Product Design
K-Block
This is a nonprofit open source collaboration to build a Kadena blockchain explorer with NFT analytics
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PRODUCT DESIGN
This is a nonprofit open source collaboration to build a Kadena blockchain explorer with NFT analytics
Founded in 2016 by the creators of JPMorgan's 1st blockchain, Kadena is currently the only scalable layer 1 PoW blockchain. In 2022, the growth of Kadena development skyrocketed with the launch of Kadena NFTs and DeFi. Traders needed more extensive blockchain activity analytics.
Kadena Blockchain Explorer, while providing crucial information on Kadena activity, doesn’t provide enough data in rich user experiences for the likes of traders or users who need to see more. K-Block is Tech Fleet’s answer to providing robust data needs in the Kadena community to pave the way for Kadena’s mainstream adoption. (Source)
I co-led a team of 6 UX designers to revamp K-Block to launch beta in a 12-week sprint.
→ Redefining Scope
I redefined the product with my team by identifying key features to prioritize for the beta launch, aligning with traders' needs and the business vision.
→ Revamping the Visual Design
User testing on the previous version of K-Block suggested that users found it untrustworthy. To address this, we identified numerous areas for improvement and decided to revamp the entire design system. Additionally, I redesigned the brand identity to align with the new aesthetics.
→ Facilitating Collaboration
I facilitated cross-functional collaborations with the research, writing, and development teams. I planned my team's timeline around the needs and goals of other teams to optimize our collective outcome. I spearheaded joint development and design meetings to efficiently address blockers for both teams. Internally, I conducted weekly design critique sessions to foster collaboration and promote critical thinking in design decisions.
→ Product Management
I spearheaded a backend development focused phase and served as the product manager for a team of developers.
We identified and prioritized the features essential for a minimum viable product that would give it an edge over existing Kadena explorers, focusing on the explorer and NFT analytics based on what traders need. We backlogged the marketplace, which had been partially designed by the previous team.
I revamped the homepage by restructuring the information architecture to present the data logically, eliminating distractions, and rewrote the UX writing.
To match the aesthetics of the new design system, I redesigned the logo.
My goal was to give it a more approachable look while customizing the typography to echo the brand name.
A key improvement a teammate and I focused on was the neighboring chain visual on the block detail page. Kadena’s multi-chain structure (Chainweb) is challenging to depict simply. Competitors often use complex tables with flashing, real-time lines that are almost impossible to read.
We aimed for simplicity but felt the previous design didn’t clearly show the block's connection to its parent and neighboring chains. After several iterations, we settled on a design that omits the block itself and zooms in on the relevant part of the Chainweb.
The research team conducted moderated testing with 13 participants
ranging from Web3 newbie users to experiences traders.
Successes
According to the research team's testing report, participants offered
the following praises:
One participant has experience with multiple explorers such as those for Ethereum, VChain, Kedane, and Solana. They were highly impressed with K-Block
One participant found K-Block's data analytics more comprehensive than other options, considering it a one-stop-shop for high priority blockchain information.
One participant was impressed by the layout of K-Block's landing page, including features like Latest Blocks, Transactions, and the unique NFT table not commonly found in other explorers.
Usability Learnings
Changes we made based on the testing results include:
1. Terminology:
Users were confused what "Total Assets" meant, so we further split it into "Total Tokens" and "Total NFTs"
2. Rearranged order of four main data points to facilitate ease of use:
I moved "Active miners", originally placed at the far right side and thus more likely to be neglected, to the
second position, followed by gas price, both of which were more relevant for most users than other data on the table.
3. Additional Pop up tips:
Pop up tips were added to more items following feedback from beginner users.
4. NFT price range:
Users noted that the inclusion of price range would allow them to make an offer and negotiate when buying and selling NFTs.
The front-end developers did an amazing job rendering our design documentation and prototype. Backend work—pulling data from Kadena—proved to be extremely challenging, which eventually hindered the timely launch of the beta. Development needs to be prioritized as future teams continue improving our beloved project.
Personally, I truly had a great time working on this project. I enjoyed working in this space and loved the challenge of gaining a deeper understanding, not only of blockchain but also of Kadena in particular.
I learned so much from running our weekly design critique sessions, figuring out how to balance speed with quality, and ensuring consistency among seven designers as we navigated our way through overhauling the design system.
