Highlighting essential features in cryptocurrency wallets.

Designers should target new users by simplifying wallet interfaces to highlight system states, account verification, buying crypto, and transaction features to avoid confusion.

About this paper

The author conducted a study with 34 participants to explore the challenges that first-time cryptocurrency users face, finding that even popular wallets are not suitable for novices.

They argue that addressing these user interface and specific issues is crucial for the HCI community to build better cryptocurrency systems for new users.

Here are some methods used in this study:

User Study Inductive Coding

Which part of the paper did the design guideline come from?

“User Interfaces Are Not Optimized For Novice Users. User Interfaces offer rich functionality, overloading new users with information without adequately emphasizing the primary actions the user is looking for. At the same time the system status is only poorly reflected in the user interface and critical information for new users -i.e. account verification status -is hidden in setting menus. Ambiguous System Status. To interact with a system, users generally need to answer two questions: (1) (...)” (Section 4.1.1: User Interface Challenges)

Froehlich, M., Wagenhaus, M. R., Schmidt, A., & Alt, F. (2021). Don’t Stop Me Now! Exploring Challenges Of First-Time Cryptocurrency Users. Designing Interactive Systems Conference 2021.

Inspiration and scope

The authors focused on the traits of first-time cryptocurrency users to improve system status communication in wallets.

Designing a cryptocurrency wallet for fintech enthusiasts. Both your design and the paper benefit from clear messaging. The paper introduces crypto for beginners, while your design offers advanced insights.

Also, both prioritize security. The paper covers basic security for beginners; your context requires innovative measures for fintech users.

Leverage these similarities by designing a wallet with intuitive features, education, and advanced functionalities. This engages users and ensures secure transactions with innovative solutions.

Your input

What: cryptocurrency wallet
Who: people who are interested in fintech
Design stage: Research, Ideation, Evaluation

Understanding users

The following user needs and pain points may apply to your design target as well:

User-Friendly Security Features

Advanced users require sophisticated security features that are intuitive to use but do not compromise on safety. Implementing user-friendly multi-factor authentication and real-time security notifications can help users feel secure without overwhelming them.

Educational and Onboarding Support

Providing advanced, contextual tutorials and educational content can help engage knowledgeable users, ensuring they understand the deeper functionalities and benefits of advanced fintech features. This can enhance user experience and reduce frustration.

Design ideas

Consider the following components for your design:

Include a real-time system status dashboard with visual indicators for network and security health.

Integrate a tutorial section featuring step-by-step guides and interactive elements on advanced cryptocurrency trading techniques.

Incorporate multi-layered authentication and real-time transaction validation features.

Methods for you

Consider the following method(s) used in this paper for your design work:

Think-Aloud Study

Using a think-aloud study can help a designer understand the natural behavior and thought process of users as they interact with cryptocurrency wallets. Keep in mind that actual user behavior can be influenced by the artificial setting of thinking aloud.

System Usability Scale (SUS)

Applying the SUS can help a designer measure the usability of a cryptocurrency wallet by providing quantifiable feedback on user satisfaction. Ensure to use it after users have had a sufficient amount of interaction with the wallet.

Metrics for you

Consider the following metric(s) used in this paper to evaluate your design work:

System Usability Scale (SUS)

Using the System Usability Scale (SUS) helps gauge overall usability and user satisfaction with the cryptocurrency wallet. However, designers should consider both quantitative scores and qualitative feedback to deeply understand user challenges in fintech applications.

Transaction Success Rate

Measuring the success rate of transactions highlights usability issues in the payment process, essential for users handling money in fintech apps. Ensure to account for different payment methods and provide clear feedback to users throughout the process.

[Figure 1] From this figure, you can get insights into structuring and segmenting a comprehensive user study, which can be invaluable during your research stage.