Yoz Labs is a Web3 notification web and mobile app that enables developers to send instant notifications directly to their users. I worked with their team to build out their app from scratch.
Client:
Yoz Labs
Deliverable:
Web + mobile app
Role:
Product designer
Tools:
Figma
Industry:
Web3, Crypto, AI
T H E N E E D
Web3 is moving faster
than we can keep up
T H E C H A L L E N G E
What are the obstacles to creating web3 notifications?
1.
Web3 is still split among different apps and software. Consolidation is complicated and difficult.
2.
Keeping notifications up-to-date and easy to find can be challenging when things move quickly.
3.
User privacy is foundational to web3 and needs to be built into all aspects of the design.
M A R K E T R E S E A R C H
Competitor analysis
U S E R R E S E A R C H
Initial user interviews
I led user interviews with 6 participants via Zoom. They had a variety of needs around web3 notifications. Key needs and priorities identified include:
🎯️
Benefits + Advantage
Users want to see why they should download another app on their phone and why getting web3 notifications on the go is beneficial.
✅
Transparency + Trust
Users want data, social proof, and facts that show that Yoz Labs is secure and worthy of trust in order to feel safe sharing their Web3 information.
⚡
Ease of Use
Users want to use the mobile app as easily as they use the web app. They need to be able to find, analyze, and engage with ease.
🪄
Customization + Utility
Users do not want to be “bombarded” with useless notifications - customizing the experience is very important.
A N A L Y S I S
Insights and limitations
Based on the insights gathered from the user interviews, it was clear that users expected a smooth, feature-rich experience. For development, this would mean balancing precision so that there are minimal errors or missed features with the need for speed create a MVP to meet Yoz Labs' business goals. Technical limitations around forking mean that it is only available on desktop and would need to be made clear to users. In addition, Yoz Labs at this stage would need to balance between the social engagement aspect and the technical, Github-like source code sharing.
U S E R R E S E A R C H
User personas
Sarah the Power User
Age: 33
Location: San Francisco, CA
Occupation: Software Developer
Tech Proficiency: Expert
Web3 Experience: 6+ Years
Goals:
Stay updated on crypto tools for her career
Wants a hands-off solution
Get instant alerts for key on-chain interactions
Keep up with the latest web3 tools
Pain Points:
Does not have much time to be researching web3 trends with her busy carer
Missed or delayed adoption to new tools
Can't find deeper customization
Needs From the App:
Highly customizable notifications
Fast, real-time alerts
Ability to find new projects that are relevant to her skills as well as the greater web3 world
Favorite Features:
Forking projects
Cross-chain compatibility
Advanced filters and rule-setting
Ethan the Trend Tracker
Age: 26
Location: Austin, TX
Occupation: Digital Marketing Coordinator
Tech Proficiency: Intermediate
Web3 Experience: ~1 year
Goals:
Track his NFTs, staking rewards, and token balances
Get alerts when gas fees drop or new airdrops are announced
Learn more about DeFi tools without being overwhelmed
Pain Points:
Does not have the budget buy expensive solutions
Has missed latest crypto trends
Is savvy about web3 but not technical jargon
Needs From the App:
Clean, simple UI with tooltips and onboarding
Easy wallet connection and preference setup
Explore nudges or summaries in notifications
Favorite Features:
Friendly UX
Mobile push notifications
Wallet connection set-up in onboarding
V I S U A L I Z A T I O N
User journey maps
P R O J E C T S C O P E
Finding the right approach
When speaking with Yoz Labs, it was clear they wanted to keep the scope of the project focused on the core platform and its tools. Our project targeted the creation of a web app for ease and speed of development. As for UX methods, we discussed the following options and chose those in bold: Options that made sense for the work they were looking for and for the tools available to them
Web app vs native app?
Yoz Labs decided to start with a web and mobile app as they built out their MVP. A web app is necessary as that will be the only way to provide forking. However, mobile also needs to be provided as this is users preferred way of looking at notifications. The hope will be to transition over to a native app after a successful launch.
What UX methods should we use?
User Research: Interviews, usability testing, surveys, A/B testing
User modeling: User personas, journey maps
Validating: Low-fi prototyping, user testing, medium/hi-fi prototyping, competitive analysis, analytics, heatmaps
Designing: Brainstorming, sketching, site maps, system flows, use cases, wireframes, design patterns, design system
Sitemap
U S E R E X P E R I E N C E
User flows
The two most important user actions identified in the planning stage were the onboarding process and searching for new projects to subscribe to. While building out these user flows, it became evident that Yoz Labs' app would be relatively straightforward and the value would come from the organization of notifications and social media-like aspect.
Sign in/up + onboarding
Explore projects
W I R E F R A M I N G
Mid-fidelity wireframes
Starting with a mobile-first approach, I used them as the foundation and worked up to tablet and desktop sizes. Here I created the mid-fidelity wireframes of the explore projects which had more of blog-page like layout with two sections to help users find both projects and contributors to subscribe to.
V A L I D A T I N G T H E D E S I G N
Usability study results
with mid-fidelity prototype
Using a mid-fidelity prototype, I conducted a usability test with 4 users. Participants were guided through 4 tasks and I focused on how easily users could navigate the interface and complete actions without confusion. Insights gathered from the sessions revealed areas for improvement in onboarding flow, tooltips/guidance, and status indictators, providing actionable data to refine the user interface and enhance overall usability for the high-fidelity prototype.
Sign in/up + onboarding
Adding social media accounts worked well, but I'd appreciate more context about how my data will be used during onboarding.
User 1
Fast onboarding but would be nice to see more personality and branding here.
User 2
Did not understand why I want to connect social media accounts. Maybe a video tutorial would help?
User 3
Quick and minimal—love it but I didn't like how it just dumped me on my empty profile at the end.
User 4
Explore projects
Filtering by type is helpful, but I wish I could also sort by activity level or recent updates.
User 1
Browsing was fun but I wasn't always sure what each project actually does—maybe tags would help?
User 2
I want to see metrics like number of subscribers or recent announcements right up front without having to click.
User 3
Loved how simple it was to add a project and get started!
User 4
Adding projects to profile
Adding a project felt intuitive, though I'd like more confirmation or animation to reassure me it's saved.
User 1
I tried clicking 'add' twice and wasn't sure if it worked; maybe a clearer status indictator or animation?
User 2
Would love to add my wallet and get updates through Yoz Labs.
User 3
Loved how simple it was to add a project and get started!
User 4
Like, subscribe, and share projects
Subscribing was straightforward but I expected to see more integration with my social handles so that I share between platforms.
User 1
I liked the big heart button! Sharing links could be more visible though—had to hunt for it.
User 2
Would be cool to tag projects that I like so that I am organizing as I go.
User 3
The icons are cute but a hover state or tooltip would help clarify what each action does.
User 4
D E S I G N R E S E A R C H
Inspiration
W I R E F R A M I N G
High-fidelity wireframes
B R A N D I N G
Visual design
I used a clean black-and-white color palette as it creates a sleek, modern foundation that reflects trust and clarity. Introducing pops of gradient color adds just the right amount of visual energy and futuristic flair. Pairing this aesthetic with the Poppins typeface reinforces a sense of approachability and personality—its geometric, sans-serif style feels both contemporary and easy to read across devices, making it a strong choice for a tech-forward yet user-friendly product.
C O M P O N E N T S Y S T E M
Design System
It is always important to build a component system alongside high-fidelity wireframes. Here I created main components in Figma that could be translated in variants, a fully integrated icon library, and organized in a system that could be used by others and expanded as Yoz Labs continues to build out their app in the future.
S T A N D A R D S
Accessibility
After building out the high-fidelity wireframes using the branding colors, we checked to see if the accessibility passed on all parts of the design. The black text on light backgrounds passed with a super rating and the purple and light combinations scored good ratings. Unfortunately, the badges, bread crumb text, and colored icons scored poorly. I worked with Yoz Labs to find a middle ground between maintaining brand and web3 aesthetic goals while also improving accessibility.
D E S I G N D E T A I L S
Sign up flow
D E S I G N D E T A I L S
Search Options
D E S I G N D E T A I L S
Project and profile pages
Profile and project pages are key parts of any product that involve showcasing user identity and work in a way that’s both functional and engaging. When designing these pages, I focus on creating a clean hierarchy that highlights the most important details first—like the user’s name, avatar, and stats for project pages. It's important that these pages not only look good but also feel interactive and customizable, depending on the user's goals (whether that’s browsing, sharing, or editing). I explored different layouts between profile and projects.
D E S I G N D E T A I L S
Explore page
The explore page is all about discovery and finding new parts of the web3 community. I focused on making it feel intuitive and inviting, with a layout that balances visual appeal and scannability. Filters, search, and sorting options help users narrow down what they’re looking for, while side bars encourage exploring with preset filters. Whether it’s projects or people, the goal is to surface a variety of engaging content without overwhelming the user, and to make the whole experience feel dynamic, relevant, and easy to navigate.
V A L I D A T I N G T H E D E S I G N
Usability study
with high-fidelity prototype
I conducted a usability study using a high-fidelity prototype to evaluate user experience across six key workflows. Participants were asked to complete each task while I observed navigation patterns, interaction efficiency, and points of confusion. Initial findings highlighted seamless tasks but looking for customization and more advanced actions.
Sign in/up + onboarding
Loved the updated UX to include social media handles and making my profile feel part of the web3 community.
User 1
Enjoyed that it was simple but would have loved some more microanimations to make it feel super polished.
User 2
Fast and frictionless. Exactly what I want. The new skip option for onboarding is appreciated.
User 3
The new walkthrough really helped me understand Yoz Labs' features.
User 4
Find a new project to subscribe to
Discovery flow is better and less cluttered than the last prototype. Having a FYP is more interesting.
User 1
Loved the trending section! It made picking something new to explore feel less overwhelming.
User 2
Add projects to profile
Now that it syncs with my on-chain activity, adding a project feels more integrated and meaningful.
User 1
This feels easier to do now, and the checkmark after adding gave me confidence it worked.
User 2
Can I add other collaborators on projects?
User 3
Would love to see about customizing the project by adding images or other visual elements.
User 4
Forking projects
Forking felt seamless, though I wish it was available on mobile in some form, not just desktop.
User 1
I wasn't totally sure what forking means. Could you add a short explanation or tooltip before I click it?
User 2
This is my favorite feature. I'd just like an advanced edit mode to make changes on the fly before saving.
User 3
Would love to see a preview of forking before I click it.
User 4
Like, subscribe, and share projects
No issues but would be cool to auto-share forks or subscriptions via my connected Twitter/X account.
User 1
I get that subscribe gets me notifications but does liking something just mean I see more of it in my feed?
User 2
Perfectly functional. Would be amazing to see what your subscribed projects/people are also subscribed to!
User 3
I like the icon refresh and dropdown for more actions! Still think tooltips on hover in this section would be nice for first-time clarity.
User 4
View analytics
Seeing my subscriber stats is awesome. Would love export options or API access for deeper analysis.
User 1
Seeing my stats is cool, but I didn't really understand what 'reach' and 'impact' mean. Could use clearer terms.
User 2
The analytics panel is sleek. I just wish I could compare my stats to other users or projects I follow.
User 3
The graphs are clean and well-styled, but maybe add some context to make the data more actionable.
User 4
F E E D B A C K C H A N G E S
Design updates
After looking through the results of the usability testing, I decided to add some more guidance through out. Taking this Explore page as an example, I added tooltips, a link to a help/FAQ page in the navigation for questions, added developers to follow section, smart recommendations for projects section. We chose to address these changes as they were changes we could make within the timeline and would make the most impact. In addition to these changes, we also updated any smaller issues around accessibility.
I N S I G H T S
Future improvements
I set up a detailed list of different updates that they could work on after their MVP launch. I recommended a walkthrough video on their help page, adding the ability to view what subscribed projects are also subscribed to, updating the analytics screen with more contextual guidance, and adding more customization to project creation. Below I put together a cost vs. benefit analysis chart to help them with their decision making.
I N S I G H T S
KPIs to track
Tracking KPIs is essential for understanding user behavior and optimizing the performance as Yoz Labs launches its MVP. Together, these KPIs provide a comprehensive view of user activation, engagement, and platform-driven discovery.
Onboarding completion rate
What it measures: The percentage of users who complete the full onboarding flow after landing on the app.
Why it matters: Indicates how well your onboarding experience communicates the app’s value and motivates users to proceed, regardless of wallet connection.
How to track: Log progression through onboarding screens (e.g., welcome → features overview → preferences) and calculate the % of users who reach the final step.
Project engagement rate (like/subscribe/fork per user)
What it measures: The average number of meaningful actions taken on projects (e.g., liked, subscribed, forked).
Why it matters: Measures how actively users interact with core functionality and content, a key indicator of retention potential.
How to track: Log each interaction type and divide total actions by number of active users within a period (daily/weekly/monthly).
New project discovery conversion
What it measures: The percentage of users who discover and subscribe to a project they hadn’t previously followed.
Why it matters: Validates the relevance of your discovery engine and the strength of your content network.
How to track: Track unique user sessions that lead from the discovery UI to a new project subscription.
I N S I G H T S
Project shortcomings
Not all products have a perfect process. In retrospect, there were moments for improvement and issues that went wrong. User-centered research was a large part of the process at the beginning but because less of a focus towards the end of the project. In addition, not all elements of the accessibility were addressed nor
