What is Web3?

Web3 refers to the next evolution of the internet, characterized by decentralized protocols and blockchain technology. It empowers users with increased control over their data, fostering trust, transparency, and decentralized applications (DApps). Web3 aims to reshape digital interactions, promoting a more inclusive, secure, and user-centric online environment.

Web2 is the current internet era, centralized and controlled by a few entities. Unlike Web2, where central entities control data, Web3 aims for a trustless, peer-to-peer system. It integrates cryptocurrencies, smart contracts, and decentralized applications, fostering transparency and security. Users have more control over their data and interactions, reducing reliance on intermediaries. This paradigm shift envisions a user-centric, open, and permissionless internet, enabling decentralized finance, non-fungible tokens, and decentralized autonomous organizations.

_{"Web3 is about putting the user in control. It's about creating a more open and inclusive internet, where individuals own their data and have greater autonomy."}

^{— Gavin Wood,
Co-founder of Ethereum and creator of Polkadot and Kusama}

Decentralization in Web3 refers to the distribution of control across a network, moving away from centralized authorities. Utilizing blockchain technology, Web3 fosters peer-to-peer interactions, removing reliance on a single entity. Smart contracts automate processes, reducing the need for intermediaries. Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and tokenization enable trustless and censorship-resistant financial systems. This paradigm shift aims to enhance security, transparency, and inclusivity, with participants collectively maintaining the network, ensuring resilience, and minimizing the risk of a single point of failure. Interoperability allows different systems to collaborate seamlessly, promoting a more open and interconnected digital ecosystem.

Designing for Web3

While adopting this technology, it is important to understand its principles, development architecture and limitations to effectively design the product makeup and user flows that can account for them.

How Polkassembly works?

Polkassembly is a decentralized governance platform and forum built on Substrate, which is a blockchain development framework associated with the Polkadot network. Polkassembly is designed to facilitate community discussions, decision-making processes, and proposals related to the governance of the Polkadot ecosystem.

The goal of Polkassembly is to enable hosting of a decentralized, transparent, and inclusive process for making decisions about the direction and development of the Polkadot and Kusama network along with its parachains. It is a platform where users can propose and vote on changes to the network, such as updates to the protocol, the addition of new features, or the allocation of funds.

Users who hold a certain amount of the platform's native cryptocurrency are eligible to participate in on-chain governance on Polkassembly by proposing and voting on proposals. This is done through on-chain voting, which means that the voting process is recorded on the blockchain and is transparent and verifiable.

Importance of On- Chain Governance

On-chain governance in Web3 refers to the practice of making decisions related to a blockchain protocol or decentralized application directly on the blockchain itself. This approach contrasts with traditional off-chain governance, where decisions are made through external processes or forums.

UX Challenges

Polkassembly is a decentralized governance platform rooted in the Polkadot ecosystem. Functioning as a community-driven forum, it facilitates discussions, decision-making, and proposals related to the governance of the Polkadot network. Users, often token holders, actively engage in the democratic process, submitting and voting on proposals that influence protocol upgrades, parameter changes, and resource allocations. With a transparent and auditable on-chain governance model, Polkassembly empowers the Polkadot community to participate directly in shaping the evolution of the network. It serves as a pivotal space for open discourse, fostering a decentralized and inclusive approach to governance within the dynamic Web3 landscape.

Polkassembly, while instrumental in Polkadot's decentralized governance, grapples with notable UX challenges. Users often struggle to locate features, like child bounties, causing frustration and hindering engagement. The voting process can be confusing, posing a barrier to effective participation. Navigating the site proves challenging, impacting overall user satisfaction. Given its extensive user base, the platform's UX must prioritize clarity and accessibility to ensure a positive experience. Addressing these challenges is pivotal for fostering widespread user understanding, encouraging active involvement, and solidifying Polkassembly as an effective hub for Polkadot's community-driven decision-making.

With an average of 1000 new users registering everyday, it was essential that the platform redesign its sitemap and information architecture to better serve the user community.

UX Audit

Conducting a thorough UX audit on the Polkassembly platform, we employed user interviews, heuristic evaluations, and competitor analyses. This multifaceted approach provided rich insights, informing our design process. By identifying strengths, weaknesses, and industry benchmarks, we strategically enhanced the user experience for greater effectiveness and user satisfaction.

Our approach to enhancing the Polkassembly platform involved user interviews and heuristic evaluations. Engaging with users and stakeholders provided valuable insights into their expectations and experiences. User interviews illuminated usability issues and expectations, while heuristic evaluations systematically assessed the platform's design. This dual strategy informed strategic improvements, optimizing the user experience and addressing pain points. Insights from users and evaluative analyses became integral to refining the platform's design, ensuring it aligns with user needs.

Conducting a thorough competitor analysis for Polkassembly involved examining analogous players in the Web3 space. We scrutinized key attributes, functionalities, and user experiences of comparable platforms. This data formed the basis for feature mapping, allowing us to delineate Polkassembly's unique offerings and identify areas for improvement. Subsequently, a perceptual map was crafted, visualizing the platform's position relative to competitors based on criteria like governance mechanisms and community engagement.

Refining Website Navigation

In response to significant navigation challenges on Polkassembly, we initiated a redesign based on insights from our audit. We meticulously crafted a new sitemap, focusing on coherence and intuitiveness. The redesign aimed to create seamless user flows for diverse segments, addressing distinct use cases. By strategically grouping elements, we ensured that users, armed with a clearer navigation structure, could effortlessly engage with the platform.

Visual Design System

Following wireframing and navigation setup, we developed a comprehensive visual guide encompassing typography, color palette, and explorations of icons and illustrations. This guide ensured consistency and coherence in the platform's aesthetics, enhancing user experience. Iterative exploration allowed us to refine and align visual elements with the platform's identity, facilitating clear communication and intuitive interaction for users.

Once the visual style guide was established, our attention seamlessly transitioned towards refining the layout and navigation style. This strategic move aimed at elevating the overall user experience, ensuring a harmonious blend of aesthetics and functionality.

After meticulously designing the navigation and main dashboard of Polkassembly, our focus seamlessly shifted to optimizing the layout of all pages. Embracing a two-column structure, this strategic modification aimed at enhancing user engagement and visual appeal. The transition ensured a cohesive and organized presentation, elevating the overall usability of the platform for a diverse user base.