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- 1 Web3 developers’ need to focus on security and error prevention often downgrades user experience.
- 2 Designers believe poor UX/UI serves as the major hindrance in the mass adoption of Web3.
Over the years, Web3 ecosystem has witnessed countless developments and innovations. Most of them focused on improving crypto’s user experience (UX) including ease of use. Despite these advancements, mainstream adoption of Web3 is still difficult.
In recent news, many UX designers have compared the current UX of Web3 to driving a manual transmission car. As per them, although there is more control over the Web3 UX, users can find it unnecessarily cumbersome. Designers also pointed out differences in the aspects of Web2 and Web3 that sparked some lively discussions on Twitter.
“If Web2 is an automated car, Web3 is like a driving stick,” says a UX/UI Designer
On July 12, 2023, a Web3 UX/UI designer with username, 0xDesigner, posted a tweet on his official handle. In the detailed post, they listed features of Web3 UX that might be responsible for its poorer performance as compared to Web2 UX. In their viewpoint, the framework of blockchains is a major challenge in creating easy-to-use Web2-like applications in Web3 space.
Web2 vs Web3 UX
— 0xDesigner (@0xDesigner) July 12, 2023
I was asked by a reporter from a crypto publication about the disparity between web2 and web3 UX. It’s a meaningful line of questioning that isn't covered enough. So I’m going to share some half-baked thoughts in hopes that it triggers more discourse.
Why is…
As per 0xDesigner, one of the major issues with Web3 UX is “permanence.” They noted that every action on the blockchain is irreversible, without an option to undo it. Hence, every mistake users make on Web3 UX is ‘expensive’, a highly unlikely scenario in Web2. To prevent costly errors and maintain security, user convenience often comes at a lower position in the priority list of product teams. Although the choice is feasible, it demands more cognitive effort from the user base.
In order to make them commit fewer errors and feel more in control, a clear explanation regarding the technicalities of the infrastructure is essential. However, this, in turn, requires users to have upfront knowledge of the system, which ultimately impedes mass Web3 adoption.
By presenting an analogy, 0xDesigner said, “Think of it this way: Web2 is like driving an automatic car. It’s straightforward; you get in, press the pedal and off you go. Web3, on the other hand, is more like a driving stick.” They further added, “You need to understand the gears, and the clutch, and constantly monitor the tachometer; otherwise, you’ll damage the transmission or stall the car.”
Pondering on whether Web3 space lacks talented UX designers, the Twitter user stated, “From what I’ve seen, most product teams are engineering driven.” They noted that the low ratios of designers to developers in Web3 in contrast to Web2, eventually results in more technically focused solutions. In Web3, mainly in financial apps, closer attention is provided to security and error prevention rather than UX/UI enhancements.
The Enigma of Web3 UX Faced by UX/UI Designers
The prominent way to increase mass adoption of Web3 is to simplify the user experience. However, building secured Web3 applications without snatching some control from users is still quite complex. This in itself poses a paradox to Web3 UX/UI designers who are striving to offer a seamless experience to users worldwide.
Thomas Ling, former user interface (UI) designer for gaming studio Riot Games and blockchain firm Immutable, shared his thoughts on the issue. In an interview, Ling recently mentioned that Web3’s emphasis on user ownership and control adds more layers of complexities to the backend.
On a similar note to 0xDesigner, Ling said as opposed to Web2 apps, Web3 apps need to display every step to the users for them to complete a desired action. These complications limit designers from creating intuitive interfaces for users. “It’s a bit of a paradox,” he stated, adding, “By making Web3 flows simpler, we have to take away some control from the user, which starts to take away from the point of Web3.”
According to 0xDesigner, the mass adoption of Web3 can be accomplished in the next crypto cycle by making the crypto part invisible to users. He mentioned crypto projects like Coinbase, and Moonpay, which are taking crypto behind the scenes and making Web3 adoption easier for users without them needing explicit knowledge.
Nancy J. Allen is a crypto enthusiast, with a major in macroeconomics and minor in business statistics. She believes that cryptocurrencies inspire people to be their own banks, and step aside from traditional monetary exchange systems. She is also intrigued by blockchain technology and its functioning. She frequently researches, and posts content on the top altcoins, their theoretical working principles and technical price predictions.
