Blockchain technology is rapidly evolving, and designers are playing a crucial role in shaping its user experience. The IBM Blockchain Design Team has identified key design principles that inform their work, ensuring blockchain applications are trustworthy, consistent, and user-friendly.
Designing for trust is paramount, as blockchain’s “trustless” nature can be daunting for users. The team emphasizes data exposure, consistency, constant feedback, and anticipating mistakes to build user confidence. Providing clear, actionable data and maintaining a cohesive visual and terminology across products are essential.
Active guidance is crucial, as many users are new to blockchain. The designers ensure zero states have clear next steps, and role-based access controls provide appropriate information. They also anticipate the need for support, offering tooltips and progress indicators to simplify the learning process.