Snapshot - mobile app
Mobile product design for a Web3 governance platform focused on accessibility and participation.
Industry
DAOs, Governance
Client
SnapshotLabs
Year
2022
Project overview
Snapshot is a decentralized governance platform widely used across the Web3 ecosystem. The mobile app was designed to extend governance participation beyond desktop environments, enabling users to browse proposals, vote, and engage with DAOs directly from their devices.
The Challenge
Translating governance complexity into a mobile-first experience
Designing clarity around proposals, voting mechanics, and outcomes
Balancing information density with readability on smaller screens
Encouraging participation without overwhelming new users by simplifying entry points
Research-informed direction
Early research activities focused on identifying friction in governance participation, information overload, and hesitation during voting flows. Insights informed simplification of structure, hierarchy, and interaction patterns.
Core Mobile Experience
Once connected, users land on a personalized timeline composed of proposal updates and activity summaries from the spaces they follow. Instead of replicating a complex DAO dashboard, the goal was to create a focused stream of governance moments that feel timely and actionable.
Proposal detail
Proposal cards were designed to surface essential information at a glance while minimizing cognitive load. Each card highlights proposal title, status, voting progress, and time sensitivity—prioritizing signals that help users quickly decide whether to engage.
Cast vote
Governance on Snapshot allows each space to define different voting mechanisms per proposal. The mobile experience had to accommodate this variability while maintaining clarity and consistency.
The main challenge was designing a voting interface flexible enough to support multiple voting formats without fragmenting the user experience.
Up to three distinct voting configurations were supported at the time of the project. Rather than designing isolated layouts for each case, voting views were structured as adaptable components within the UI system. This ensured visual consistency while allowing each voting mechanism to behave according to its specific logic.
Discovery
Discovery is fundamental to meaningful participation in decentralized governance. Without visibility into relevant spaces and influential contributors, users struggle to engage beyond passive voting.
The app introduces two complementary discovery paths: exploring spaces and exploring wallets. This dual structure reflects the social nature of governance—where users engage not only with proposals, but with communities and individuals shaping decisions.
Profiles
Profiles define governance identity across the app. Space profiles represent DAOs and their activity history, while wallet profiles represent individuals and their participation footprint. Together, they create a relational model that connects communities and contributors within the governance ecosystem.
Create proposal — Structured authoring
Proposal creation was structured as a guided three-step flow: defining intent, configuring voting, and reviewing parameters. This staged approach reduces cognitive load while maintaining compliance with governance requirements before submission.
Swipe to vote
To further reduce participation friction, a dedicated voting surface was introduced within the mobile experience.
Inspired by familiar swipe-based interactions, the experience allows users to review proposals one at a time and either skip or cast a vote. A visible counter indicates how many proposals remain, reinforcing progress and encouraging completion.
This feature reframes governance as an active and ongoing process, transforming voting into a lightweight, accessible interaction embedded within everyday mobile usage.
