HODL Part 1: Bitcoin for Designers
What if you were designing for something that holds the hours someone worked, the effort they put in, the value they created... their actual lived energy?
Because that’s what money really holds. And Bitcoin is money people can own completely, without a bank or a company or anyone in the middle. Which means the decisions you make as a designer can shape how someone protects, sends, and interacts with their savings, in a way that's too direct, personal, and honestly - a little scary in the best way.
Here's the interesting part: Bitcoin design isn’t a blank canvas, but it’s definitely not a finished painting either. The patterns are still emerging, the rules are still being tested, and a lot of the foundations are still shifting. It’s one of the few spaces where your design instincts don’t just polish the experience but help shape the ecosystem itself.
I feel most designers never get to do that. We make things prettier, smoother, more delightful but... but always within systems someone else built. Bitcoin is different. The system is new. The rules are different. The design problems are raw and unsolved, which is exactly what makes this space exciting.
And just to be clear, when I say Bitcoin - it's Bitcoin-only. Not crypto, not blockchain, not web3 buzzwords. Just Bitcoin... the hardest, most fascinating design problem in digital money.
But you don't need to understand Bitcoin's tech (yet) to see what's broken. You just need to use it the way a designer would.
So that's the plan. We investigate together.
The Workshop Agenda:
Think of this as a design investigation. You're not here to just learn theory... you're here to examine the evidence, find what's broken, and look for better answers.
🔍 THE CASE FILE (60 minutes)
Every investigation starts with understanding the case
Who's using Bitcoin and why? Real people, real situations, real consequences. You'll see what's at stake and why the design decisions matter so much.
🕵️ THE INVESTIGATION (100 minutes)
Time to get your hands dirty.
You'll test real Bitcoin wallets in small teams. Send, receive, backup with no tutorials, no hand-holding. Just you, the interface, and whatever you discover. Fresh eyes catch what insiders miss.
📋 THE BRIEFING (45 minutes)
What did you uncover?
Each team discusses their observations: the good, the broken, the fixable. You'll share what you learned and sketch lo-fi solutions for what you'd change. Evidence-based design, not assumptions.
Wondering what you'll leave with?
Not mastery... nobody becomes a Bitcoin UX expert in three hours, but you'll have a clearer way of seeing the design landscape around money, a set of questions you probably haven't asked before, and maybe the realization that this space is way more interesting than you assumed.
If it clicks, great! There are plenty of Bitcoin designers started exactly where you’ll be. If it doesn’t, well… you’ll still leave with a weirdly sticky thought about how casually we trade our financial privacy for convenience.
Is this for you?
If you're tired of designing the same funnels and landing pages. If you're craving a design problem that feels genuinely new. If you've heard about Bitcoin but never really understood why people care... you'll fit right in.
Skepticism is welcome, curiosity is required, no prior knowledge needed.
🎟️ Thinking "I want in"? Here's how to secure your spot:
Seats are limited to 16 people. We want this to feel like a conversation, not a lecture hall.
Here's how it works:
RSVP to attend. Your spot won't be confirmed yet.
We'll reach out on WhatsApp within 12 hours to confirm your seat.
Pay a ₹333 refundable seat deposit to lock in your spot.
Then done. We'll approve your registration, send you the confirmation, and add you to the pre-workshop WhatsApp group.
The ₹333 comes back to you at the end of the workshop. Need to cancel? Let us know atleast 24+ hours before and your deposit will be refunded.
Why the manual process? Because we care about who's in the room. This isn't a webinar... it's a small group exploration, and we want everyone there to be genuinely curious, not just casually interested.
Don't use WhatsApp? No problem, we'll reach you via email.
Come curious, leave with a different lens. That’s the whole point.
This is HODL - Hands-On Design Lab: a space for designers to investigate Bitcoin without hype, pressure, or expectations. Just honest problems, open minds, and a case worth cracking.
For any queries or doubts reach out to me (Paper) on:
Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp: 9118592188
Signal: @bitspace.21
Venue Partner: Bitshala Bitspace, HSR Layout Sector 7, Bengaluru.
Is it your first time coming to Bitspace for a session? Wondering what to expect?
Browse through some highlights and recaps from our previous events to get an idea:
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Contact: 9118592188