SWFT

Design for cryptocurrency exchange experience. The project of designing a user-centric platform that simplified the complex process of trading cryptocurrencies.

View website

Process

SWFT is a platform that allows crypto users to exchange different coins in a decentralized way, without the need to register. While this innovative approach provides a lot of benefits, some users struggled to trust the platform due to its unconventional system. This was especially true for mobile app users who expected their personalized devices to remember their private information. Copying and pasting addresses without the ability to save them made the process cumbersome and frustrating. To address these challenges, Studio Salt proposed two new features: "Quick Exchange" and "Advanced Exchange." These features offer both novice and advanced users a more user-friendly and streamlined exchange experience.

A Brand New Field

Venturing into a new field such as blockchain can be daunting, but as designers, we embrace the challenge of solving problems in uncharted territories. Before embarking on our first Web 3 project, we conducted extensive research to better understand the needs of both the users and the SWFT team. Through our research, we identified key pain points with the current product and restructured the app to improve the overall user flow. In addition, we proposed two new features: "quick exchange" and "advance exchange," which aimed to provide a smoother and more user-friendly experience for both new and experienced users. Despite being a new and unfamiliar subject, we were able to apply our design expertise and make a positive impact on the product.

User Research

When conducting our research, we aimed to understand the needs of our users and identify areas for improvement in the product. To achieve this, we conducted two surveys targeting Chinese and non-Chinese users, respectively. From the surveys, we discovered that our current user base consists of primarily wealthy, middle-aged men who work in white-collar professions such as freelance, technology, and finance. Additionally, we found that the majority of our users (70-80%) have little experience with our product, which has led to difficulties in performing exchanges. Based on our conversations with team members and users, we recognized that providing a simple and convenient exchange experience is critical to attracting and retaining both new and experienced users.

After conducting a thorough analysis of blockchain exchange competitors, we realized that SWFT Blockchain was falling behind in the market. Our research showed that Shapeshift was the leading player in the market, despite having a less than ideal UI design. This was due to their strong social media marketing and focus on the system functions they provide to partners. We recognized the importance of growing our user base and increasing brand awareness through effective marketing. Additionally, we discovered that having a larger number of coin types did not necessarily guarantee success or popularity of the product. Therefore, we shifted our focus to building a better product and improving our marketing strategies.

The Quick and Advanced Exchange Features

The decentralized coin exchange feature is the core product of SWFT Blockchain, which sets it apart from other competitors in the market. However, we identified that the lack of registration made it difficult for users to build trust with the platform. Therefore, we proposed a new feature that integrates a logged-in experience while maintaining the decentralized exchange system. We introduced two types of exchanges: a “quick exchange” that requires login and an “advanced exchange” that doesn’t require login. By doing this, we cater to both experienced and new users, making the app accessible to those who don’t want to register an account, while providing a fast and smooth coin exchange experience to those who do.

In addition to introducing the two new exchange methods, our team focused on streamlining the exchange process. We separated actionable items from informational ones, creating a clear and intuitive flow for users to follow. The exchange information is presented upfront, and the user is guided through each step with proceeding arrows and helpful symbols. We even created a confirmation page where users can always return to if they need to review or edit any of their exchange details. Once all required actions are taken, the exchange button is enabled and users can proceed to view their exchange status. These changes made the app much easier to use and reduced confusion for new users, resulting in a more streamlined and efficient exchange experience.

A Brand Update too

When examining SWFT's previous logo, we noticed some inconsistencies in the thickness of the horizontal and vertical strokes of the font, as well as the shape of the bird’s wings and tail. To better reflect the brand’s concept of swiftness and smoothness, we knew that visual consistency was essential. That's why we designed a new logo that unifies the stroke thickness throughout the font and bird's design. We also incorporated the word 'Blockchain' into the logo to emphasize the platform's technology. The new logo represents the brand better and enhances its recognition.