Context
Web3 Academy is a podcast and newsletter helping 1000's of entrepreneurs, creators, and businesses understand and capitalize on the next phase of the internet, where concepts like NFT's, DAO's, Crypto, and the Metaverse intersect.
In late 2022, a passionate and globally distributed team emerged from the vibrant Web3 Academy Discord community to form a tokenized DAO. This digital cooperative operates on the principles of collective decision-making and shared ownership, backed by a unique digital currency ($DOER token).
The mission of Web3 Academy DAO is to offer an extensive range of resources, products, and services that empower businesses to navigate the evolving Web3 frontier with confidence and success.
Problem
Similar to startups, Web3 companies and DAO's often operate with limited resources and rely on volunteers to manage projects and engage the community through platforms like Discord. But the absence of revenue-generating opportunities for contributors can lead to team member churn and burnout.
The Web3 Academy DAO faces a significant challenge with its reliance on Web3 Academy for visibility and reach. This dependency hampers the DAO's ability to establish itself as a distinct entity, communicate its purpose and offerings to the intended audience, and create sustainable revenue for its members.
The original W3A DAO landing page design focused heavily on purchasing the DAO's token (donation), but lacked important information about the project's mission, team, and the purpose behind the NFT.
Approach
As lead UI UX designer, I was thrilled to join the W3A DAO and collaborate closely with the Web3 Academy founders, DAO team, and community to redesign their landing site as a responsive and launch-ready website in Framer.
In my approach, I prioritized showcasing the DAO's mission, introducing the core team members, and streamlining easy to access socials and newsletter content in one place, while also provisioning subpages for future DAO services and monetization.
Team: Daniel Rotter, Sabrina Saffer, Juanzie, Yakuza, CandyToyBox
Role: Lead UI UX Designer
Timeline: 3 Months
Result: Figma library / Framer website
Discovery
During my discovery and research process, I had the opportunity to validate initial assumptions and uncover some unexpected insights. It's no surprise that the crypto-curious are drawn to the design and navigation of more familiar platforms.
This is reinforced by the success of existing Web3 projects that embrace a more "Web 2.5" approach in their aesthetic and messaging. I was surprised to learn that Web3 newcomers are often intimidated by dark mode (!), a popular design choice of many projects. And for all parties, connecting wallets remains a challenging and confusing experience, regardless of Web3 fluency.
Taking these findings into account, it was crucial for the DAO to prioritize the needs of the target audience and the relevance of Web3 integrations for the MVP. Given that the public launch of the $DOER token is still pending, I made the strategic decision to reduce friction for users who are more accustomed to traditional online experiences (Web 2.5), while highlighting Web3 Academy DAO content token-gated on Web3 platforms such as Lenster (Lens app) and Paragraph.xyz newsletter.
Examples (BFF, VeeFriends, Bankless DAO, The Hug XYZ)
Result
The launch-ready website for the Web3 Academy DAO has had a transformative impact on its members, reigniting their engagement and fostering stronger connections within the community. As a result, members have taken the initiative to establish a dedicated Discord channel, where we actively collaborate, share ideas, and hold regular meetings to shape the future of the DAO.
The website is set to this July 2023, and community engagement has seen a significant boost, with members actively promoting the DAO's mission and offerings across various platforms. Moving forward, the DAO has exciting plans to introduce the DAO services page with consulting redeemable through the $DOER token.
With these developments, the Web3 Academy DAO is well-positioned to continue its growth and establish itself as an authority in the space, supporting entrepreneurs, creators, and businesses as they navigate and thrive in the evolving digital landscape.