Thea Carbon
Making Carbon Offsetting Accessible
Year
Feb 2023 – Mar 2023
Role
Freelance UI/UX Designer
Tools
Figma
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Industry
Sustainability / Carbon Offsetting / Web3
Company Context
Thea Carbon is a sustainability startup focused on improving access to the voluntary carbon market. Its mission is to make carbon offsetting more approachable for individuals by simplifying how environmental impact is measured and acted upon.
Operating at the intersection of sustainability and emerging technology, the company explores how blockchain infrastructure can support transparency and new models of participation in carbon offset initiatives. This positions Thea Carbon within a rapidly evolving space where environmental accountability and digital systems are becoming increasingly connected.
My Role & Responsibilities
As the UI/UX Designer, I was responsible for shaping the end-to-end product experience of the MVP, working closely with the founder, developer, and another designer to translate complex concepts into a usable interface.
Key responsibilities:
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Defined core user flows from footprint estimation to offsetting and token interaction
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Designed wireframes, high-fidelity UI, and interactive prototypes in Figma
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Structured information architecture to simplify carbon and Web3 concepts
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Collaborated with the founder to align product vision with user experience
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Worked with the developer to ensure design feasibility and implementation clarity
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Iterated on designs through internal feedback and rapid MVP cycles
Project Overview
Thea Web App is a platform designed to help individuals understand and reduce their environmental impact through carbon offsetting. It allows users to estimate their personal carbon footprint, explore offset opportunities, and contribute to verified environmental projects.
Beyond traditional offset platforms, the product introduces a tokenized model through Nature-Based Tokens (NBTs), enabling users to buy, manage, and trade carbon-related assets using blockchain infrastructure. The platform aims to bridge the gap between the voluntary carbon market and emerging Web3 systems by making both more accessible and easier to engage with.
The Problem
Thea Carbon aimed to make carbon offsetting accessible to everyday users, but the underlying systems—carbon markets and Web3—introduced complexity that made participation difficult to understand and trust.
Complex and Opaque Carbon Market
Carbon credits are difficult for most users to understand, with unclear pricing, varying project quality, and limited transparency. This made it hard for users to confidently answer a basic question: what am I paying for, and how does it create real impact?
Low Trust in Carbon Offsetting
Skepticism around carbon offset projects created hesitation among users. Without clear visibility into how contributions translate to environmental impact, users were less likely to engage with the platform.
Balancing Simplicity with System Complexity
The product needed to support both straightforward offsetting and more advanced token-based interactions. Without clear structure, this dual system risked overwhelming users or making the experience difficult to navigate.
Design Goals
To address the complexity of carbon markets and Web3 systems, the design focused on making the platform easier to understand, navigate, and trust—while still supporting more advanced interactions.
Make Carbon Offsetting Easy to Understand
Simplify how carbon footprints and credits are presented so users can quickly grasp their environmental impact and what they are contributing to.
Reduce Friction in Web3 Interactions
Design wallet connections, token flows, and transactions in a way that does not require prior knowledge of blockchain systems, lowering the barrier to entry.
Build Trust Through Transparency
Provide clear visibility into carbon projects, impact, and transactions so users feel confident that their actions have real environmental value.
Structure a Dual Experience for Different Users
Support both simple offsetting and advanced token-based participation by separating flows, allowing users to engage at their own level without feeling overwhelmed.
Design Process
Designing Thea Carbon required translating a complex and unfamiliar domain into a clear product experience, while working within a fast-paced MVP timeline. The process focused on leveraging stakeholder knowledge, validating assumptions through iteration, and structuring the product in a way that reduced cognitive load for users.
Leveraging Domain Expertise to Define Direction
With limited time for formal research, the process relied heavily on the founder’s expertise in carbon markets and sustainability. Early working sessions were used to understand how carbon credits, offsetting, and tokenized assets function, allowing us to define core user flows and identify which concepts needed the most simplification.
Structuring the Product Around User Understanding
Rather than exposing the full complexity of the system upfront, the experience was organized as a guided journey—from awareness to action. This led to the decision to separate simple offsetting flows from more advanced Web3 interactions, reducing friction for new users while still supporting deeper engagement.
Iterating Through Prototypes and Feedback
Low- to high-fidelity prototypes were used to test how users would navigate key flows such as estimation, offsetting, and token transactions. Feedback from internal reviews highlighted where users needed more clarity, leading to adjustments in content hierarchy, interaction steps, and flow structure.
Designing in Close Collaboration with Development
Given the tight timeline, design decisions were continuously aligned with technical feasibility. Working closely with the developer ensured that interaction patterns were practical to implement and that the product could move efficiently from concept to MVP without rework.
Solution
To simplify a complex system, the product was structured as a guided journey—helping users move from understanding their impact to taking action. Each feature was designed to reduce cognitive load while supporting both simple and advanced participation.
Carbon Footprint Estimator
The entry point of the platform, designed to make environmental impact visible and personal.
Problem
Users had little understanding of their carbon footprint, making it difficult to connect everyday behavior to environmental impact.
Design Decision
Introduced two estimation paths—Basic for quick insights and Advanced for detailed input—allowing users to choose their level of effort. Real-time feedback was used to show how inputs affect results, making the experience more engaging and easier to understand.
Result
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Made carbon impact more tangible and immediate
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Reduced friction for first-time users while supporting deeper exploration
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Helped users build awareness before taking action
Carbon Footprint Estimator (Basic)
Carbon Footprint Estimator (Advance)
Action Central
A decision hub that guides users toward different ways of participating.
Problem
Users needed a clear next step after understanding their footprint, but the platform offered both simple offsetting and more complex Web3 interactions.
Design Decision
Separated the experience into two distinct paths: a straightforward offset flow (OffsetDirect) and a more advanced Web3 route (NBT interaction). This reduced decision complexity while allowing flexibility based on user familiarity.
Result
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Prevented users from being overwhelmed by options
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Supported both beginner and advanced users within the same system
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Created a clearer progression from awareness to action
Action Central
Nature-Based Tokens (NBTs)
A feature enabling users to engage with tokenized carbon assets.
Problem
Token-based transactions and crypto interactions are often difficult to understand, especially for users unfamiliar with Web3.
Design Decision
Simplified transaction flows by breaking them into clear, guided steps and minimizing technical language. Focus was placed on making actions—buying, holding, and selling—feel similar to familiar financial interactions.
Result
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Lowered the barrier to engaging with Web3 features
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Made token interactions feel more predictable and understandable
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Enabled users to participate without requiring deep technical knowledge
Buy NBT
Sell NBT
Offset Carbon Footprint
The core action where users convert awareness into environmental contribution.
Problem
Users needed both simplicity and control when choosing how to offset their emissions.
Design Decision
Provided two options: automated offsetting for a quick experience, and a curated project selection for users who want more control. Project information was structured to highlight impact and credibility.
Result
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Supported different levels of user involvement
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Increased transparency around where contributions go
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Made offsetting feel more accessible and actionable
Offset Project List
Offset Project Details
Impact & Results
Thea Carbon was developed as an MVP, but the design work helped transform an early-stage concept into a structured and testable product experience. Prototypes enabled the team to clearly communicate the platform’s value and demonstrate how users would navigate a complex system.
Clearer Product Direction
The design translated abstract ideas into defined user flows and features, helping align the team around how the platform should function. This made it easier to communicate the product vision and present a tangible experience to potential investors.
Improved Understanding of Carbon Offsetting
The footprint estimator and guided flows made environmental impact easier to understand. By connecting user inputs to measurable outcomes, the platform helped users see how their actions relate to real-world impact.
More Approachable Web3 Interactions
Simplified wallet connections and token flows reduced the perceived complexity of blockchain interactions. This allowed users with little to no Web3 experience to engage with the platform more confidently.
Stronger Development Alignment
High-fidelity designs and interactive prototypes provided clear guidance for implementation. This reduced ambiguity during handoff and helped ensure the MVP was built in line with the intended user experience.
Reflection & Key Learnings
Designing Thea Carbon required translating a complex and unfamiliar domain—carbon markets and Web3—into a product that users could understand and act on. One of the main challenges was balancing accuracy with simplicity, ensuring the system remained transparent without overwhelming users with technical detail.
Working closely with the founder highlighted the importance of turning domain knowledge into structured user experiences. Many early concepts made sense from a business or technical perspective but required simplification and re-framing to become usable. This reinforced the need to continuously align product vision with user understanding.
This project also strengthened my ability to design under constraints. With limited time and research, decisions relied on collaboration, iteration, and careful prioritization of what mattered most in the MVP. If I were to improve the process, I would introduce earlier user validation to test key assumptions and reduce reliance on internal feedback.