MyAnte - Creating a social accountability app for crypto enthusiasts
Overview
The Challenge
Ante Labs is a seed-stage startup developing blockchain apps. I joined the team as their first designer to help build a new product called MyAnte from the ground up. MyAnte allows users to make crypto-backed commitments - called 'Antes' - on the blockchain.
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The goal of creating MyAnte was to advertise the back-end technology as an SDK and provide an additional stream of revenue for Ante Labs.
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Outcome
The app was launched successfully in 2023 and had over 300 active users within 2 months of launch
Role
Sole product designer, researcher
Process
I joined Ante Labs at a critical point - after developing the back-end technology for MyAnte, they needed an intuitive user experience to unlock the full potential of the product for their users. The project involved several constraints: quick timeline, limited dev resources & no additional budget for user research.
In order to deliver the best possible product, I followed a structured process:
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1. Define - understand problems & goals
2. Research - find creative ways to gather data with limited resources
3. Design - follow user-centred design process
4. Test - conduct user testing to validate designs & find usability problems
5. Handoff - ensure designs meets technical constraints & conduct QA testing
Define
The problem
When I joined, the team had identified a two-fold opportunity:
1. Addressing the need of crypto users who want to keep themselves accountable with asset-backed commitments on the blockchain.
2. Providing a secure platform for users to make crypto-backed bets with the assurance of fair settlement.
Project goals
At the start of the project, we sat down for a brainstorming session and outlined how product design can help maximize those opportunities:
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User research - I advocated and got buy-in to conduct 1.5 weeks of research at the start of the project to better understand user needs and pain points.
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UX design - The app would need a frictionless user experience, allowing the team to quickly onboard users.
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UI design - The app also needs an engaging UI to encourage user adoption.
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User Testing - We need to conduct user testing to address any usability issues, validate designs, and get an early assessment of product-market fit.
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Branding - Success in this role required creating a visual language to assist the team in building a cohesive brand across products, social media platforms, and marketing campaigns.
Research
Research Questions
At the definition stage, we identified three main questions we wanted to explore. These were:
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How do users feel about the crypto communities they’re part of? What impact (if any) do they have on their social lives?
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Why are some platforms (i.e Discord and Signal) favoured by the crypto community over others?
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What key information do users look for when trading, investing or staking crypto assets?
Methodology
I leveraged Ante Labs' network for introductions and conducted 3 in-depth interviews with potential users. I gathered additional data through secondary research, immersing myself in the world of our users by joining discord chats, telegram channels, subreddits and following crypto influencers on X (Twitter).
Findings
1. Crypto communities offer participants opportunities to form personal connections, expand their knowledge, and learn about (or endorse) new products. We need to integrate links to popular communities.
2. Social media response plays a large role in product success - design should aim to generate discussion on platform like X. We need to make sure this is an option for our users.
3. Crypto is an unregulated industry, marked by scams. To build trust with our users, we need to be transparent about gas fees and holding periods.
4. Crypto products need to support anonymity, especially for users that invest and trade crypto professionally. We need to integrate the option to use the app via wallet connection only.
Based on these findings, I created a persona to guide the design process
3. Design
Flows
I began the design process by mapping out the end-to-end journeys for core features in FigJam, helping the team visualize the holistic experience and identify opportunities to reduce friction. After reviewing the flows, we were able to reduce the number of steps to about half using technical workarounds and progressive disclosure.
Wireframes
Look & Feel
Designs had to prioritize features that commonly came up during the research phase: social media sharing options, community integration, information about fees, and options to operate anonymously (via Telegram or wallet log in).
I began by sketching a few key features and screens. Then, I created low-fi wireframes and presented them to the team to get buy-in and ensure designs met technical constraints. With some adjustments, I moved on to creating a design system for efficient iteration and developer handoff.
To create a marketable product, we chose a palette that aligned with current Web3 design trends. The inspiration for the primary and secondary colors came from the existing Ante Labs logo (a purple to blue gradient).
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I chose a white background with minimalist UI to highlight CTAs and key messages.
The typeface is Barlow, an elegant, no nonsense font that can appeal to a wide range of audiences.
UI Iterations
Early hi-fi version
I began by creating initial hi-fi mockups and presenting them to the team for feedback. After a few rounds of internal iteration, I created a prototype for user testing. Based on user feedback, I made some improvements to the UX (switching steps in the commitment creation/joining journeys) and numerous changes to the UI, focusing on improving ease of use. An example is discussed in depth below.
Final version
Added visual progress bar. Edited step order to align with user mental models (stake type before settlement type).
Changed radio buttons to toggle button. Made crypto stake default, removing extra step for vast majority of users.
Moved optional information into overlay to remove noise and highlight critical messaging. Added necessary friction via checkbox to avoid sense of “surprise fee” later in process.
Changed copy to better align with target user language. Changed link to button for improved usability.
Created consistent copy. Standardized font style & colours.
We initially assumed users understood that committing Antes onchain won't require fees. Testing proved us wrong - even crypto experts were confused about possible fees, so a visual was added to clarify.
4. Test
Although discussed separately in this case study, testing occurred concurrently with the design phase. I conducted several rounds of user testing with a total of 9 target users recruited from the company network and the online crypto communities I'd joined at the start of the project.
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Testing focused on:
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Is the flow easy and intuitive? Does the UI clearly translate functionality?
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Is the product value proposition clear?
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Do users have the information they need to feel confident staking assets on the platform?
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Would users share MyAnte with friends and acquaintances on social media?
Findings & solutions summary
Problem: Users missed critical information needed to complete key tasks (holding period, fees, etc) available on the page. It seemed like key text was getting lost in the 'noise.'
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Solution: Moved non-critical text into overlays, added necessary friction, streamlined text & added visual explainers where possible.
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Problem: User where confused about what certain options meant for their commitments/bets (i.e 1 v. 1 vs group commitments, settlement types, payout options)
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Solution: Added defaults & advanced settings, suggestion & explainer text, info overlays, and made sure copy aligned with language used by target audiences.
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Problem: Confusion around product value prop.
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Solution: Improved marketing copy on launch page, added 'Learn More' overlay, added FAQ & contact options in menu.
Outcome &Prototype
After developer handoff, I conducted QA testing to ensure my designs translated in the developer environment, and made several adjustments to accommodate unforeseen technical challenges.
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The app has since undergone several changes but the prototype below shows what the final product looked like in 2023.
Learnings
This was a really exciting project that helped me grow as a designer. One of the key learnings (and my favorite parts) was being involved in the entire process and having an impact at every stage. This project taught me to think holistically about the product development process, including how design can impact sales and marketing. Additionally, as the sole designer on the project, I learned to trust my instincts and feel more confident in my skills.