Desk Research: OpenShelf.xyz
When I first encountered OpenShelf, I was mentoring the Solana Ideathon hosted by SuperteamDE during the TUM Blockchain Conference. I met OpenShelf’s founder—a passionate student from the Aachen Blockchain Club. As he shared his idea, I was drawn in by their drive to reimagine digital publishing: tackling issues like discoverability, monetization, and creative control. But more importantly, they had a strong plan to leverage Solana’s blockchain capabilities to make this vision a reality. OpenShelf has already been recognized as a Solana Hackathon winner, and I knew I could lend them a hand with some vital market research to aid their development. Let’s dive into the user research, insights, and MVP recommendations for this ambitious project.
Research Baseline
We approached this case study with three objectives:
1. Understand Industry Pain Points:
We started with basic desk research, analyzing challenges for short-form writers, long-form writers, and book authors. Data on market trends, digital publishing economics, and blockchain competitors provided the foundation for our insights. Understanding these pain points was crucial for identifying where OpenShelf could create value, ensuring the platform’s features would address real-world problems rather than hypothetical use cases.
2. Conduct User Research:
A survey captured responses from a diverse group of content creators, ranging from bloggers to professional authors. We explored their pain points, technological preferences, and views on blockchain. This research revealed how users interact with current platforms, their frustrations, and what they expect from a future-focused solution like OpenShelf.
3. Synthesize Findings:
By combining qualitative insights with data, we identified critical opportunities for OpenShelf’s MVP to succeed. The synthesis process enabled us to prioritize features that align with user needs, making the MVP both functional and appealing.
Insights from the Research
Creator Challenges
Short-Form Writers: These creators face intense pressure to stay relevant on platforms driven by SEO and algorithms. Our research noted that 80% of their content focuses on “how-to” articles, yet they often struggle to monetize effectively without a significant audience.
Long-Form Writers: Time and effort constraints (6-12 hours per 3,000-word piece) and high editorial rejection rates remain common hurdles. Writers prioritize visibility on platforms with strong editorial standards.
Authors: In traditional publishing, creators typically accrue royalties based on 10% of the cover price. Furthermore, it’s estimated that 90% of self-published authors sell fewer than 100 copies due to discoverability challenges.
These findings are critical for helping the team define necessary steps in UI patterns, because they highlight the importance of visibility, ease of content sharing, and monetization tools. A user-centric interface must focus on enabling creators to easily publish, track their performance, and engage with their audience while minimizing friction in the process. For example, creating a seamless publishing workflow and integrating analytics directly into the dashboard would reduce the burden on creators.
Why Blockchain?
Blockchain technology offers:
Decentralization: Ownership remains with creators through token-based staking and NFT integration.
Monetization: By eliminating intermediaries, creators receive direct rewards for their content.
Community Building: Staking mechanisms foster engagement, letting users invest in content they value.
Understanding these aspects is essential for the final UI design as it must visually communicate and simplify complex blockchain interactions, such as staking and NFT minting, while remaining intuitive for non-technical users. The research also highlights the need for a clear educational component in the interface to make blockchain concepts less scary for first-time users.
OpenShelf addresses the “publishing trilemma”: visibility, modernization, and creative independence.
These unique propositions guide UI decisions by emphasizing transparency and simplicity. Features like dashboards, staking interfaces, and analytics must be seamlessly integrated to ensure accessibility and engagement. The UI must also balance simplicity with the complexity of blockchain interactions, ensuring creators feel empowered rather than overwhelmed.
With Solana’s fast and low-cost blockchain as its backbone, OpenShelf has the infrastructure to:
Provide visibility through community-driven staking.
Enhance monetization via direct blockchain rewards.
Maintain full ownership over IP with decentralized governance.
Highlights from the User Survey
Our user survey revealed key trends:
Preference for Decentralized Platforms: 64% of respondents were open to using blockchain-based platforms, with transparency and fair compensation cited as primary drivers. A challenge became obvious when 84% reported they did not trust anything labelled as crypto.
Challenges with Current Platforms: 72% felt existing publishing platforms overly favored established creators.
Interest in Staking: 59% expressed interest in staking on projects they believed in, aligning with OpenShelf’s core feature.
These findings underscore the importance of designing a UI that fosters trust and highlights an interface with comfortable and familiar user flows. Users must feel confident in navigating the platform, understanding how their property is being used, and tracking their earnings. Simplifying these interactions through guided workflows and clear guides would enhance user adoption.
How the Research Guides MVP
1. Leverage Solana’s Capabilities
Low Transaction Costs: Solana’s cost efficiency ensures that staking, publishing, and content interactions remain affordable for creators and readers alike.
Scalability: Solana’s speed allows for seamless user experiences, from uploading content to staking tokens.
Token-Based Staking System: Allow users to stake on their favorite works, creating a mutually beneficial ecosystem.
NFT Integration: Enable creators to mint their works as NFTs, giving verifiable ownership and enabling resale opportunities.
Creator Dashboard: Simplify blockchain interactions with intuitive tools for managing content, tokens, and analytics. For example, integrating visual cues and progress indicators can help guide creators through complex processes like NFT minting.
2. Build Key Features for User Adoption
3. Focus on Community Engagement
Reward Mechanisms: Design staking rewards that incentivize both creators and readers.
Governance: Introduce decentralized governance where users can vote on platform changes or content prioritization.
Blockchain adoption remains a hurdle. A dedicated onboarding process—from setting up Solana wallets to managing tokens—can demystify the technology.
Partner with Solana’s ecosystem to leverage its developer and user community for early adoption. Embedding tutorials and walkthroughs in the UI will be key to ensuring user retention.
4. Educate the Market
Research Conclusion
OpenShelf is on the verge of something big. By tapping into Solana’s speed and low costs, tackling real struggles creators face, and giving power back to writers, this platform is setting a new standard for publishing. Our research has shown just how much creators need better discoverability, fairer monetization, and true ownership of their work—and OpenShelf is positioned to deliver exactly that.
The next steps are clear: keep refining the user experience, make blockchain interactions seamless, and ensure creators feel at home on the platform. By focusing on a smooth, engaging UI and building a strong community, OpenShelf can bridge the gap between traditional publishing struggles and the decentralized future.
Publishing is evolving, and OpenShelf is leading the charge. With the right execution, this could be the go-to platform for writers looking to break free from outdated systems and build real, sustainable careers. The future of content creation is open, and OpenShelf is making sure it stays that way.
