Laying the Foundation
I've received a full scholarship from SheFi, generously sponsored by PayPal, to level up my skills in designing for Web3 and blockchain technology. This post kicks off a 3-part series documenting my learning journey as a SheFi scholar.
I applied to build a solid foundation in blockchain concepts needed to create thoughtful Web3 experiences. SheFi's curriculum and community are the perfect environment to grow my knowledge.
In this first post, I'll reflect on introductory concepts that expanded my perspective:
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The Blockchain 101 course provided structured knowledge beyond my fragmented self-research.
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The Wallet course expanded my perspective into how mainstream users may prefer simplified mobile wallet apps over wrestling with complexity.
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The Ethereum Scaling course made me consider their UX implications. How can we intentionally design for new functionality?
I'm grateful to be starting this journey with the building blocks to navigate Web3 design confidently.
Uncharted Territory
Are you the type of person who reads instructions when you try a new product, or do you experience it without any prior knowledge? Just like skipping the tutorial section of a video game, I approached learning about blockchain and Web3 through experiencing it first hand. This journey started last year when I got my first UX role for a Web3 NFT membership platform, where I conducted secondary research about DAOs, NFTs, and a bit about DeFi.
I also started to follow a few accounts on Twitter that talk about Web3 and blockchain, feeling and playing with dApps, and downloading multiple crypto wallets to figure out on my own how this works. I was really fascinated by the multiple wallets since they are the medium we use to interact in Web3. I also bought an ENS from interacting with digital artists during Miami Art Basel, where I scored my first Ledger as well.
Fast forward to February, and I participated in my first hackathon in Miami, winning prize money with my team. A few weeks went by, and my wallet got drained. At the time, I knew of Etherscan but didn’t know how to read it to fully understand what happened. Still, I was aware that I connected to an unsafe link from my uneducated discoveries.
Note: I recently participated in another hackathon, where I forgot that my previous wallet was compromised. The prize money from this was also drained, resulting in losing $600 in total this year.
Why SheFi?
Because, just like many of you, I learn best by doing. Theory is valuable, but nothing beats the lessons you learn from real-world experience. This hands-on journey has allowed me to dive headfirst into blockchain, and my experiences have profoundly influenced my perspective as a UX designer in the Web3 space.
With my passion to learn about Web3 and blockchain, the introduction of account abstraction, AI (and other creative tech), plus the room to have better UX in Web3, it was becoming a bit overwhelming on top of figuring out my UX path.
After participating in my most recent hackathon, I decided to join SheFi last minute on a whim (plus Maggie Love was a judge for this hackathon). SheFi is an educational community focused on onboarding women into Web3. It's a fusion of knowledge, a gateway to new perspectives, and an empowering community.
My brain said thank you because I sure needed structure.
Blockchain 101 💅🏾
I started my YouTube channel not only to document my UX and Web3 journey but also to educate people about how blockchain will influence society. A lot of content is on the technical and financial side of things, and we all know money is a topic people are very passionate about, even though the UX of Web3 and the risks of getting your money drained turn people away from using it altogether.
The articles and videos I was sporadically consuming at the beginning of my journey gave me a core understanding, yet it was very technical.
SheFi’s structured blockchain curriculum expanded my knowledge far beyond the surface level awareness I had developed through my own fragmented research. The content focused on real-world applications versus technical minutiae, which resonated with my ethos of accessibility.
If my mom can't understand or use a technology, it's not properly designed.
Fully understanding the trajectory of financial ledgers (digital payments), how we interact on the web, and the impact this new world order will have is key to my education as an upcoming UX designer.
Ownership, identity, data - these are all keywords to bring back the power to the people, which will continue the trajectory of the already started creator economy we see now on social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. But, how commodified do we really want to be?
Wallets Course: How Many Wallets Do I Need? 🤔
I've already expressed my passion for understanding wallets and their future evolution, especially with the recent news of ERC-4337 and EIP-6963. What stands out to me about wallets is the fact that they are more than just holding your crypto and NFTs; they are the gateway to interacting in the new web. Plus, isn't “wallets” a bit restricting?
There are many user personas for how we could interact in Web3, yet do we think about what persona people bring online when the environment is built on anonymity? Just like how in real life, we show up in different settings as another version of ourselves.
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Are we going to assume that for mass adoption, users WILL HAVE to become knowledgeable to make informed decisions on how to organize their wallets and accounts?
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Is this the UX we are striving for, where I have to enroll my peers in an educational program (or dApps providing educational content) for them to understand and take security measures to be "safe"?
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Do we factor in the geo-political elements of certain countries to influence the UX of dApps?
I know we're still in the early adopter stage with adoption, and I don't see us going into early majority until we have systems and development where education isn't needed to interact on Web3. At least from a beginner's standpoint, where when experimenting, you're not worried about losing money and being confused about the multitude of wallets you will have to download.
Through SheFi’s wallet course, I gained insight into the complexity of managing multiple wallet types. This led me to hypothesize that user-friendly mobile apps may become the mainstream default, as most people won’t want that complexity. A mix of centralized and decentralized entities, because let's face it, the average person will not want so much responsibility; they want simple and easy.
With extra features added to wallets like messaging and notifications, can we say that what we call wallets today will become super apps of tomorrow?
Ethereum Scaling: Getting More Out of Ethereum ⬆️
Just like we have transaction fees & taxes when making purchases today in person and online, it's the same structure for interacting on the blockchain.
I gained a deeper understanding of core concepts like gas fees, network congestion, and the EIP-1559 fee structure. This critical context highlighted why various scaling approaches are essential to improve transaction speeds and reduce costs for end users.
With scaling solutions evolving rapidly, I'm thinking critically about crafting intuitive user experiences as this technology advances. Solutions like zero-knowledge proofs can be used to verify certain data like a person's age.
What fascinates me about zero-knowledge proofs are their uses in authentication, data privacy, and confidential transactions on the blockchain.
Like how I mentioned before about how we show up in different environments, having the ability to have privacy on a public ledger is the autonomy users need, as everything doesn't need to be public knowledge, especially with how you transact on the web.
They open the doors to things people don't necessarily want to share openly.
Let’s Wrap this up…
The foundation of core concepts from SheFi has expanded my perspective enormously already. But I know there is much more ground to cover on my learning journey within blockchain and UX.
In my next post, I’ll share key insights from SheFi’s courses on decentralized finance (DeFi), stablecoins, decentralized exchanges (DEXes), and Web3 social platforms.
I’ll reflect on both the possibilities these innovations provide, as well as the UX challenges to thoughtfully implement them for mainstream users.
Need more
*Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for entertainment and informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial or investment advice. Always do your research and consult with professionals before making any financial decisions.
Music fuels my creativity, so I’m ending this with a song from my playlist. 🎧✨
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