HelloWallet

Helping anyone get started with crypto

Katarina Blind
4 min readAug 3, 2023

This project was part of a studio course. I had access to teachers for project tutoring and different workshop spaces.

Time: 3 months (Jan — Apr 2022)
Team: None, workshop masters and course teachers for assistance
Tools: FigJam, Figma, Fusion 360, hot wire cutter, laser cutter
Role: Research, design thinking, visual design, content strategy, digital and physical prototyping

Problem

Crypto is technical, complex and dominated by risk averse young users with an accumulation of prerequisite knowledge.

There is a lack of guidance for initial, non-technical users which creates a generational disconnect in financial literacy, which is the foundation of modern financial opportunities.

Solution

I created a web based onboarding guide to use the Kovan test network as a risk free learning environment. This was also supported by educational content curation for crypto.

I also paired the digital experience with physical prototypes to introduce users to necessary hardware without bigger financial commitment.

Key learnings

  • Designing and copywriting for trust
  • Breaking down a complex problem
  • Connecting digital and physical experiences

Try it on Notion

Research

Besides desk research to understand the field (interesting podcast episode: Designing Dapps with great user experiences), I interviewed a backend engineer at a DeFi exchange about technical restrictions of the Kovan test network.

I also talked to target users: non-technical, mostly middle aged with no prior use of cryptocurrencies. This especially helped me understand their more emotional perspective.

Key insights

From my user interviews I found out that they didn’t know what to expect or where to start. They were also aware of financial risks.

Using my main insights, I established design values I referenced throughout my design process.

  • Trust — establishing a safe learning environment for better outcomes
  • Financial literacy — helping users understand crypto better to eventually confidently make their own decisions
  • Intuitive complexity — breaking down the big topic without removing its necessary complexity

Project breakdown

It was very important to me to create a cohesive project and consider the intersection of digital and physical experiences.

Each of these elements has a specific purpose that contributes to the entire experience.

  • Product design — actual step-by-step crypto/Kovan onboarding guide
  • Marketing design — working around negative connotations and highlighting the opportunities of understanding crypto
  • Educational design — guiding user how to get started while letting them work at their own pace and within specific interests
  • Industrial design — helping users understand crypto hardware (hardware wallet and cold storage backup) without spending a lot of money upfront

To simplify this project, I will be focusing on the onboarding guide (product design).

User flow

I created an extensive user flow which included channels, user’s emotions and context. This helped to be aware of my progress and the user’s experience.

Based on this strucutre, I created wireframes and started experimenting with visuals and interactions that would positively support the experience.
I really focused on the design values by creating an intentional, step-by-step learning environment.

Content strategy

Since I’m not a crypto expert, I focused on curating content (e.g. from Coinbase) and reformatting it into a more intuitive learning experience.

While I was finalizing the designs, I also adjusted copy based on the project’s design values. This slowed down the actual design quite a bit but was crucial for a cohesive outcome.

Prototyping

I created a low-fidelity prototype to give a better overview of the product and interactions. I wanted to make it more responsive and showcase advanced interactions but couldn’t make it within the very tight deadline.

Figma prototype

Further development

Since this was a design-focussed project there is no implementation as of now. I also didn’t have enough time to usertest due to tight deadlines.

I’d love to continue with this project but only see value in it if I can collaborate with someone who can build it.

Measuring success

By adding a feedback loop I could research how user’s attitude towards crypto has changed after using the product.

  • How many users actually proceed to use crypto?
  • Do they feel more informed and educated?

To gain a deeper understanding of how the product is used, it’d be very interesting to observe how users go through the flow — especially since digesting educational content can take some time.

Unlisted

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Katarina Blind
Katarina Blind

Written by Katarina Blind

Design @ Aalto U. Product designer.

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