receive better customer service from this process being smoother than if you were to work with freelancers.
Final Verdict
Web3 technology world is booming with great potential, but its real success depends on user experience (UX). By focusing on designing based on the needs of customers, developers can create applications that are simple and easy to use enabling them to be used by everyone. This will not only promote customer satisfaction in addition to loyalty but also put them ahead of their competitors within this ever-changing arena.