Making DeFi Accessible with Deepr
Deepr wanted to provide a user-friendly and intuitive experience for users who may not have prior experience with DeFi protocols. The IOTA-based team under Andrew’s leadership took on the challenge to create a desktop and mobile compatible platform that makes it easy for new users to engage with DeFi.
01
Overview
Executive Summary
Inherently, risks with decentralised lending can be significant. We want to demystify these risks and make them more understandable to end-users. Deepr aims to establish itself as a leading platform, addressing the need for accessible, transparent, and secure decentralised financial services.
This initial zero to one stage included PoC product ideation, product planning, wireframing, brand and UI design. Utilising expert validation and collaboration, the outcome was a user-centric SaaS platform with unique features aimed at improving efficiency, transparency, and accessibility.
What we did
We oversaw and led the core product design, branding refresh, creative direction and UX direction, in addition to engaging stakeholders to ensure that each element was consistent with their vision.
02
Discovery
Goals
A
Simplify the DeFi lending process for users
B
Provide a secure and transparent platform
C
Minimise onboarding and new heuristics
D
Create an intuitive and appealing interface
E
Enable easy access to lending and borrowing services
F
Allow users to manage risk in a straightforward manner
Exploration stages
As with any UX design process, our first step was competitor research and discovery. We identified pain points and usability issues in existing DeFi platforms, as well as best practices and innovative features. We shared our research with the Deepr team and identified opportunities for improvement. From there, we got to work.
Brand Sprint
Through two sprint workshops, we ideated around the core brand meaning – “Start with the Why”. Andrew led workshop thinking to help focus the team and define the core aspects and meanings behind the concept. This consolidated thinking around the name Deepr, signifying liquidity and abundance and so the name was chosen by the team.
03
Implementation
dApp Landing Page
We first outlined an MVP landing page for the alpha product, using a nautical theme and the illustrators were commissioned to provide 3d assets. This is an important conversion point for users, so the benefits of using the platform need to be very clear. We optimised the core value propositions of the dApp in an easy to understand layout.
Lighthouse
We also created an entirely new concept for users to understand the risk of their investment being liquidated, which I proposed as “Lighthouse”. Lighthouse changes state depending on the level of risk, making it easy for users to access and understand. This feature has not been developed as a concept by anyone else in such a user-friendly manner, and we're confident that it will make managing DeFi risk much more attainable for our users.
Mobile
We didn't stop at desktop. We took all of the above thinking and made it highly usable on mobile. This encourages wider adoption and engagement, particularly in Africa, whereby interest is high and mobile usage is primary. Unusually for DeFi platforms, that tend to have sub-optimal mobile experience, we tackled the challenge by streamlining the experience and using an adaptive approach on tables and large data display.
Glass UI
For look & feel, we proposed a 'glass UI' approach for the interface for a cutting-edge aesthetic. By incorporating slight transparency and texture, the UI achieved a sense of depth of the sea to reflect the brand and a contemporary feel.
04
Result
Outcomes
A
User-friendly DeFi lending platform
B
Seamless blockchain integration
C
Enhanced security features
D
Streamlined lending and borrowing process
E
Responsive and visually appealing design
F
Positive user feedback and increased adoption
Impact
Within the first 7 days over 10,000 QA testers had interacted and provided lending on the platform. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Our collaboration with Deepr led to the creation of an innovative DeFi lending platform that simplified the lending and borrowing process for users in a complex DeFi lending space.
We're proud to have created a product that makes DeFi more accessible and user-friendly for all, and we're excited to continue iterating and improving based on user feedback.
