Su Barikan

Product designer

Founder & Product Designer of Abstract state

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This project explored how AR and LiDAR can enhance human awareness of indoor environmental health. The study examined how data visualization can make invisible toxins visible, understandable, and actionable, bridging the gap between data and personal design decisions.

⚡ AT A GLANCE

Role: • Role: UX Researcher & Strategist • Deliverable: Strategic MVP roadmap + AR concept validation

Research Approach

Methods used:• Card Sorting → Feature and trust-factor prioritization• Photo Elicitation → Space psychology & visual preferences• Journey Mapping → Reactions to air-quality alerts and decision flows• Surveys + Interviews → 60+ participants

Central Research Question

What would you do if your smart device alerted you about poor air quality?

This question became the foundation for understanding user behavior, device preferences, and trust dynamics.

Space Psychology
66.7% preferred minimalist environments, linking clean design to wellness and control.

Strategic MVP & Design Implications

Earthwin
Environmental | Advanced Prototyping | Behavioral Design

Project Goal: Improve post-donation engagement and trust on the Earthwin platform by testing whether high-visibility impact tracking and feedback loops could reduce the 3 out of 4 user drop-off rate observed after first-time contributions.

PROJECT CONTEXTScope: This project designed a standalone game application (Earth Fighters), not gamification elements added to the existing Earthwin.org platform.Earthwin initially requested gamification (points and badges) to increase engagement. However, user research revealed a deeper need: users wanted to actively express environmental urgency, not just earn passive rewards.Key research insight:
When asked "What would you do if you saw someone starting a fire in a forest?" users expressed anger, helplessness, and urgency - but had no outlet for those feelings beyond watching on TV or making a donation that "didn't feel like doing something."This informed my decision to design a full interactive game rather than simple gamification, translating the client's requirement into a solution grounded in user psychology:• Gamification request → Earth Fighters Game — Allows users to actively battle environmental threats (fires, mining, pollution), converting frustration into repeated constructive action
• Blockchain → Trust Infrastructure — Addresses "Where does my money go?" transparency gap
• Cryptocurrency → Impact Proof Layer — Tokens earned in-game convert to crypto for donations or Earthwin shop purchases, creating tangible proof of contributionMy role was to validate whether this elevated solution reduced user friction and improved engagement beyond what simple gamification could achieve.

Understand The Business: The Eco-Cycle

The core business objective was to ensure long-term participation through a verifiable funding model. Based on the user research, I designed how the client's required technologies would function as a loop.Play (Channel frustration into the game) → Earn (Tokens/Reward) → Convert (Tokens to Crypto/Funding) → Contribute (Real-world impact)This functional model bridges the digital action with the financial outcome, ensuring emotional engagement directly drives transparent funding and participation.

Understand The User

Interviews showed that users care about environmental causes but disengage when they cannot see visible outcomes from their actions. Participants consistently expressed the need for progress visibility, contribution tracking, and clearer feedback after donating.

Understand The Platform

Information Architecture & Platform Design: The existing Earthwin website buried strong ideas under cluttered navigation and repetitive pages. Crucially, the client's required features (gamification, token system, crypto tracking) needed to be designed and integrated - they did not yet exist on the platform

The Problem: Heuristic & Structural Flaws
During heuristic analysis, I identified a recurring issue: redundant navigation and cognitive overload. The existing structure violated principles like “Recognition Rather Than Recall” and “Aesthetic and Minimalist Design,” overwhelming users and obscuring the platform’s core message.

Technology Trade-off Evaluation
The client requested gamification. User research revealed users needed an active outlet to express environmental urgency - not just passive rewards. I validated whether a full game + token economy + blockchain solved this better than simpler alternatives.

Why a Full Game (Not Just Gamification)?
The client initially requested gamification (points/badges). However, the "forest fire" research scenario revealed users wanted to actively express urgency, not just earn passive rewards.User quote:
All we do is watch forest fires on TV. Unless you're a firefighter, you can't do anything. With a game, at least I could express my feelings, earn tokens, and use them to donate or buy from their store.Gamification vs. Game Design:Gamification = Add points after donation (passive reward)
Game Design = Active participation that channels environmental frustration into constructive repeated action
Validation: 4/4 users engaged 10-15 minutes with game prototype vs 3 minutes on donation-only flow.

Why Not Traditional Reporting?
Static PDF impact reports do not create continuous engagement. Multiple users stated they “would not check monthly email updates.”Why Blockchain?
To create a contribution ledger that users can independently verify rather than relying solely on platform claims.Risks & Mitigation
High onboarding complexity for non-crypto users was identified as a major risk. This was mitigated by abstracting the blockchain layer from the interface and displaying a simple “Verified Contribution” status instead of exposing wallets or transaction details.Game trivialization risk: 4/4 users rejected cartoonish aesthetics as trivializing → pivoted to cinematic elemental style
Non-gamer complexity: Simple tutorial + clear visual cues → 4/4 understood mechanics in first interaction

Flow & Structure

Earthwin’s ecosystem is designed as a self-sustaining cycle that motivates action and rewards participation.
The user journey follows a clear rhythm of Discover → Act → Earn → Prove → Share, ensuring every interaction feels purposeful and connected.Each part of the experience dashboard, game, shop, and volunteer hub feeds into this loop:
users discover environmental challenges, take meaningful action, earn impact tokens, and see their verified contributions visualized in real time.This structure keeps engagement continuous and reinforces Earthwin’s core goal: turning environmental emotion into measurable impact.

The Game: Earth Fighters (Behavioral Engagement System)

Earth Fighters is an engagement system designed to convert user urgency into meaningful action. The game functions as a behavioral bridge between awareness and participation, informed by interview insights where users expressed frustration, helplessness, and a desire to take immediate action.

User Interface Design

Earthwin’s interface combines natural greens, deep blues, and earth neutrals to evoke authenticity and environmental harmony, intentionally building the trust necessary for a platform dealing with tokens and crypto. Subtle gradients reflect the transition from awareness to action, mirroring the user’s eco journey. Icons and motion cues are deliberately soft and circular, symbolizing continuity and community.

Typography uses Inter, chosen for its clarity and digital precision, ensuring readability across mobile and dashboard interfaces. Font weights (Bold,SemiBold, Medium, Regular) visually guide attention through the gamified structure: action → token → proof → reward.

Results & Impact

Usability Testing OutcomesTrust Validation
3/4 users stated that viewing contribution history increased their confidence in the platform.
→ 75% increase in perceived trustworthiness vs. traditional PDF reportsRetention Signal
2/4 participants said they would return specifically to check progress on tracked environmental impact.
→ 50% expressed intent to return (vs. 0/4 on donation-only flow)Engagement Improvement
Game prototype: 10-15 minutes avg. engagement
Donation-only flow: 3 minutes
→ 3-5 x engagement increaseTechnology Validation
4/4 users understood token-to-funding connection without crypto explanation
3/4 trusted blockchain verification over self-reported dashboards
→ Validated that complex tech could be simplified without losing valueDesign Iteration
Based on user confusion around abstract rewards, I pivoted from a generic "points"
system to a contribution timeline and simplified the token interface to reduce cognitive load.

Meratas / Career-Bond
Fintech | UX Fundamentals Project

Career-Bond (formerly Meratas) is a fintech platform helping students finance education through flexible loan programs. This project focused on improving trust and clarity during the loan exploration and application experience.

⚡ AT A GLANCE

Role: UX Designer • Deliverable: Research-backed UX proposal + interactive prototype

Understand The Business

During the rebrand from Meratas to Career-Bond, stakeholders aimed to increase application completion and communicate transparency as a core brand value. The UX needed to improve conversion during the application process, simplify decision-making, and reinforce credibility across every touchpoint.

Understand The User

Through in-depth interviews with 4 people 2 new Master’s graduates (24 & 26 y.o.) funding bootcamps
2 career-switchers (31 & 38 y.o.) moving into tech, (30 min each) and 2 rounds of usability testing with prospective students."Exact script questions (top 3)-What’s your biggest concern when going through financial processes like this?
-Is there anything you wish these platforms offered that they currently don’t?
-What would make that process easier or more reassuring?

KEY USER INSIGHTS1. Hidden fees caused 40% distrust during signup
2. Confusing repayment breakdown led to 30% drop-offs
3. Lack of cost transparency created decision paralysis

This illusion of choice eroded trust early in the journey. Users believed they were exploring tailored programs, but were instead redirected to the same generic page asking for personal details before showing any relevant information. Instead of guiding discovery,
the interface funneled every action into data capture, making the experience feel manipulative rather than supportive.

The Solution

The core problem stemmed from a lack of transparency users were asked for information before receiving value.
To rebuild trust, I designed an interactive loan calculator that showed real numbers upfront, helping users understand total repayment before committing. This shift from “Apply to see your rate” to “Preview before applying” created an open and confidence-driven flow.

Flow & Structure

Simplified page hierarchy reduced confusion and separated program discovery from loan qualification.

The platform flow was rebuilt around clarity breaking the process into three transparent stages: Estimate, Verify, and Apply. Each stage provides visible progress and upfront information before any personal data entry.

User Interface Design

The palette gives the interface a confident identity without shouting. Deep navy and black signal credibility; a restrained blue accent adds focus. Neutral grays and off-whites keep attention on content. The result is bold yet minimal aligned with CareerBond’s values of honesty and transparency.

Using a clear hierarchy of Bold, SemiBold, Medium, and Regular weights guides attention naturally.

COMPOSITIONS

I developed desktop web compositions focused on hierarchy and ease of scanning. Each frame emphasized predictability, the psychological core of trust.

outcomes

Tested with the same 4 users before & after

STRATEGIC IMPACTA trust-first UX framework for fintech- Truthfulness > Conversion: Built a model where users see real numbers first, not after data entry.- “Clear, honest, finally easy” direct quote from all 4 testers.- Scalable Design System:→ Transparency-first language (calculator, 2-way explore, 3-step flow)→ Reduced cognitive load by 100 % (per user feedback)→ Reusable for ISAs, student loans, career financing

This isn’t just a redesign, it’s a blueprint for any trust-sensitive financial product.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This project proved that great UX isn’t just about usability it’s about emotional integrity. Financial tools often fail not because users don’t understand them, but because they don’t believe them. The idea began with a coffee analogy how hidden costs shape distrust and evolved into a UX principle: when what users see is exactly what they get, trust becomes the design. That’s the benchmark I design for clarity so consistent that users never have to second-guess the product or themselves.

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