Haven't been here in so long. But here's something meaningful that I wanna share.
Last two weekends have been amazing for me at Bitspace, both those weekends
@Veronika and I hosted our
@HODL: HandsOnDesignLab workshop on bitcoin design.
These were the 2nd and 3rd iterations of the workshop and the 2nd one went so well that we found ourselves running it again the following Saturday.
Sooo, I’m writing about both of them at once.
Here’s everything that unfolded across those two Saturdays 👇🏼👇🏼
We had small groups both times. 6 designers in the 2nd one, 4 in the 3rd.
We used to think we would need big numbers for these workshops to feel successful, but we’re realizing that's not true.
Something about a small group makes the conversations sharper, more real and honest.
We started the same way both times. People introduced themselves, talked about why they chose design, and what they liked about it.
Small thing that sets the tone.
This wasn't a lecture where they'd sit quietly and absorb. They had to be part of the conversation from minute one.
We talked about what we're doing today and why.
And based on feedback, we added something new in the 3rd one.
Before diving deeper, we asked people to write their biggest questions about bitcoin on post-it notes.
But, we didn't read them out loud. We just put them up and continued. The questions stayed on the wall the whole time, small colored squares with doubts written on them. We'd come back to them at the end of the investigation.
Now, it was time to open up the case file.
The first question in the case file: "What makes anything money?"
The room got quieter.
We talked through everyone's ideas, what they think, dug through their answers and landed on the 3 characteristics: medium of exchange, store of value, unit of account.
Then we pushed them to think further... "what makes good money? Why is gold better than shells or salt?"
To make this part fun, we played a game. We continued testing them in various scenarios like: you're moving to your dream city with INR 50 lacs. Do you take 50 cows, a 300kg stone, gold coins, or digital money?
They laughed at the absurd options, but through those laughs and even more digging, they discovered the 7 properties of good money which were: scarcity, durability, divisibility, portability, fungibility, recognizability, censorship resistance.
But that all is alot of info to take in at one go. So, we then ran a small test on their knowledge, we had them rate different kinds of money based on their properties.
The answers they had here helped clarify alot of the remaining doubts.
After understanding all this about money, naturally the question arises: “But who actually uses bitcoin & why?”
We showed them real stories. People losing chunks to fees when sending money home. Savings evaporating to hyperinflation. Activists with frozen bank accounts and funds.
The room got serious. Bitcoin wasn’t just an abstract tech thing, it was a human thing.
We sat with those stories for a bit.
We then took a break. We'd been going for over two hours and the room needed some air.
The break had alot of great conversations about design, about bitcoin, about HSR’s hidden gems!
Next, we were excited to begin the investigation!
In their case files people got a wallet category to investigate. We used:
- Onchain (
@nunchuk_io &
@BULL BITCOIN - Non-custodial LN (
@Phoenix Wallet &
@ZEUS )
- Custodial LN (
@Blink Wallet &
@Wallet of Satoshi )
Massive shoutout to all these amazing wallet solutions out there for bitcoiners!
The investigation began and the instructions were simple.
Test wallets with fresh eyes. No tutorials, no hand-holding. Just you and the interface. Send, receive, backup. Notice what feels off. Ask questions.
They had investigation checklists to guide them, but mostly they explored and took notes.
For the next hour, the room was curious and quiet.
People huddled over their phones, trying to understand the new flows, discussing with their teammates the confusing stuff.
You could see them actually thinking through the interface, not just clicking buttons.
Once done, each team had to present their findings and observations - what they learned, what confused them, what they'd change. Some sketched wireframes. Others just talked through the problems they noticed.
They explained bitcoin UX to each other, while we only facilitated.
After the investigation, discussion, clarifying doubts and flows, we lightened the mood with a quiz.
Then we walked back to those post-it notes that had been sitting all day. The questions they wrote at the start. Time to see if they could answer them now.
They were able to answer almost all of their questions. And we didn't give them direct answers during the presentation.
"What is bitcoin? Is it the future? Why does it matter?"
They understood.
The answers weren't perfect, but they were theirs. It felt significant, to us, and especially to them.
Then came our final and favourite test.
While returning their deposit we gave them a choice: INR or bitcoin (in
#Ecash.)
In the 2nd session, all 6 chose bitcoin.
In the 3rd, 2 out of 4.
After learning how hard bitcoin can be to use, most still answered "bitcoin."
That said alot.
They all withdrew their bitcoin into their
@Cashu wallets.
In one afternoon, these designers got to experience a part of the UX of all 3 layers in bitcoin XD.
I don't think we convinced them of anything. They reached their own conclusions through experiencing both the promise and the design challenges.
By the end, they saw bitcoin with a new lens. Not as believers, just as designers who kinda see the shape of the problem now.
----
Both our sessions ran over 5 hrs, and nobody seemed to notice.
There's something about the format that makes time move differently. Maybe it's the mix of discussion and hands-on work. Maybe it's the small group size.
We’re not entirely sure yet, but it seems to be working.
@Veronika & I are still figuring out what
@HODL: HandsOnDesignLab is. The structure is evolving, next parts are forming.
But it's clear: Bitcoin needs thoughtful design, and designers need a way in that feels open, not intimidating.
If we craft that entry and bring more n more designers into the
@Bitcoin Design , good things shall unfold.
