Crypto Slam
A complete redesign of CryptoSlam Homepage to provide meaningful and interesting data for degens.
Role
Lead Designer
Introduction
As a Lead Product Designer, I spearheaded the ambitious redesign of the home experience for our crypto data aggregator tool. This project aimed to enhance the user experience, making it more intuitive, visually appealing, and engaging. Here’s how we transformed a cluttered interface into a user-friendly dashboard despite facing significant challenges.
Problem
The original home screen was a labyrinth of information, overwhelming users and making navigation a daunting task. This led to frustration, reduced engagement, and ultimately, low retention. Our mission was clear: to design a streamlined, aesthetically pleasing, and highly functional interface.
User Research
Demographic Survey
Users are spending the most time on the home screen and aren’t scrolling far enough to see the Fan Token and NFT Sales sections in the right column. This explains the low visit count on the NFT Collection Dashboard.
User Interviews
We conducted moderate interviews with a wide spectrum of users, from beginners to seasoned crypto traders and NFT enthusiasts. The aim was to uncover their needs, pain points, and preferences. A few top comments are highlighted below.
“It is not a thrill looking app, more customer centric.”
“ Too many ads, pages are loading too slow, it lacks dark view.”
“It is not user friendly, not easy to navigate. Pages are too busy, search functionality is bad, slow to load data, easy to get lost on the page”
“The design is not cohesive.”
Competitive Analysis
An in-depth analysis of leading crypto and NFT platforms helped identify best practices and gaps in our current design.
This competitive analysis was crucial in setting standards for our redesign.
CoinGecko
CoinMarketCap
Insights
Cluttered Interface
Users were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information, which lacked a clear hierarchy and organization.
Navigation Challenges
Navigating the dashboard was a cumbersome experience, leading to user frustration.
Design Cohesiveness
Users desired a more appealing app that meets modern web design standards.
Design Process
Wireframing and Prototyping
Initial wireframes and low-fidelity prototypes focused on simplifying the layout and enhancing the information hierarchy.
Key objectives included improving navigation and introducing customization options.
Usability Testing
Usability testing sessions with a selected user group were crucial in validating design concepts and gathering actionable feedback.
These insights drove iterative improvements to our design iteration. A few top comments were highlighted below.
“It is organized better, think it is like spreadsheet with tabs”
“Much better layout with single table, eliminate other table make a big different.”
“It is important to see the art and chart. Feel much more natural as a Home page, great compromise of data and design to make it more of presentation of NFTs in a premium way.”
“I love the visual, the logo and the chart.”
Iterative Design
The design process was iterative, with each round of feedback leading to refinements and enhancements.
Close collaboration with the development team ensured practical feasibility and smooth implementation.
Solution
The redesigned home screen featured:
Simplified Layout & Navigation:
A clean and organized layout with a clear information hierarchy, enabling users to find information quickly.
Improved navigation with intuitive options at the top for switching data set swiftly on the dashboard and cap number of rows by 50.
Visual Appeal:
A modern, visually appealing design aligned with current design trends and user expectations.
Utilize the Material UI v5.0 design system to consistently enhance the user experience and accelerate the development process with pre-built components.
The Unexpected Stakeholder Challenges
A unexpected hurdle was navigating stakeholder concerns. Main stakeholders were hesitant about a complete overhaul, fearing user resistance and potential disruption. To address this, we adopted a strategic approach:
Phased Rollout
We proposed a phased rollout to gradually introduce the new design elements, starting with adopting Material UI v5.0 to re-platforming the front end. This allowed for continuous user feedback and iterative improvements.
Results from iterative re-platforming effort built confidence among stakeholders for further redesign efforts.
Compromise and Flexibility
We prioritized critical improvements that would deliver immediate user benefits, such as simplifying the most cluttered sections and showing interesting data that users want to be informed.
Demonstrating the positive impact of these changes through user feedback and engagement metrics to convince stakeholders.
Latest Design
Layout & Navigation
Remove the improved navigation at the top and retain the original two-column layout to meet stakeholders’ preference of displaying NFT Blockchain Rankings and Fan Token Rankings alongside NFT Collection Rankings.
Increase the number of rows for NFT Blockchain Rankings to 100, even if it results in blank space on the right column as the user scrolls down.
Results
Increased Engagement
User engagement showed a great increase in time spent on the home screen.
Positive User Feedback
Users appreciated the cleaner interface and improved navigation, resulting in higher satisfaction.
Stakeholder Satisfaction
The phased rollout approach and demonstrated success helped build stakeholder confidence, leading to support for additional redesign initiatives, such as collection dashboard in the future.
Conclusion
The redesign of the home screen for the crypto data aggregator tool and NFT collections dashboard was a transformative project that significantly improved user experience, engagement, and satisfaction. By focusing on user research, iterative design, and strategic stakeholder collaboration, we created a more intuitive and visually appealing interface that met the needs of our diverse user base. This project not only showcased my ability to lead complex design initiatives but also highlighted my capacity to adapt and thrive in dynamic, high-pressure environments, aligning perfectly with the innovative mindset.
Lessons Learned
It’s important to satisfy not only our users but also the key stakeholders of the product. Working with non-designer founders at a startup can be challenging, but understanding the business objectives and user behavior, and finding effective compromises, is essential to delivering value and demonstrating your worth as their long-term investment.
Case Studies
Hire Me!
Why consider hiring me?
Collaborative Approach: I'm easy to work with and won't take offense if my design isn't your cup of tea. I'm committed to falling in love with the problem at hand, not just fixated on a particular solution.
Effective Team Player: I actively engage in whiteboarding sessions, firmly believing that exceptional ideas emerge from teamwork rather than individual efforts.
Tech Enthusiast: I harbor a sincere passion and inquisitive mindset toward technology, utilizing cutting-edge advancements to create exceptional products that align with market demands.
Strategic Investment: Bringing me on board is an investment, not an expense. I enjoy mentoring younger team members, participating in product strategy discussions, liaising with the engineering team, and exploring cost-effective bootstrap solutions when necessary.
Do you believe I'd be a good match? Fantastic! I'd be delighted to meet for coffee or schedule a Zoom session to delve into potential opportunities. ☕️ 🖥
You can also connect with me on LinkedIn. 🤝
Danny is a passionate design leader who adapts to changes with an open mindset, owning a unique POV and vision toward new product spaces. He’s got a knack for navigating complex legal and technical requirements and translating them into the most intuitive experience possible. He steps in with graphic design and illustrations wherever they are needed.
Ariel Huang
Growth & Discovery Product Designer