CiRCLE.N
Overview
CiRCLE.N is an educational and networking platform designed for Millennial and Gen Z NFT beginners (in their 20s - 30s) to learn about NFTs and socialize with other NFT holders or artists through events.
Through CiRCLE.N, users can create their own communities to pursue common goals, such as r
- reducing carbon emissions,
- attending interesting events with new connections made through the app,
- actively communicating through posts and comments,
- and collaboratively solving problems to find the best solutions.
Problem
According to a survey conducted by Money magazine and Morning Consult, only 1 in 4 U.S. adults can explain what an NFT is. Furthermore, interviews and surveys I conducted reveal that potential users are eager to learn about NFTs and participate in NFT-focused communities and events.
The competitive analysis shows that there is no platform currently offering both tutorials and networking environments in a single application, despite the demand for such a platform where users can learn and build relationships through various events and communities.
Goals
Based on interviews with 5 potential users and surveys with 25 people, I identified the needs of Millennials and Gen Z for learning about NFTs and opportunities to communicate with artists, NFT holders, and others in the community.
They expressed uncertainty about where to find comprehensive information, noting that while there are NFT marketplace platforms, none focus on both education and networking through informative events. Therefore, I aimed to create a platform that allows users to educate themselves and socialize with others through various events that are both informational and fun, all within one integrated medium.
Design Process & Iterations
Feedbacks from User Testing
- There is no log-in button on the log-in page, which is confusing.
- Instead of the diamond-shaped event list, a better layout would help users obtain information more quickly and easily.
- The icons on the navigation bar at the bottom of the page may cause confusion. What exactly does each icon represent?
- It would be helpful to see how many people plan to attend each event.
- It would be nice to have an event ticket feature.
- Can users follow each other to receive updates or communicate?
- There is no individual page for each account.
- The term "Upcoming Event" can cause confusion since the earliest upcoming event is shown at the top. Consider having a better title that aligns with "Upcoming Event" or renaming both.
- The ticket purchase section is missing.
Onboarding Process
By asking questions about their familiarity with NFTs, I can target NFT newbies. Those who are already familiar with NFTs can still review the tutorials or skip them. If they skip the tutorial section, they are welcome to return to the tutorials anytime by clicking the tutorial button on the navigation bar.
Tutorial
In the low fidelity prototype, users could just swipe through simple NFT information. Instead of that, I've decided to change the interface of tutorial page, by adding skip and exit button and navigation bar on the bottom, for convenience. Also, tutorial has information in detail based on the questions that potential users have according to interviews and surveys.
Future Work
- Explore fun but effective ways to learn about NFTs beyond providing tutorials or linking to YouTube videos.
- Conduct and iterate more usability testing to identify areas for improvement to enhance user experience.
- Identify the challenges users face in managing NFT events and determine how my platform can address these challenges.
- It’s also crucial to consider how the platform can facilitate communication and networking.
- What other features can be included to optimize user experience?
- Improve the UI by adding animation features, rearranging layouts, and so on.
