Liquid ETH Staking UX for Puffer Finance
Simplified one of crypto’s most exciting yet complex processes, liquid ETH staking, into a secure and intuitive experience for Puffer Finance by collaborating with three senior designers.
Client
My Role
Product Design Intern
(Research & UX Design)
Timeline
July 2023
Collaborators
Mentor: Li Zeng
2 Senior Designers
At a Glance
Project Overview
Puffer Finance aims to set a new industry standard in crypto by offering a more secure, decentralized, and user friendly liquid ETH staking experience. Their approach uses anti-slashing technology and lowers financial barriers to entry.
As designers, our goal was to create a staking platform that is intuitive and transparent, allowing users and validators to stake ETH with confidence while benefiting from Puffer’s built in protections.
My Contributions
Created and distributed a user survey with 40+ responses to gather insights on staking behaviors, fears, and expectations.
Analyzed survey and interview findings by identifying key user pain points.
Conducted competitor research, evaluating UI decisions and flows across leading staking platforms to inform Puffer’s staking experience.
Collaborated with the design team to create and prototype wireframes for a secure, intuitive staking platform in both light and dark mode.
Context
What is Staking?
Imagine joining a community garden where you don’t grow your own crops, but by contributing resources, the organizers manage it for you, and you still get a share of the harvest.
Liquid ETH staking works the same way. Instead of setting up your own validator (which takes 32 ETH and technical know-how), you stake through a protocol like Puffer Finance. They handle the work and give you a token (pufETH) that represents your stake and earned rewards.
But the Problem is…
Though liquid staking has made ETH staking more accessible, there is still financial risks like slashing, where users can lose funds if validator nodes go offline (even if accidentally) or act maliciously. This risk, along with less user-friendly and intimidating interfaces, discourages participation and reduces user engagement.
And So…
We tackled the challenge by designing a secure, transparent, and user-friendly staking platform that actively reduces fear of slashing risks and breaks down complex interfaces, encouraging more users to confidently stake their ETH using Puffer.
Research Process
Gathering Quantitative Data from Puffer's Community
We began by conducting an 18-question survey within Puffer’s Discord community, receiving over 40 responses. This provided quantitative insights into users’ experiences, expectations, priorities, frustrations, and concerns around liquid ETH staking.
Survey Takeaway 1: Most Users Have Crypto Experience
Nearly 90% of Puffer’s target users have been investing in crypto for over one year, with 47% having over three years of experience. With the community being fairly experienced, users have high expectations for staking platforms that deliver clear, secure, and user-friendly experiences.
Survey Takeaway 2: Security is a Top Concern
Over 97% of respondents worry about security when staking. Puffer’s anti-slashing technology and low entry barrier were seen as the most attractive features addressing these concerns.
Takeaway 3: Users Prioritize Yield, Transparency, and Trust
When deciding whether to stake, users cared most about yield rates, protocol trustworthiness, and transparent information. Over 80% of respondents wanted the platform to clearly display either average APR or reward fees upfront, making these the top priorities for a confident staking experience.
Constructing the User Flow for Staking
After gathering user insights, I analyzed popular platforms like Lido and Rocketpool to map their staking flows, identifying key information needed at each step and opportunities for clearer, safer experiences on Puffer.
Key Design Decisions
Decision 1: Separate ‘Staking’ and ‘Withdraw’ Flows
To reduce confusion and keep users focused, we separated the staking and withdrawal flows into distinct pages. Platforms like Lido and Swell take a similar approach, while others such as Rocketpool combine both in a single interface using a toggle. Given the mixed user feedback and our limited scope focused on staking, this provides greater clarity and helps minimize user errors.
Decision 2: Use Tooltips and FAQs for Details
After discussing with Puffer’s founders and community revealed that users prioritize APR, fees, reward details, and clear guidance before staking. To balance clarity and simplicity, I displayed key information such as the exchange rate, APR, and fees through hoverable tooltips, keeping the interface clean yet informative. APR was visually emphasized using a distinct color, and a collapsible FAQ was added below the interface to support new users without disrupting the overall flow.
Decision 3: Dark Mode Version
User testing with Puffer’s community revealed a strong preference for dark mode, which is common across crypto and DeFi platforms. In response, we designed a dark theme using deep blue, ocean inspired tones to create a look that feels familiar, consistent, and comfortable, while still offering a unique visual experience.
Final Designs
By applying feedback and design insights from the Puffer team, community, and users, we finalized unique light and dark mode staking experiences that support Puffer’s mission to make liquid ETH staking safer, clearer, and more accessible for everyone.
Final Takeaways
Key Takeaway 1: Design for Clarity, Transparency, and User's Trust
Staking in crypto can feel risky, especially since it involves users’ financial assets. To reduce fear and build trust, we made key information—like APR, fees, and exchange rates—easily accessible through tooltips, visual emphasis, and collapsible FAQs. Designing with transparency empowered users to make informed decisions with confidence. This experience showed me that clearly communicating essential information is one of the best ways to earn user trust, especially in complex, high-stakes environments.
Key Takeaway 2: Let Users Shape the Experience
Through surveys with 40+ experienced users, we uncovered key concerns around security and yield transparency. These insights directly shaped our design decisions, including a dark mode that aligns with crypto user preferences and expectations. Designing with real users in mind and actively engaging with them throughout the process ensured that our solutions were intentional, relevant, and human-centered rather than based on assumptions.
Key Takeaway 3: Design to Simplify the Complex
ETH staking involves multiple steps that can easily overwhelm users. By separating the staking and withdrawal flows, we reduced friction and made each process easier to follow. This focused structure helps users avoid errors and feel less stressed about their actions. It reinforced a valuable lesson for me: always design processes to feel simple, approachable, and stress-free, no matter how complex the underlying system may be.
Contact Me!
janetjliu
janetliu.ca@gmail.com
Pages
Key Projects