Last updated on July 6th, 2023 at 11:56 am
As technology continues to blossom, there is a deeper need for companies to employ user experience designers to improve the experience of their clients on their apps, websites, and so on. The World is fast-paced, and consumers want only the best services and experience when they are on a website or using an app. If the website takes a long time to load, it could discourage the users and make them opt for the competition. The same can be said for the blockchain world. Competition in the blockchain space, as DeFi protocols and NFT platforms, have to do everything to ensure that their clients enjoy their time using their services.
For the above to happen, blockchain-based platforms are seeing the need to employ user experience professionals, like UX designers, UX writers, UX researchers, and so on. User experience is the interaction that users of products experience when they use them. As a broad view, the field analyzes every aspect of the product and the way users will feel when they encounter it. The entire purpose of a user experience designer is to create a product or service that people will want to use for a long time. If it is a website used to display the services and products of a DeFi platform, users should easily navigate through it and enjoy the entire process. For a decentralized app that offers crypto exchange services, users should be able to purchase tokens and carry out trades without stress. This means that there is a high demand for UX designers. To be an astute user experience designer, the person should be able to carry out intense market research, understand the act of product development, create strategies that will improve the product and process, and so on. They act as the link between the DeFi, NFT, and DAO ecosystem and the clients, and to do this, they have to anticipate the needs of the latter and ensure that they are satisfied.
Similar Roles to UX Design
When people mention the term, ‘UX design, they tend to confuse it with UI design. Many feel that they are synonymous, which is erroneous. Both may work hand-in-hand, but they are different from each other. Though they have been used interchangeably, they are not the same thing.
User interface means the actual interface that the user interacts with when they use the product. When a client navigates through a website or app, the user interface is that part that they touch when they browse. It includes every aspect that makes up the visual design like the hues of the web application, the animations that the user sees, and so on.
The major duty of a UI designer is to create the different parts of an app like the dashboard that the client uses. A UI designer is expected to be adept in using prototyping and design frameworks like InVision, Figma, Adobe XD, and Sketch. Some blockchain-based companies tend to hire designers that know both user interface and user experience, which is not surprising because both are needed to improve the user experience of community members.
Job Description of UX Designers
Every company, including decentralized finance or NFT platforms, that hire UX designers expect that they carry out some tasks, which will be discussed below.
Analyze the user experience of existing apps
Regularly, new tenets and principles guiding user experience change, meaning that a UX designer has to always analyze existing apps, and see what aspects need to be altered. Users tend to get tired of the same old app. Sometimes, clients may have complaints about the way a blockchain website or app makes them feel. They may feel that an aspect of the app is quite cumbersome to use or seems like one of Hercules’ burdens. The job of a user experience designer is to take note of those issues on a decentralized app or website and find ways to make the process a lot easier. For example, in a decentralized crypto exchange, the user experience designer looks at an aspect of an app, and wonders if a newbie that has never used an exchange can seamlessly navigate through it. They tend to cut short any unnecessary elements that make the experience poor.
Undergo intense research with online tools
As earlier mentioned, the user experience space is always changing, and this means that UX designers have to be on top of these changes. They have to research new ways to improve the experience of community members when they use a product or service. Is there a better way to structure the yield farming website? Are there other decentralized apps that are making the process easier? How are they doing this? They have to always research with online tools like screen readers to know if a part of the app or website is not fulfilling its purpose easily and nip it in the bud. Sometimes, user experience designers work with UX researchers or even writers to do this. In other cases, they are expected to understand the aforementioned tasks and perform them in the line of their duties. The job description of a UX designer may cut across that of a UX researcher and a UX writer.
Create and maintain design wireframes
When a new app is about to be designed or an existing one wants to be maintained, a UX designer is expected to develop the mock-ups or alter them as the case may be. The wireframes have to possess the necessary specifications that the application or website will possess.
Creating UI specifications
UI and UX work hand in hand, and it is the duty of a user experience designer to develop the specifications of a user interface and send it to the UI designer to use in creating the design of the elements in the app or website.
Skillset of a UX Designer
A blockchain UX designer has to possess some skills if they are to successfully complete their job descriptions.
Creative spirit
The fact that the term ‘design’ is incorporated in the job title goes to show the intense need for a UX designer to be highly creative. They have to come up with intriguing ideas that could improve the experience of users.
Knowledge of basic programming
Though programming and coding may not be necessary as a UX designer, it is believed that a basic knowledge of front-end languages may not be a bad idea.
Understand the blockchain space
As a UX designer, in-depth knowledge of blockchain technology, crypto, NFTs, and the likes are necessary. They have to understand what users of those ecosystems want to experience when they use the NFT marketplace to mint an NFT and list it for sale or a DeFi app to fund a liquidity pool and so on.
Attention to detail
A UX designer in this realm should be able to notice the smallest details. The blockchain space is fierce and fast-paced, meaning that users may not want to give a platform a second chance if they notice a mistake or an issue in their product design. When potential crypto investor wants to buy a new token, they tend to visit the website of the project. If they feel that the website is crappy, they invariably view the project as a scam.
Companies That Hire Blockchain UX Designer
Every blockchain-based company with a decentralized app, website or any type of product need the services of a blockchain user experience designer. Community members use the products that these platforms create, and before they are created, a UX designer is needed to ensure that the users enjoy every aspect.
How Can You Become a Blockchain UX Designer?
There are different routes that a person can use in learning how to be an astute blockchain UX designer. Some may decide to head to a university to take a design class. Others may opt for online resources, which may be free or paid.
A great place to start out is YouTube. There is a myriad of instructors with educational videos to steer people in the right direction. Online courses like Coursera and Khan Academy have the necessary tools to aid the process.
UX Designer Salary
According to Cryptocurrency Jobs,
“The average base salary for a blockchain UI/UX designer in Canada is $55,000 per year, with a low base salary of $45,000 and a high base salary of $65,000.
The average base salary for a blockchain UI/UX designer in Europe is $77,000 per year, with a low base salary of $50,000 and a high base salary of $110,000.
The average base salary for a remote blockchain UI/UX designer is $75,000 per year, with a low base salary of $40,000 and a high base salary of $110,000.
The average base salary for a blockchain UI/UX designer in the US is $107,500 per year, with a low base salary of $80,000 and a high base salary of $140,000.”
In Conclusion,
- UX design is sometimes interchanged with UI design.
- Becoming a blockchain UI designer is feasible, as long as the necessary resources are used.
- Every blockchain-based platform needs a UX designer.
- The major purpose of a UX designer is to improve the experience of users of an app or website.
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