Setting the Scene

The blockchain industry was booming, NFTs were everywhere and the tech world constantly sought "the next big thing." And Moonkey was positioned to be exactly that: an all-in-one platform designed to bring NFTs to everyday users.

However, one challenge overshadowed the technology itself: most everyday users were either confused by or actively resistant to Web3. As our research deepened, it became increasingly evident that without earning people's trust (or even their basic understanding), you cannot secure their business.

Getting Real: User Research Over Hype

Instead of diving straight into code, I pushed for a deep, honest look at our future user.

• Conducted 1:1 interviews with crypto enthusiasts, NFT buyers, and, crucially, Web2 “normies” who’d never bought an NFT before.

• Mapped mental models: what concepts were confusing, what analogies landed, and which features triggered distrust or fear?

• Prototyped simplified onboarding and transaction flows, stripping away jargon and boiling concepts down to basics: buy your membership to reap the rewards. That’s it.

Usability testing didn’t sugarcoat the truth. Even with the best guidance, most users stalled, got lost, or simply bailed.

Starting from square one: if users don’t ‘get it’, nothing else matters.

The Solution: Simplicity, Validation, and Hard Decisions

The prototypes I designed were really good sources of insight. They were fearless and unassuming experiments, uncovering key ideas as I myself tried to grasp the technology powering the platform. Some of the things I learned were:

• Use plain language, everyday metaphors, big friendly visuals. This is still something that drives my work with today’s shift to AI-powered tools.

• Squashed the idea of hidden wallets or scary warnings. Keep everything transparent, nothing “behind the curtain.” Humans value being told the truth.

• Hyper-segregation or only catering to the “lucky few” makes people feel left out. In today’s landscape of follower-based influence, community is everything.

But even with best-case flows, the core challenge surfaced: there wasn’t enough demand from non-NFT users, and the hurdles more than just UX. They were market-wide.

Armed with real data and clear-eyed analysis, I presented the truth to stakeholders: launching would lead to churn, bad buzz, and most importantly, wasted investment.

Reflections

This project was humbling. The world loves success stories, but real UX leadership means knowing when to pivot (or pull the plug).

• Research gave us clarity. Clear communication gave stakeholders the confidence to make a tough call.

• The value delivered? Protecting resources, reputations, and refocusing energy on ideas truly ready for the world.

Lesson: The best design decision isn’t always to launch, but to learn.