Curiosity, Self-Doubt, and the Art of Self-Learning in Design

Let’s face it. Web3 and DeFi industries can be quite overwhelming and totally different from other industries. Even Jarar admits that “DeFi can be intimidating”. 

So, how do you approach such projects? Well, similar to every other design process, it all starts with understanding. Jarar spends a lot of time learning how protocols work, talking with engineers and potential customers, and overall digging into what “users and first-timers actually need”. And if you think about it, that’s everything you need to build a successful product.

“My first goal is to simplify without oversimplifying.” 

For Jarar, every design decision, every element created, and every screen developed is grounded in “heavy research” with a core understanding of what exactly adds value to the user. And not just some flashy visuals or features. 

He relies heavily on analytics, user interviews, and usability testing. This is why he always thinks about the big “why” questions. Why are users dropping off at a certain step? Why are they struggling with a flow? He looks at the data and just figures out exactly why.

This is what helps him design experiences that are “clear, trustworthy, and still flexible enough to adapt as the space keeps changing”.

But the truth is that the world of DeFi is changing and evolving every day. And so does its design. You’re dealing with features like wallet connections, onramps, offramps, bridging across different chains – and all while trying to make all of that feel seamless for the user. 

Most users aren’t struggling because DeFi lacks features. They’re struggling because the experience isn’t intuitive enough. 

The most challenging part of designing for DeFi and Web3 services is how fragmented everything can feel. So, the secret? Focusing on “simplifying those critical touchpoints”, as Jarar reveals. He and his team introduced guided flows for wallet setup, integrated fiat onramps directly in-app, made network switching smoother, and so on. 

Jarar admits that there’s nothing more satisfying than “making a real difference in helping people use these products with confidence”. This is exactly what’s keeping him hooked. 

This is also exactly why Euler Finance stands out the most in his work. Because he was one of the earliest hires, he got to work on “everything from the ground up”. Product, dashboards, ideas, branding – everything. Seeing it grow from a small project to raising $48M “was wild”. 

“It pushed me to think beyond just design screens to really understand users, protocols, and how to build trust in a completely decentralized space. That project shaped how I approach product design to this day.”

Jarar Malik is pretty well-known in the social media space. And for a good reason! He’s sharing everything that he was learning – especially things that he wished someone had told him earlier. It wasn’t about personal branding at first. It was about being part of a community. Of the design community. 

That’s when he realized how powerful it is to connect with other designers, founders, and builders through your work. So now, he revealed that his online presence has become so much about “how I learn, network, and even land opportunities”.

So, if you’re a designer thinking about growing your social media accounts and your online community, this is your sign to do it! That’s how simple Jarar started as well. 

“Putting your work out there opens a lot of unexpected doors.”

This is also what inspired Jarar to write two absolutely amazing books: The Beginner’s Playbook to UI/UX and The Figma Pocketbook. He explains that both of them came from a place of wanting to make things simpler for people just starting out.

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He knows what it’s like for junior UI/UX designers nowadays. How confusing it feels with tons of jargon. Scattered advice that’s all over the place. And well, no clear path whatsoever. Similar to his approach to online content, Jarar decided to create the kind of resources he wished he had back then.

To all designers at the beginning of the road, take Jarar’s word: you don’t need to overthink it. You just need a solid starting point and the willingness to keep going. 

Of course, the beginning is always messy. Even senior designers face challenges when starting something new. Jarar himself can say that he’s struggled with imposter syndrome, where he overthought everything and probably scrapped more work than he’s kept. 

More often than we’d like to admit, this is something most designers experience at some point. It’s frustrating, yes. But in the end, it’s all part of the process.

“What matters is showing up consistently, being open to feedback, and staying curious. The designers who grow the fastest aren’t the most talented – they’re the ones who keep going even when it’s uncomfortable.” 

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Every one of us should find something that gives us a bit of reassurance that we’re on the right path. For Jarar, it was winning awards like the Best Design Award and the ETH Global Awards. Of course, this sounds way bigger than just positive feedback. But when dealing with our fair share of self-doubt, any form of recognition can make all the difference.

And the reason is simple. Because it wasn’t about the recognition or the awards themselves. It’s about “realizing that the work I cared about actually resonated with others”, which pushed Jarar to keep raising the bar. 

Remember: the small details that only you care about, or the late nights, they do add up to something meaningful.

Both his content and his projects have one thing in common: they should bring real value. Jarar explains that “if something helps speed up the workflow, simplifies a complex task, or just makes the design process smoother, that’s when it stands out”.

Although curiosity is tied to trying everything new, it’s not mutually exclusive with falling for every trend. This is what makes Jarar such a great designer: because he’s “not interested in hype”. If a tool, plugin, or any design resource is genuinely useful – then it’s worth sharing with others as well.

So, when asked about design systems and UI kits, like Uinkits, Jarar mentioned that such tools are becoming a core part of modern design workflows. 

It’s true! They save time, reduce repetitive work, and help maintain consistency across products. And most importantly? They allow us to focus on higher-level decisions, rather than starting from scratch every time.

“As products scale and teams grow, having solid, well-structured kits in place becomes less of a luxury and more of a necessity.”

For Jarar, the future of design is all about experimentation, building a community with others, and overall, curiosity. Those are the things that make him (and us included) push beyond and above.