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Merit Circle Staking V2

Helping Web 3.0 enthusiasts earn rewards through crypto staking

My Role

Discovery, Visual & Product Design,

UX Research

Team

Bolu Obisanya, Product Designer

and other Stakeholders; Engineering, Product,

Year

2022

I redesigned Merit Circle’s staking platform from the ground up, simplifying a complex token locking system into a clear and responsive experience. I partnered with Product and Engineering to launch the new staking flow, contributing to $100M+ in value staked and 60K+ active users post-release.

Context

Charting a fresh course for Merit Circle staking

Merit Circle as a DAO ensures that every member of the community has a voice and a say in the governance of the DAO. So for any decision to be made, proposals are put forward , and votes are cast. This process ensures transparency and a democratic decision-making process, which helps to validate the needs of the members of the DAO.

COMMUNITY VOTING PROCESS

Timeline

Planning the project’s lifecyle

The plan for the project was for us to design, develop and launch within four weeks. We went from research all the way to launch within that short space of time.

PROJECT TIMELINE

The initial approach was to conduct discussion-based surveys to gain insights into how DAO members were interacting with and experiencing the current staking platform.

 

We held a survey to get some quantitative analysis on what needed to improve on the staking platform functionality wise. The blockchain is an emerging space, and that means a lot of evolution and growth.

 

As a team, we had assumptions. However, we needed to make sure it matched with the needs of the community.

Research insight

Taking in feedback from the community

Lack of Diverse Staking Options — The current staking model was limited, and there was need for more choices or variations in staking options to cater to different preferences within the community.

Undefined Locking Periods — The duration for which staking rewards were locked wasn’t clearly defined or optimized, which was affecting user engagement and commitment.

Unexplored Pool Strategies — There was need to explore new strategies for staking pools, possibly introducing single-sided staking or different LP pairings to enhance user experience and participation.

Subsidy and Revenue Distribution Uncertainty — Determining the balance between fixed and variable subsidies and the distribution of DAO revenue to stakers was unclear, this impacted incentives for staking participation.

Uncertain Long-Term Liquidity Strategy — Creating mechanisms for establishing and maintaining long-term protocol-owned liquidity was an area that required attention and development within the DAO.

Goals

Optimize staking platform for diverse participation and sustainable growth

From the quantitative analysis we got a better understanding of what we needed to change and fix. Most of the changes bordered the way the staking platform operated. The current model wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t great.

MC/ETH LP Pairing Asset — MC/ETH was chosen as the main liquidity staking pool to receive part of the DAO’s staking rewards.

Undefined Locking Periods — Uniswap v2 was chosen as the preferred choice of platform for Liquidity pool staking.

Unexplored Pool Strategies — The maximum lock period for the $MC/ETH and $MC pools was set to 48 months.

Uncertain Long-Term Liquidity Strategy — We agreed that the current interface needed work and had to be cohesive with Merit Circle’s visual identity.

UX Audit

Taking stock of issues through familiar frameworks

I undertook an audit of the platform to uncover possible ux issues within the system using the heuristic analysis framework. It helped me identify gaps within the platform and understand how they could affect the overall experience of our community members.

OLD DESIGN

Heuristics not followed?

I uncovered quite a few things after the UX audit. It helped us figure out what aspects of the platform needed fixing.

1

2

1

Too Much White Space

 

While the use of whitespace is good, it should be used properly. It wasn’t serving its function here. It was way too much

2

No Help or Documentation

 

There was zero documentation and information for for newbies to understand more complex terminologies easily.

4

3

3

Little visibility of system status

 

There was little breakdown and feedback of what was going on in the system, rewards and tokens. Only value you were given was how much you’ve staked, claimed and the current $MC price.

4

Complex and decorative design

 

The old design used gradients in the background, which made it look a bit clunky.

Anything else need switching up?

Lack of consistency and standards

Prior to working on the staking platform, I had started working on redefining the overall visual language of all Merit Circle products. The staking platform was next up on the list.

Treasury user interface aligned with visual language.

Staking user interface didn’t align with visual language.

Optimization

Pushing through the rubbles

Userflow & Information Architecture

We sat down to discuss how the experience of the platform would work in terms of flow.

USER FLOW

Sketches & Wireframes

We tried to reimagine how the new staking platform could look with the information we had extracted from our meetings with the team. One thing that we were big on though was multiple iterations, we made sure that for every page or component we had as many options to choose from, and we made design decisions based on sound UX principles.

WIREFRAMES

MORE WIREFRAMES

Speed bumps

What didn’t work?

We hit a few bumps along the way

We had started to flesh out the visual side as the initial features were defined. However, we had no idea that this would be the start of a journey that would be filled with ups and downs. We got some more request to make changes to the platform’s experience, making the project stronger than ever.

Staking update

The fact that we were migrating from v1 to v2, and this is a platform that deals with people’s money. There was an apparent need for transparency.

 

We initially planned to keep the new pools on the platform, but we quickly realized that it was an issue for the community. We had to migrate the pools that were from the v1 platform and that meant we also had to differentiate the v1 and v2 pools.

Old Iteration

New Iteration

SABI MARKET NEW DESIGN

Vesting was changed to “rewards”

The initial design for the vesting feature presented a list of rewards derived from a user's staked assets that were available for withdrawal. However, this design had limitations.

 

One issue was that it merely provided a long list of vestable MC tokens, but it lacked a comprehensive overview. Users were not provided with a clear understanding of their progress, and the manual withdrawal of vestable tokens was required, even if multiple tokens were available for withdrawal.

 

This necessitated a reassessment of the entire vesting page concept. We subsequently devised a different solution, incorporating a single button for claiming all vestable tokens, information on locked rewards, and a more comprehensive overview in general.

See vesting change

OLD VESTING DESIGN

Moving Parts

A new way to manage your staking portfolio

Overview

The Overview page is a central feature and provides in a single view all the necessary information about the system and its development activities. Be it an important topic or an upcoming event, the users stay connected and engaged with the latest trends within the Merit Circle community, securing them a spot at the hub of all happenings.

OVERVIEW PAGE

Dashboard

Through Dashboard, users will not only be able to see their portfolio in the Merit Circle ecosystem, but also will have their own control center with a bird’s eye view of it. Hence, they can easily track all of their staking activities, and avail the information such as the amount staked and the rewards for withdrawal. 

 

By using the interactive visualization tools, the customers can analyze their portfolio and get the insights that will be helpful for them in planning and making financial decisions.

DASHBOARD PAGE

Staking

The staking page introduces users to the available staking platforms that will give them the freedom to stake within Merit Circle's ecosystem. Users can effortlessly evaluate all the lists of pools that are ready for staking MC tokens, and determine the best staking options from this list to increase their staking profits. 

 

The simple and convenient navigation along with the secure real-time updates allow the users to participate in staking activities without fear and this leads towards the growth and sustainability of the Merit Circle network.

STAKING PAGE

STAKING PAGE

Rewards

Commitment to transparency and accountability of the Rewards Page provides users with a complete insight into their cashback journey within the Merit Circle ecosystem. 

 

Here, users could track the status of the rewards they have collected, such as locked, unlocked, and claimed amounts, in addition to a graphical representation of their reward history. By having clear and concise information at their beck and call, users can track their advancement and celebrate their success.

REWARD PAGE

Looking back

Retrospective

Adapting to change in the startup environment

We were given just three weeks to complete the project and create a platform that would be user-friendly and intuitive for users.

 

However, as the team began to work on the design, we encountered many challenges. New information about the platform kept springing up, which required the team to make a few changes to the design. We tried to keep up with the constantly evolving requirements.

 

Despite the limited time frame, we were determined to create a platform that would meet the needs of their users. We worked long hours and put in extra effort to stay ahead of the curve and make the necessary changes to the design.

In the end, we succeeded in creating a staking platform that was both user-friendly and functional.

 

We learned that even when faced with challenges and limited time frames, with determination and hard work, we could create something truly remarkable. The experience we gained while designing Merit Circle’s staking platform helped us to become even better designers.

Up Next: Indigo Design System

Home

Merit Circle Staking V2

Helping Web 3.0 enthusiasts earn rewards through crypto staking

My Role

Discovery, Visual & Product Design,

UX Research

Team

Bolu Obisanya, Product Designer

and other Stakeholders; Engineering, Product,

Year

2022

I redesigned Merit Circle’s staking platform from the ground up, simplifying a complex token locking system into a clear and responsive experience. I partnered with Product and Engineering to launch the new staking flow, contributing to $100M+ in value staked and 60K+ active users post-release.

Context

Charting a fresh course for Merit Circle staking

Merit Circle as a DAO ensures that every member of the community has a voice and a say in the governance of the DAO. So for any decision to be made, proposals are put forward , and votes are cast. This process ensures transparency and a democratic decision-making process, which helps to validate the needs of the members of the DAO.

COMMUNITY VOTING PROCESS

Timeline

Planning the project’s lifecyle

The plan for the project was for us to design, develop and launch within four weeks. We went from research all the way to launch within that short space of time.

PROJECT TIMELINE

The initial approach was to conduct discussion-based surveys to gain insights into how DAO members were interacting with and experiencing the current staking platform.

 

We held a survey to get some quantitative analysis on what needed to improve on the staking platform functionality wise. The blockchain is an emerging space, and that means a lot of evolution and growth.

 

As a team, we had assumptions. However, we needed to make sure it matched with the needs of the community.

Research insight

Taking in feedback from the community

Lack of Diverse Staking Options — The current staking model was limited, and there was need for more choices or variations in staking options to cater to different preferences within the community.

Undefined Locking Periods — The duration for which staking rewards were locked wasn’t clearly defined or optimized, which was affecting user engagement and commitment.

Unexplored Pool Strategies — There was need to explore new strategies for staking pools, possibly introducing single-sided staking or different LP pairings to enhance user experience and participation.

Subsidy and Revenue Distribution Uncertainty — Determining the balance between fixed and variable subsidies and the distribution of DAO revenue to stakers was unclear, this impacted incentives for staking participation.

Uncertain Long-Term Liquidity Strategy — Creating mechanisms for establishing and maintaining long-term protocol-owned liquidity was an area that required attention and development within the DAO.

Goals

Optimize staking platform for diverse participation and sustainable growth

From the quantitative analysis we got a better understanding of what we needed to change and fix. Most of the changes bordered the way the staking platform operated. The current model wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t great.

MC/ETH LP Pairing Asset — MC/ETH was chosen as the main liquidity staking pool to receive part of the DAO’s staking rewards.

Undefined Locking Periods — Uniswap v2 was chosen as the preferred choice of platform for Liquidity pool staking.

Unexplored Pool Strategies — The maximum lock period for the $MC/ETH and $MC pools was set to 48 months.

Uncertain Long-Term Liquidity Strategy — We agreed that the current interface needed work and had to be cohesive with Merit Circle’s visual identity.

UX Audit

Taking stock of issues through familiar frameworks

I undertook an audit of the platform to uncover possible ux issues within the system using the heuristic analysis framework. It helped me identify gaps within the platform and understand how they could affect the overall experience of our community members.

OLD DESIGN

Heuristics not followed?

I uncovered quite a few things after the UX audit. It helped us figure out what aspects of the platform needed fixing.

1

2

1

Too Much White Space

 

While the use of whitespace is good, it should be used properly. It wasn’t serving its function here. It was way too much

2

No Help or Documentation

 

There was zero documentation and information for for newbies to understand more complex terminologies easily.

4

3

3

Little visibility of system status

 

There was little breakdown and feedback of what was going on in the system, rewards and tokens. Only value you were given was how much you’ve staked, claimed and the current $MC price.

4

Complex and decorative design

 

The old design used gradients in the background, which made it look a bit clunky.

Anything else need switching up?

Lack of consistency and standards

Prior to working on the staking platform, I had started working on redefining the overall visual language of all Merit Circle products. The staking platform was next up on the list.

Treasury user interface aligned with visual language.

Staking user interface didn’t align with visual language.

Optimization

Pushing through the rubbles

Userflow & Information Architecture

We sat down to discuss how the experience of the platform would work in terms of flow.

USER FLOW

Sketches & Wireframes

We tried to reimagine how the new staking platform could look with the information we had extracted from our meetings with the team. One thing that we were big on though was multiple iterations, we made sure that for every page or component we had as many options to choose from, and we made design decisions based on sound UX principles.

WIREFRAMES

MORE WIREFRAMES

Speed bumps

What didn’t work?

We hit a few bumps along the way

We had started to flesh out the visual side as the initial features were defined. However, we had no idea that this would be the start of a journey that would be filled with ups and downs. We got some more request to make changes to the platform’s experience, making the project stronger than ever.

Staking update

The fact that we were migrating from v1 to v2, and this is a platform that deals with people’s money. There was an apparent need for transparency.

 

We initially planned to keep the new pools on the platform, but we quickly realized that it was an issue for the community. We had to migrate the pools that were from the v1 platform and that meant we also had to differentiate the v1 and v2 pools.

Old Iteration

New Iteration

SABI MARKET NEW DESIGN

Vesting was changed to “rewards”

The initial design for the vesting feature presented a list of rewards derived from a user's staked assets that were available for withdrawal. However, this design had limitations.

 

One issue was that it merely provided a long list of vestable MC tokens, but it lacked a comprehensive overview. Users were not provided with a clear understanding of their progress, and the manual withdrawal of vestable tokens was required, even if multiple tokens were available for withdrawal.

 

This necessitated a reassessment of the entire vesting page concept. We subsequently devised a different solution, incorporating a single button for claiming all vestable tokens, information on locked rewards, and a more comprehensive overview in general.

See vesting change

OLD VESTING DESIGN

Moving Parts

A new way to manage your staking portfolio

Overview

The Overview page is a central feature and provides in a single view all the necessary information about the system and its development activities. Be it an important topic or an upcoming event, the users stay connected and engaged with the latest trends within the Merit Circle community, securing them a spot at the hub of all happenings.

OVERVIEW PAGE

Dashboard

Through Dashboard, users will not only be able to see their portfolio in the Merit Circle ecosystem, but also will have their own control center with a bird’s eye view of it. Hence, they can easily track all of their staking activities, and avail the information such as the amount staked and the rewards for withdrawal. 

 

By using the interactive visualization tools, the customers can analyze their portfolio and get the insights that will be helpful for them in planning and making financial decisions.

DASHBOARD PAGE

Staking

The staking page introduces users to the available staking platforms that will give them the freedom to stake within Merit Circle's ecosystem. Users can effortlessly evaluate all the lists of pools that are ready for staking MC tokens, and determine the best staking options from this list to increase their staking profits. 

 

The simple and convenient navigation along with the secure real-time updates allow the users to participate in staking activities without fear and this leads towards the growth and sustainability of the Merit Circle network.

STAKING PAGE

STAKING PAGE

Rewards

Commitment to transparency and accountability of the Rewards Page provides users with a complete insight into their cashback journey within the Merit Circle ecosystem. 

 

Here, users could track the status of the rewards they have collected, such as locked, unlocked, and claimed amounts, in addition to a graphical representation of their reward history. By having clear and concise information at their beck and call, users can track their advancement and celebrate their success.

REWARD PAGE

Looking back

Retrospective

Adapting to change in the startup environment

We were given just three weeks to complete the project and create a platform that would be user-friendly and intuitive for users.

 

However, as the team began to work on the design, we encountered many challenges. New information about the platform kept springing up, which required the team to make a few changes to the design. We tried to keep up with the constantly evolving requirements.

 

Despite the limited time frame, we were determined to create a platform that would meet the needs of their users. We worked long hours and put in extra effort to stay ahead of the curve and make the necessary changes to the design.

In the end, we succeeded in creating a staking platform that was both user-friendly and functional.

 

We learned that even when faced with challenges and limited time frames, with determination and hard work, we could create something truly remarkable. The experience we gained while designing Merit Circle’s staking platform helped us to become even better designers.

Up Next: Indigo Design System

Home

Merit Circle Staking V2

Helping Web 3.0 enthusiasts earn rewards through crypto staking

My Role

Discovery, Visual & Product Design,

UX Research

Team

Bolu Obisanya, Product Designer

Archie Hicklin, Product Designer

and other Stakeholders; Engineering, Product,

Year

2022

I redesigned Merit Circle’s staking platform from the ground up, simplifying a complex token locking system into a clear and responsive experience. I partnered with Product and Engineering to launch the new staking flow, contributing to $100M+ in value staked and 60K+ active users post-release.

Context

Charting a fresh course for Merit Circle staking

Merit Circle as a DAO ensures that every member of the community has a voice and a say in the governance of the DAO. So for any decision to be made, proposals are put forward , and votes are cast. This process ensures transparency and a democratic decision-making process, which helps to validate the needs of the members of the DAO.

COMMUNITY VOTING PROCESS

Timeline

Planning the project’s lifecyle

The plan for the project was for us to design, develop and launch within four weeks. We went from research all the way to launch within that short space of time.

PROJECT TIMELINE

Research insight

Taking in feedback from the community

The initial approach was to conduct discussion-based surveys to gain insights into how DAO members were interacting with and experiencing the current staking platform.

 

We held a survey to get some quantitative analysis on what needed to improve on the staking platform functionality wise. The blockchain is an emerging space, and that means a lot of evolution and growth.

 

As a team, we had assumptions. However, we needed to make sure it matched with the needs of the community.

Lack of Diverse Staking Options — The current staking model was limited, and there was need for more choices or variations in staking options to cater to different preferences within the community.

Undefined Locking Periods — The duration for which staking rewards were locked wasn’t clearly defined or optimized, which was affecting user engagement and commitment.

Unexplored Pool Strategies — There was need to explore new strategies for staking pools, possibly introducing single-sided staking or different LP pairings to enhance user experience and participation.

Subsidy and Revenue Distribution Uncertainty — Determining the balance between fixed and variable subsidies and the distribution of DAO revenue to stakers was unclear, this impacted incentives for staking participation.

Uncertain Long-Term Liquidity Strategy — Creating mechanisms for establishing and maintaining long-term protocol-owned liquidity was an area that required attention and development within the DAO.

Goals

Optimize staking platform for diverse participation and sustainable growth

From the quantitative analysis we got a better understanding of what we needed to change and fix. Most of the changes bordered the way the staking platform operated. The current model wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t great.

MC/ETH LP Pairing Asset — MC/ETH was chosen as the main liquidity staking pool to receive part of the DAO’s staking rewards.

Undefined Locking Periods — Uniswap v2 was chosen as the preferred choice of platform for Liquidity pool staking.

Unexplored Pool Strategies — The maximum lock period for the $MC/ETH and $MC pools was set to 48 months.

Uncertain Long-Term Liquidity Strategy — We agreed that the current interface needed work and had to be cohesive with Merit Circle’s visual identity.

UX Audit

Taking stock of issues through familiar frameworks

I undertook an audit of the platform to uncover possible ux issues within the system using the heuristic analysis framework. It helped me identify gaps within the platform and understand how they could affect the overall experience of our community members.

OLD DESIGN

Heuristics not followed?

I uncovered quite a few things after the UX audit. It helped us figure out what aspects of the platform needed fixing.

1

2

1

Too Much White Space

 

While the use of whitespace is good, it should be used properly. It wasn’t serving its function here. It was way too much

2

No Help or Documentation

 

There was zero documentation and information for for newbies to understand more complex terminologies easily.

4

3

3

Little visibility of system status

 

There was little breakdown and feedback of what was going on in the system, rewards and tokens. Only value you were given was how much you’ve staked, claimed and the current $MC price.

4

Complex and decorative design

 

The old design used gradients in the background, which made it look a bit clunky.

Anything else need switching up?

Lack of consistency and standards

Prior to working on the staking platform, I had started working on redefining the overall visual language of all Merit Circle products. The staking platform was next up on the list.

Treasury user interface aligned with visual language.

Staking user interface didn’t align with visual language.

Optimization

Pushing through the rubbles

Userflow & Information Architecture

We sat down to discuss how the experience of the platform would work in terms of flow.

USER FLOW

Sketches & Wireframes

We tried to reimagine how the new staking platform could look with the information we had extracted from our meetings with the team. One thing that we were big on though was multiple iterations, we made sure that for every page or component we had as many options to choose from, and we made design decisions based on sound UX principles.

WIREFRAMES

MORE WIREFRAMES

Speed bumps

What didn’t work?

We hit a few bumps along the way

We had started to flesh out the visual side as the initial features were defined. However, we had no idea that this would be the start of a journey that would be filled with ups and downs. We got some more request to make changes to the platform’s experience, making the project stronger than ever.

Staking update

The fact that we were migrating from v1 to v2, and this is a platform that deals with people’s money. There was an apparent need for transparency.

 

We initially planned to keep the new pools on the platform, but we quickly realized that it was an issue for the community. We had to migrate the pools that were from the v1 platform and that meant we also had to differentiate the v1 and v2 pools.

Old Iteration

New Iteration

SABI MARKET NEW DESIGN

Vesting was changed to “rewards”

The initial design for the vesting feature presented a list of rewards derived from a user's staked assets that were available for withdrawal. However, this design had limitations.

 

One issue was that it merely provided a long list of vestable MC tokens, but it lacked a comprehensive overview. Users were not provided with a clear understanding of their progress, and the manual withdrawal of vestable tokens was required, even if multiple tokens were available for withdrawal.

 

This necessitated a reassessment of the entire vesting page concept. We subsequently devised a different solution, incorporating a single button for claiming all vestable tokens, information on locked rewards, and a more comprehensive overview in general.

See vesting change

OLD VESTING DESIGN

Moving Parts

A new way to manage your staking portfolio

Overview

The Overview page is a central feature and provides in a single view all the necessary information about the system and its development activities. Be it an important topic or an upcoming event, the users stay connected and engaged with the latest trends within the Merit Circle community, securing them a spot at the hub of all happenings.

OVERVIEW PAGE

Dashboard

Through Dashboard, users will not only be able to see their portfolio in the Merit Circle ecosystem, but also will have their own control center with a bird’s eye view of it. Hence, they can easily track all of their staking activities, and avail the information such as the amount staked and the rewards for withdrawal. 

 

By using the interactive visualization tools, the customers can analyze their portfolio and get the insights that will be helpful for them in planning and making financial decisions.

DASHBOARD PAGE

Staking

The staking page introduces users to the available staking platforms that will give them the freedom to stake within Merit Circle's ecosystem. Users can effortlessly evaluate all the lists of pools that are ready for staking MC tokens, and determine the best staking options from this list to increase their staking profits. 

 

The simple and convenient navigation along with the secure real-time updates allow the users to participate in staking activities without fear and this leads towards the growth and sustainability of the Merit Circle network.

STAKING PAGE

STAKING PAGE

Rewards

Commitment to transparency and accountability of the Rewards Page provides users with a complete insight into their cashback journey within the Merit Circle ecosystem. 

 

Here, users could track the status of the rewards they have collected, such as locked, unlocked, and claimed amounts, in addition to a graphical representation of their reward history. By having clear and concise information at their beck and call, users can track their advancement and celebrate their success.

REWARD PAGE

Looking back

Retrospective

Adapting to change in the startup environment

We were given just three weeks to complete the project and create a platform that would be user-friendly and intuitive for users.

 

However, as the team began to work on the design, we encountered many challenges. New information about the platform kept springing up, which required the team to make a few changes to the design. We tried to keep up with the constantly evolving requirements.

 

Despite the limited time frame, we were determined to create a platform that would meet the needs of their users. We worked long hours and put in extra effort to stay ahead of the curve and make the necessary changes to the design.

In the end, we succeeded in creating a staking platform that was both user-friendly and functional.

 

We learned that even when faced with challenges and limited time frames, with determination and hard work, we could create something truly remarkable. The experience we gained while designing Merit Circle’s staking platform helped us to become even better designers.

Up Next: Indigo Design System