Designing (UX/UI) for Web3 and what to consider
Have you ever heard of Web 3.0? What do you know about it? As much as people try to dismiss it, the ‘damn thing’ is here and it’s time to take it seriously.
Blockchain projects have been around since 2009, with Bitcoin created by a person (or perhaps a group of people) going by the name of Satoshi Nakamoto. Since then it’s usually run by teams of intelligent and dedicated developers, building decentralised solutions that are truly mind-blowing.
Designing UX for Web3 isn’t just about creating a beautiful website. It’s about understanding the space and technology first — the vast variety of users, their needs and wants, and then creating an experience that will ease them in. But what is the problem with some of these Web3 products? Interestingly, they all lack something — a strong, clear and user-friendly journey that will put the user’s mind at ease when navigating them.
I’ve spent enough time in this space to understand that it can be daunting for many users, and I feel confident that some people (such as my parents!) wouldn’t feel comfortable entering and navigating through this new concept of Web.
I understand the rush in putting something out — I work in Product Design, and believe that if you sit on an idea for too long it becomes old and obsolete. But how can we keep up the pace, yet still design a better Web3 experience?
Here are a few important things we could consider:
1. Understand the evolution of the internet: Web 3.0 is an upgrade of Web 2.0
At first Web1 was basically about creating static websites, before the emergence of dynamic web pages. The websites made at that time were simple and often unresponsive. Web2 came with some transformation, and there were more web interactions and the emergence of social media networks.
There was also user-generated content, and these users had control of the content they received. The increase in internet access through smartphones also played a huge role in the growth of Web2. The websites became more responsive as more apps came to be, including social media sites such as Instagram, YouTube and service apps like Uber, etc.
Web3 allows brands to get closer to their consumers, enabling them to take an active role, owning their data and becoming stakeholders in their businesses, which all leads to fiercely loyal communities being built — something that Web2 has never been able to truly realise.
2. Know Your Users
This is a pretty standard UX fundamental, understanding your users is essential and shouldn’t be any different when designing for Web3. It’s important to remember that users may not be familiar with the new technologies and will be in permanent “newbie mode”, needing extra help and guidance to navigate the experience.
3. Make it Easy to Use
Hiding away irrelevant information and providing clear instructions with minimal steps will help keep your design clutter-free and easier to use. With Web3 comes an awful amount of technical terms or jargon that can be intimidating for some users. The experience should be easy and intuitive, so users don’t get frustrated or confused trying to find what they’re looking for.
4. Make it Aesthetically Pleasing
Aesthetics play an important role in attracting people to a website, especially when launching a new brand or product. The reality is that time is not always on our side and being that Web3 is constantly evolving, it’s important to stay on top of the latest developments and ensure that your designs are up-to-date and ready for the future. Unless your users are like Neo and can read the Matrix code!
So creating an attractive page design is key! Keeping visual elements consistent throughout the site, creating easy to follow instructions and providing clear visual cues that direct attention where necessary — without being too overwhelming or distracting from the content itself.
5. Trust Through Design
Prevent your users from making irreversible mistakes by creating a secure and trustworthy experience that guides them through the journey, with easy to follow instructions on how to recover from mistakes. Both UI and UX should help the user trust the process, explaining simply and clearly why there may be a problem with something on the site — transparency goes a long way here!
6. Test & Improve Continuously
Designing for Web3 requires a lot of trial and error. It’s important to take the time to ideate, test, research, iterate, experiment, and ship products. Don’t be afraid to try something new and different. The more you experiment, the better your design will be.
Conclusion:
Be ready to be both the user and the designer. Designing for Web3 is an exciting task as it requires us to think beyond the traditional boundaries of UX and UI, but if done correctly can be incredibly rewarding! So get out there, learn as much as you can and get designing!
Can you think of any more considerations that would be useful to add to this list? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment below!
