If Good UX Is Like Driving Auto, Web3 Is ‘driving Stick’

The current state of Web3 user experience is akin to driving a manual transmission car — there’s more control, but most users will find it unnecessarily clunky, according to several UX designers.

Over the years, discussion around mainstream adoption of Web3 has centered around the need to improve crypto’s user experience and “ease of use.”

However, in a July 12 Twitter post, Web3 UI/UX designer “0xDesigner” argued that certain properties of blockchain make it challenging to build easy-to-use Web2-like applications.

Web2 vs Web3 UX

I was asked by a reporter from a crypto publication about the disparity between web2 and web3 UX. It’s a meaningful line of questioning that isn’t covered enough. So I’m going to share some half-baked thoughts in hopes that it triggers more discourse.

Why is…

— 0xDesigner (@0xDesigner) July 12, 2023

According to 0XDesigner, the one of the main issues with cryptocurrency applications is that every action is “irreversible” — there’s no “undo button” on the blockchain and mistakes are expensive. They added:

“Think of it this way: Web2 is like driving an automatic car. It’s straightforward; you get in, press the pedal, and off you go. Web3, on the other hand, is more like driving stick.

“You need to understand the gears, the clutch, and constantly monitor the tachometer otherwise you’ll damage the transmission or stall the car,” they added.

Speaking to Cointelegraph, 0xDesigner argued most of the “broader population” may not even care about the sovereignty (control and ownership) that blockchain offers.

The Web3 UX paradox

Thomas Ling, a former UI designer for blockchain tech firm Immutable and Web2 gaming studio Riot Games told Cointelegraph that UI is typically more simple in Web2 because with Web3, ownership and control are vested with the user.

While this makes Web3 unique, it adds more complications on the backend, Ling explained:

“Where a Web2 app may only need to show 1 step out of 5, a Web3 app needs to show all 5 in order for a User to achieve an action and retain the value proposition of Web3.”

Because of this, Web3 UI/ UX designers are “limited” in the way that they can make “magic” happen in creating an easy-to-use application, explained Ling.