This project focused on improving the user experience of a blockchain-based platform. The platform offers a digital wallet that helps people understand and trade carbon offsets while giving them a clearer view of their environmental impact and how their choices translate into real value.
Many users were curious about carbon offset trading but struggled to understand why it mattered, and the original onboarding pushed them into verification before creating any sense of clarity or purpose.
Interviews showed that many people were unsure about what a carbon offset actually meant and needed a simpler way to see why their participation mattered. I also compared the platform with Tree-Nation, Okta, Microsoft Entra ID and Robinhood.
Users struggled to understand the value and purpose of carbon offset trading, causing high drop-off rates because the original flow initiated complex verification steps before establishing clarity and motivation.
I started with a crowdfunding-style gallery, assuming that showing many projects would make offsets feel tangible.
But testing showed that users scrolled without understanding the concept, turning the experience into passive browsing instead of meaningful engagement.
The initial approach started with a highly complex information architecture reflecting the underlying blockchain logic, including wallets, transactions, verification states, and permissions.
The initial IA below mirrored complex blockchain mechanics, but the design intentionally abstracted technical details to provide users with a clear, accessible experience grounded in familiar workflows.
Design principles prioritized progressive disclosure, clear mental models, and familiar interaction patterns.
• Onboarding Flow: Helping users understand carbon offsets in a simple, approachable way
• Authentication Flow: Making step transitions easier to follow
• Carbon-Linked Checkout: Carrying over the carbon impact calculated during onboarding so users can complete their purchase with clear meaning
The design went through multiple iterations to improve clarity, reduce uncertainty, and support confident decision-making.
I delivered an onboarding experience that introduces carbon offsets through a simple footprint check, carries this context directly into the product, and completes verification through a faster DID-based flow.
We've shipped the product MVP in 12 weeks. The design worked when the technology became invisible and the mission became easier for users to grasp.
This project affirmed that Design must serve the Mission, not the Technology. Our deliberate choice to move away from the "cool" Web3 aesthetic and technical focus proved that psychological safety and emotional connection are the most potent drivers of adoption and business value in mission-driven systems.
To support future scale, I’ll refine the web app’s information architecture to clearly separate and connect expanding use cases, stakeholder permission models, and cross-chain asset management flows. This includes restructuring navigation around user intent, consolidating overlapping pathways, and designing IA patterns that provide consistent visibility into transaction and carbon-credit states.
