Building a web3 stock exchange from the ground up

Website

DCLEX

Timeline

October 2022 - January 2024

Type

Product Strategy, Branding, Design System and UI, Web Application

Country

United States

Industry

web3

DCLEX approached 10Clouds to help them build a groundbreaking stock exchange that would use blockchain to provide secure and transparent trading.

The work would include product inception, branding and visual communication. It would also cover UI design, service design, development, and providing blockchain support.


Services

Product Discovery
UX research
UI
Art direction
Visual Language
Motion design

Technologies

react.js
Python
AWS

Project in numbers

3
Discovery sessions
11
groups of needs
23
competitors analyzed

Introduction and Goals

DCLEX is a revolutionary blockchain-based stock exchange, where users settle trades with USDC. Then, they can withdraw their stocks to hold them in their Ethereum account. The platform focuses on transaction safety and lets you hold securities in self-custody. The democratization of stock trading lies at the heart of the platform as DCLEX presents a community-driven approach. Its users make decisions about the product's future together.

Our team started with a series of product discovery workshops. The aim was to establish the mission and vision of the product, develop the business idea, create a unique value proposition, and design a complete service blueprint. At the same time, the development team was conducting research on blockchain and the stock market.

The 10Clouds' design team worked independently, focusing on branding, UX, and UI of the web app and the product’s landing page.

The final deliverables included a service blueprint, a market research report, a blueprint for future marketing efforts, a simple design system, a landing page, a responsive web app, full branding along with a brand guide, and main 3D visuals.


Challenges

At first, the client proposed developing a metaverse-based stock exchange aimed at users without traditional banking access. However, as the project started, we encountered legal and technical challenges that made it impossible to proceed as originally planned. Through our exploratory phase, we identified an alternative market and target audience for the project.

The findings led to a new business direction. The new user group shaped the basis for the change in product development and future marketing efforts. This required not only a deep dive into technical and market feasibility but also the development of a unique value proposition that would distinguish DCLEX in both traditional and decentralized finance markets.

Crafting an intuitive UI posed another challenge. We had to balance the accessibility for newcomers and depth for experienced stock traders. Prioritizing features for the MVP, based on user stories and market research, was crucial to ensure the platform's core concept was effectively validated.

On top of that, we had to integrate blockchain technology and provide robust AWS maintenance, which demanded advanced technical solutions and strategic foresight to achieve the project's goals of security, transparency, and scalability.

The Process

The Process

01

Product Discovery

Our work began with workshops to solidify DCLEX's mission and vision. The 10Clouds team developed a viable business concept by analyzing market trends and identifying unique opportunities within traditional and decentralized finance. Finally, we created a comprehensive service blueprint and mapped out the user journeys and backend processes to ensure a seamless service experience. This phase was crucial in ensuring that the project was built on a solid understanding of market needs and the platform's potential impact. The work included a series of future user interviews, 2 rounds of customer workshops, netnography, and comprehensive market research.
02

Strategic MVP Design & Development

The second phase of the DCLEX project focused on developing an MVP strategy, informed by insights gathered during the Product Discovery phase. This stage was crucial for translating the established mission, vision, and unique value propositions into tangible design and development work. We collaborated to refine the scope of design and development tasks, ensuring that the MVP would effectively validate the product’s concept while addressing the needs of its potential users. The result was a clear roadmap for creating a user-centric platform that leverages blockchain technology to offer a secure and transparent trading experience.
03

Platform Design

The final phase brought the project from strategic planning and MVP stages to full realization. It involved implementing the design system, UI designs, and the development of the front-end and back-end functionalities using technologies such as ReactJS and Python. The project's infrastructure was supported on AWS, ensuring robust and scalable cloud services. This phase culminated in the delivery of a comprehensive suite of assets including the branding, main visuals, basic brand guide, 3D illustrations, UI, design system, landing page, and a responsive web application.

Deliverables

Branding and initial wireframes

Our team crafted a distinctive brand identity for DCLEX, including a logo, a main visual, and a basic brand guide. We also created 3D illustrations and initial wireframes, laying the visual and structural groundwork for the web application and the landing page.


Web application and a landing page

Our efforts resulted in the development of the web application and a landing page, utilizing ReactJS for the front end and Python for the back end. Supported by AWS infrastructure and integrating blockchain technology, we delivered a secure, scalable, and engaging platform for stock trading.


Design system and UI

We developed a cohesive design system that established a consistent visual language across the platform, incorporating art direction and motion design. This system guided the creation of a user-friendly and visually appealing user interface.


Business impact

The collaboration between DCLEX and 10Clouds resulted in the creation of a blockchain-based stock market platform that really stands out. It aimed at merging what a traditional stock exchange and decentralized finance have best to offer.

DCLEX is now in the pre-launch phase. It is bound to offer users a secure and transparent trading experience, combining the benefits of DeFi with the familiarity and compliance of traditional financial markets. The platform stands out with its intuitive user interface and seamless integration of blockchain technology.

What is worth mentioning is that DCLEX returned to us after the first project that resulted in preparing the service blueprint. Our work was well-received and we could return to our client, this time offering to DCLEX wide design services.

Looking for an end-to-end development of your groundbreaking financial product? Count us in.

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