The Breadchain crowdstaking app

Note: as I am still designing for Breadchain there are many unreleased designs and features which can't be disclosed in this Project write-up.

Introduction

Since 2022, I’ve been the lead designer for Breadchain, a cooperative network focused on a post-capitalist future. Breadchain converts xDAI into sDAI via smart contracts, with interest shared among members. Participants receive BREAD tokens in return. This role involved designing the web app and required knowledge of blockchain and cryptocurrencies.  

I will outline my role, key tasks, design contributions, and insights gained.

Brand refresh

This is the brand refresh old vs. new. explain what look and feel I wanted to go for. I worked on the old designs. The brand refresh utilizes the old designs with more UX and consistent brand assets embedded in them. First, I will present and explain the old designs and then I will present and explain the new designs.

Old

Old Design Assets

Design shortcomings:

• The font has poor legibility
• Lacking a proper footer
• Lack of UX principles (e.g. Page hierarchy, Interactive states,
• No Brand cohesiveness
• No consistent social media brand assets
• No well-thought out Design system

New

New Design Assets

Main branding/design changes

As the inaugural UI/UX designer for this project, I led the brand refresh by preserving some key legacy elements, such as the original font and color palette, to maintain continuity and familiarity. Using these as the foundation, I implemented the following updates:

Brand Updates:

• New Logo: A minimalistic bread slice design to symbolize simplicity and approachability.
• Typography: Combined the original fonts (Press Start and Red Hat Text) for a balanced and modern aesthetic.
• Icon Set: Created a pixel-aligned icon set to complement the retro-inspired typography.
• Corner Radius: Softened corner radii to align with the refreshed logo's design language.
• Expanded Color Palette: Introduced broader options, including gradients, neutral tones, and status colors, for greater versatility.
• Dark & Light Modes: Designed for improved accessibility and visual comfort.

Feature Enhancements:

To elevate the overall user experience, I introduced several new features:

• Mobile Compatibility: Ensured a seamless experience for users on the go.
• Governance Page: A dedicated section where users can view and vote on projects receiving yield.
• Information Chips: Designed to provide users with key insights, including total BREAD holdings and the voting power of each project.
• Vault Page: A feature currently under development.
• Booster Page: Another upcoming feature, designed to provide additional functionality.

These updates were first conceptualized and designed in November 2024, with ongoing work to introduce more pages and features. Stay tuned for further improvements!