ClearFeed
Revolutionizing News Reading with Web3
The Problem
Most digital news these days sits behind paywalls, pushing readers to sign up for pricey subscriptions — even when they’re just looking to read a couple of articles. At the same time, trust in mainstream media is fading, and it’s getting harder for independent journalists to get their work in front of more people.
Goals
Explore a more flexible, reader-first model that lowers barriers to accessing trusted journalism, highlights independent voices, and gives readers control over how they pay for content.
Outcome
Designed ClearFeed: a conceptual reading experience where users can pay per article through a seamless, low-friction flow. We also explored how emerging Web3 technologies like crypto micropayments could power this model.
Team
Yao Zhou (Product Designer)
Gurmandeep Kaur (UX Researcher)
Timeline
Dec 2025 ~ Jan 2025
Designing ClearFeed in 8 Weeks
Weeks 1–2
Research & Insights
Identified key user pain points through desk research
Mapped market gaps (subscription fatigue, trust issues, discoverability)
Defined opportunity areas: flexible access, Web3 payments, user-driven curation
Weeks 3–6
UX Exploration & Design
Sketched user flows & wireframes
Designed core screens: onboarding, pay-per-article, payments, curation
Prototyped seamless user journeys in Figma
Iterated design through informal feedback
Weeks 7–8
Prototype Polish & Presentation
Refined visual design and micro-interactions
Built final interactive prototype
Before designing, we explored how modern readers engage with news — and why current models feel broken:
Paywalls create friction
75%+ of top news outlets are behind paywalls, disrupting casual reading.
Trust is decliningage Rating
62% of readers say media bias is a concern — many seek independent voices.
Rigid subscriptions don’t fit today’s habits
40%+ churn within a year; users want flexibility.
How might we give readers flexible ways to access trusted journalism and support independent voices?
The goal was to reduce friction around payments and make rating articles feel like a natural part of the reading flow.
I explored how Web3 payments could enable flexible, one-time article access, and how transparent, community-driven ratings could help readers better trust what they’re reading. These ideas guided the key interactions I focused on in the prototype.
Mid-fidelity Wireframes
Instead of mapping detailed UX flows up front, I focused on visualizing the core concept quickly. I created mid-fidelity wireframes to explore how key moments — discovery, pay-per-article purchase, and content curation — might feel in practice. The goal was to move fast and test the potential of the overall experience.
Defining the Core Experience
After building the mid-fidelity prototypes to visualize the overall experience, I focused on refining two core interactions that would define how this model could work in practice.
I explored how decentralized payment models — particularly Web3-based micropayments — could enable more flexible, seamless access to individual articles. In parallel, I iterated on how a transparent, user-driven rating flow could give readers more control over content curation. These two areas became central to expressing how a decentralized news experience could feel more open, trustworthy, and aligned with user needs.
Payment Flow Iteration
The first version of the payment flow felt too technical and required manual currency input, which created friction. I iterated by restructuring the flow based on iOS design principles: adding clear entry points, simplifying deposit options (bank / crypto wallet), and introducing preset amounts with visual feedback. The final flow makes Web3 payments feel familiar and low-friction, aligning with user mental models of mobile payments.
Rating Flow Iteration
The original rating flow used a multi-step star rating that felt disconnected from the rest of the experience. It required several screens, which led to some users dropping off before finishing. In the new version, I designed an inline rating flow where users first see how the community has already rated the article. This gives more context and encourages participation. The updated flow is quicker, more intuitive, and leaves users with a simple thank-you message to close the loop.
Final Design
ClearFeed explores a flexible, pay-per-article model powered by Web3 payments and community-driven curation. The prototype highlights four key features — discovery, pay-per-article purchase, seamless crypto payments, and transparent content ratings — designed to lower access barriers and build reader trust in independent journalism.
Next Steps
This project opened up exciting questions around how Web3 technologies could reshape digital media experiences. If I were to continue, my next steps would be:
Prototype higher fidelity interactions and test flow usability, especially around payment and rating.
Explore onboarding to help first-time users understand Web3 payments in a lightweight way.
Validate trust signals — test whether community-driven ratings actually help users feel more confident in the content they consume.
Broaden content discovery by designing additional ways for users to find independent voices beyond their existing preferences.
The goal would be to evolve this into a more polished, testable experience and better understand how flexible payment models can serve both readers and journalists.