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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

Puffer Finance

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.

Puffer Finance aims to redefine crypto staking with a secure, decentralized, and user friendly liquid ETH platform. Using anti-slashing technology and lower financial barriers, it empowers users and validators to stake ETH confidently. Our design goal was to create an intuitive, transparent experience that highlights 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.

Designed and distributed a user survey with 40+ responses to uncover staking behaviors, fears, and expectations.
Analyzed survey and interview data to identify key user pain points.
Conducted competitor research to evaluate UI decisions and flows for leading staking platforms.
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.

Think of staking like joining a community garden: you contribute resources, someone manages the work, and you still earn a share of the harvest.

Liquid ETH staking works similarly. Rather than running your own validator, which requires 32 ETH and technical setup, you stake through a protocol like Puffer Finance. They handle the process and give you a token (pufETH) representing 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.

We conducted an 18-question survey in Puffer’s Discord, receiving 40+ responses. It provided quantitative insights into users’ experiences, expectations, priorities, frustrations, and concerns with 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.

Nearly 90% of Puffer’s users have over one year of crypto experience, and 47% have more than three years. With a fairly experienced community, users expect staking platforms that are clear, secure, and user friendly.

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.

Over 97% of respondents are concerned about staking security. Puffer’s anti-slashing technology and low entry barrier were seen as the most appealing 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.

Users prioritize yield rates, protocol trustworthiness, and transparency when staking. Over 80% wanted the platform to clearly show average APR or reward fees upfront, making these key 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.

Users prioritize yield rates, protocol trustworthiness, and transparency when staking. Over 80% wanted the platform to clearly show average APR or reward fees upfront, making these key for a confident staking experience.

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.

Discussions with Puffer’s founders and community revealed that users prioritize APR, fees, rewards, and clear guidance before staking. To balance clarity and simplicity, I surfaced key details like exchange rate, APR, and fees through hoverable tooltips, highlighted APR with a distinct color, and added a collapsible FAQ to support new users without disrupting the 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.

User testing showed a strong preference for dark mode, common in crypto and DeFi platforms. We designed a dark theme with deep blue, ocean inspired tones to feel familiar and comfortable while still providing 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.

Staking can feel risky since it involves financial assets. To reduce fear and build trust, we made key information such as APR, fees, and exchange rates easily accessible with tooltips, visual emphasis, and collapsible FAQs. This experience showed me that clear communication of essential details is one of the best ways to earn user trust 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.

Surveys with 40+ experienced users revealed key concerns around security and yield transparency. These insights shaped our design decisions, including a dark mode aligned with crypto user preferences. Engaging users throughout the process ensured our solutions were intentional, relevant, and human centered rather than assumption based.

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.

ETH staking involves many steps that can overwhelm users. By separating staking and withdrawal flows, we reduced friction and made each process easier to follow. This reinforced a key lesson for me: design processes to feel simple, approachable, and stress free, no matter how complex the system behind them.

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