In today’s world, the importance of a good user experience cannot be overstated. It is no longer enough for a product to be functional; it must also be easy and enjoyable to use.
However, creating a good user experience is not just about aesthetics and smooth transitions; it’s also about handling worst-case scenarios.
According to a recent blog post by Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin, the worst-case scenario is more critical than the average case when it comes to user experience.
Buterin argues that a UI that looks clean and sleek but fails to explain a weird and unexplainable thing that causes significant problems 0.723% of the time is worse than a UI that exposes more gritty details to the user.
Even if the latter option may not look as polished, it makes it easier for users to understand what’s going on and fix any problems that arise.
Buterin also highlights the importance of user experience in the world of cryptocurrency. In particular, he believes that high transaction fees and an imperfect user experience are leading Ethereum users to choose centralized solutions over on-chain, decentralized methods.
The Ethereum creator acknowledges that user experience has made significant strides over the years. For example, average transaction times have decreased from minutes to seconds, thanks to EIP-1559 and the merge.
However, Buterin argues that more still needs to be done to improve the user experience further.
Buterin suggests that simple and robust user interfaces are preferable to fancy and sleek ones. While a flashy UI may look impressive, it can often be confusing and overwhelming for users.
In contrast, a straightforward UI that provides all the necessary information and options in a clear and concise manner is more likely to result in a positive user experience.
