KlimaDAO creates software that addresses the global climate crisis through innovative blockchain technology.
1. Project Overview
Company: KlimaDAO, a climate-focused cryptocurrency platform.
Objective: To refresh the UI with a focus on professionalism and usability, moving away from the "degen crypto" aesthetic while supporting updated app features.
2. Goals and Challenges
Goals: Enhance the app’s credibility, create a smoother, more professional user experience, and streamline key user journeys based on feedback.
Challenges: Identifying and addressing areas that felt too complex or unpolished to the target audience, especially without losing functionality.
3. Research Process
Interviews: Conducted asynchronous interviews with active members from a Discord community of 10-15k to determine popular features and pain points.
Competitor Analysis: Assessed competing platforms for solutions to similar UX issues, looking for ways KlimaDAO could differentiate or improve upon these.
4. Ideation and Design
Started with paper sketches and low-fidelity mockups to establish design direction.
Progressively built out user journeys in Figma, increasing fidelity based on iterative feedback and balancing user needs with company goals.
5. Prototyping and Testing
Testing Feedback: Identified elements that confused users or added unnecessary steps. Simplified these by removing steps and refining button text.
Iterations: Streamlined journeys and clarified labels, resulting in a more intuitive, effective prototype.
6. Results and Impact
Outcome: 90% of testers reported a more professional feel and faster task completion, validating both the visual update and improved efficiency of core user flows.
7. Reflection
Working on KlimaDAO’s redesign deepened my appreciation for user-centered design, particularly the value of staying close to real user experiences. Engaging with our active Discord community taught me how much insight can be uncovered through simple, candid conversations, especially when people are passionate about a product.
This project reinforced that great design isn’t just about polished visuals; it’s about making things truly intuitive and accessible. Each iteration, each piece of feedback, reminded me that design is a collaborative journey. I learned to balance the details with the big picture, focusing on users’ needs without losing sight of KlimaDAO’s broader mission. Ultimately, this experience has made me a more adaptable, thoughtful designer, committed to blending functionality with the kind of polish that gives users confidence and ease.
