The Backstory
I got involved with Tangleverse in a pretty unconventional way. Before we even spoke, I had redesigned their homepage out of curiosity—just to explore how I’d simplify their user experience. That speculative design caught Sefear’s attention during my first call, and it ended up landing me the role.
From there, I was brought in to lead the full redesign of their website and introduce a new web app module, where I collaborated with Sefear & Linus on research and strategy as well as Patrick & Lizzie on engineering. the end goal was to build something that would allow existing community members to not just explore the ecosystem, but also create, build, and manage their own projects on the platform.
Designing for Real Users, Not Crypto Bros
Tangleverse had a broad audience. We identified seven key personas:
- Naive Investor – new to crypto and easily overwhelmed
- Degen & Ecosystem Advocate – more advanced, but still wanted clarity
- Curious Investor – just watching the space
- Prospective Builder – wanted to launch something
- Skeptic & Uninitiated – needed education and trust
Designing for this range meant we had to strike a balance—give beginners guardrails, while not frustrating experienced users who just wanted to dive in. So we created a layered UX: simple defaults upfront, with depth available as users explored.
Principles That Shaped Everything
Three key values guided our entire design process:
- Simplicity – No clutter. No confusion.
- Usability for All – From crypto newbies to degens, it had to be usable.
- Solving Real Problems – Not just making it “pretty.”
This meant clear content hierarchies, intuitive navigation, and minimizing friction—especially around project discovery and event visibility. We stuck to a “three-clicks-to-answer” rule to keep things smooth.
Building the Tangleverse Platform
At its core, Tangleverse needed to feel like a true ecosystem hub. We designed:
- A hub-style homepage tailored to each user segment
- News and major updates feed to reduce FOMO
- An ecosystem project calendar
- A jobs/freelance board to support contributors
- Governance proposals surfaced transparently
- A Tools/Labs page for builders
- A Learn section to onboard newcomers
- Profile & project management features so users could participate, not just observe
Notice the stars in the wireframe above? that was a way for us to decide on which component and section would work best on a particular page.
We also introduced a web app module where community members could become project owners—almost like a CoinMarketCap or OpenSea for the IOTA universe. This gave users the power to create, showcase, and manage their projects directly on Tangleverse.
Testing & Iteration
Throughout the process, we ran informal tests with community members—especially project owners. They really loved the concept overall, but we hit some problems along the way.
One moment that stuck with me was the homepage hero section. I created five versions... none seemed to have been well received. Eventually, I circled back to the existing version (first row in the wireframes below) and made a few strategic tweaks. And they loved it. That taught me something important: not everything needs an overhaul. Sometimes iteration wins over reinvention.
Designing for Business Outcomes (Not Just Aesthetic Wins)
Our north star metrics were clear: adoption, education, reputation, and retention.
So we focused heavily on discoverability and self-segmentation. We didn’t want users landing on a homepage with 100 links—they needed to instantly see what mattered most to them.
The outcome? Within a few months of launch:
- 📈 67,000+ user interactions
- ⏱️ Avg. visit time of 5 min 51 sec
- 🔥 4,000+ weekly active users
- 💡 Events & News were the most clicked areas - goes to show how important information is in this space.
We saw real traction, especially from new and returning users exploring events and ecosystem updates—both critical for retention.
Key UX Artifacts
- Persona maps
- Navigation flows
- Project + event calendar IA
- Hi-fi wireframes for homepage, dashboard, and project pages
- Modular UI system (we reused patterns across tools, jobs, and governance)
What I Learned
- Start with empathy, end with structure. Crypto can feel chaotic. Good design should do the opposite.
- Test ideas, not just pixels. That hero section moment reminded me that design isn’t about novelty—it’s about resonance.
- Community-first features matter. Giving users a place to participate, not just consume, drove much of the engagement. It was exciting to watch.
What’s Next?
The foundation has been laid, but Tangleverse is still evolving. The team continues to gather feedback even now, prioritize features, and adapt the platform to the needs of a growing Web3 community.
If you're curious about how design can bridge complexity and clarity—especially in emerging tech—this is one project I’m super proud of to share.