UX action plan on SolidOS

Overview

This document outlines actionable items aimed at improving the user experience on SolidOS. It is designed to be community-driven and to encourage collective efforts.

The items are structured to be minimal, tangible, and achievable, ensuring that we build and maintain momentum over the long term.

UX audit (on high level items)

To kick-start this initiative, I conducted a high-level UX audit of SolidOS. Last year, I created my WebID and explored its potential for authentication, but in revisiting SolidOS today, I encountered a few usability challenges worth addressing.

As a tech savvy UX designer, I can get around on new interface fairly fast, but today I need to express about my friction on using SolidOS

General

• very confusing on how to get started (once login with WebID on https://solidos.solidcommunity.net/ )
• the login doesnt presist if I open SolidOS in multiple tabs
• slow respond on the ui
• when navigating from public space to personal profile, the interface will log me out, therefore i need to repeatly re-login
• user profile menu sometime randomly show up
• I have to admit after 1+ hour of trying on dokeili ui, i give up…

Use of the panes

• there is no "confirmation" nor feedback on the action i'm trying to do: I simply just want

---

Action items

• Create a Community Survey
  • Engage the Solid community in a survey to gauge the current state of user experience, identifying common friction points and areas of strength.
• Prioritize Based on Survey Results
  • Use the survey results to set action priorities. For example, should we focus on improving developer experience before user experience, or vice versa?
• Collect and Audit UX Patterns from Community Groups
  • Given Solid’s decentralized nature, it’s natural for different working groups to have unique approaches. This exercise will document each group’s UX patterns, identify shared challenges, and develop a library of recommended practices for future projects.
• Design and Develop a Simple Design System
  • Create a design system to support teams with reusable components, enabling faster and more consistent prototyping.
• Conduct UX Audit and Design Improvements for Each Pane
  • Perform a scenario-based analysis on each type of pane, identifying specific design improvements and optimizing user interactions.
• More Ideas to Come
  • Each of these actions will involve active community participation. I plan to host workshops where we can brainstorm and iterate on ideas in real-time.

---

About me

Why am I interested in leading this, and who am I?

My name is Chiali. For the past three years, I’ve focused on advancing data ownership and privacy. This has become a passion of mine, especially since working in a team focused on programmable cryptography in a blockchain setting. I see tremendous potential in the Solid Project, especially as it is built upon web standards, which I believe make it more accessible and user-friendly.

While the technology is still in its early stages, I’m confident that my contribution can make a meaningful impact. I bring over 14 years of experience as a UX designer and have expanded into product management in the past 2 years. I’m excited to participate and contribute as much as possible. Here is my linkedin and github, if you are interested to learn more.