The User Experience is a key driver of the mainstream adoption of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, and considering how poorly it has been implemented so far, just imagine how much prices could pump in this bullrun if DAOs and the like absolutely nailed the UX design processes.
The cyptocurrencies we are used to talking about such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin could actually be considered the User Interface of the Blockchain itself, and are how we interact with it.
Thanks to the rise of Decentralised Finance and its Dapps, the User Experience has finally come to the foreground of cryptocurrency.
The Major Challenge for Crypto and the Blockchain is accessibility:
There is a huge need for improved UX on the Blockchain in order to facilitate its adoption and accelerate its move into the mainstream. UX needs to overcome shortcomings such as:
- Difficult to understand terminology
- Constantly changing datapoints
- Low readability of, for instance, crypto wallet addresses
- Different standardisation across the different blockchains
- Newer websites, exchanges and other technologies that do not engender trust
- High level of technical understanding needed to develop on the blockchain
As you can see, UX designers have a lot of work to do?—?and indeed, the UX of the blockchain improves everyday?—?before these issues are overcome and every person with an internet connection is benefitting from this emerging technology.
Making the Data Useable:
Thanks to the public (though still anonymous) nature of the Blockchain, it is possible to learn interesting information such as when you’re bitcoins where mined, and how many previous owners they have, but accessing, ingesting and understanding this data is likely to greet you with something that looks like this:
Much effort must be put into the UX of the blockchain in order to better explain to the layperson the context, relevance and meaning of this data in a way that is easy to understand.
Just because Blockchain is “transparent” doesn’t mean it is easy to understand, and this is where UX comes in. Taking Bitcoin to $1m might be as easy as speaking to people in terminology they use and understand instead of technical jargon. Imagine if you were the person who could make that happen?
Design vs Security & Trust:
Whilst it might be tempting to build the most beautiful user experience possible, investors are ultimately thinking about their money and are therefore as much or even more interested in the security of the site that they’re using, begging the question, how much can they trust the experience they’re receiving?
2-factor Authentication (2FA) is an example of a security feature that impacts the user experience, breaking it whilst the user has to wait for a text or email. Perhaps a simple QR pop-up that you can scan with your phone would improve this experience?
These are the questions UX designers must be asking themselves. People expect a fast and secure experience, so if your beautiful design is causing lag, you may need to think about dumbing it down to improve speed, for example.
How to design for trust:
This is actually a lot simpler than it sounds, although also easier said than done:
- Communicate the how, what and why of what is happening behind the UI
- Give them a familiar experience over a unique one
- Collect feedback and demonstrate the reception and understanding of this feedback
- How it looks can be as important as how it works
- Experiment constantly
- Reduce their cognitive load?—?don’t display too much information
- Gamify if possible
- Results are important too
Ultimately, users are expecting some kind of result from the interaction they’re having with the Blockchain, and a good User Experience can help or hinder that. One of the ways in which it can help is to communicate that the blockchain is responsive, and working for them to get their desired result.
The Future’s Bright:
Interacting with the blockchain is rewarding for everyone involved, from developers and researchers to the users themselves, and even in the few short years since it’s release, it has improved mightily.
There’s a lot to look forward to in the future, especially if UX designers can remember that some people still have no prior knowledge of blockchain technology, and make it as accessible as possible for them.
(Originally ghostwritten for a Fiverr client and adapted for Publish0x)
