I have been using polkadot.js since the beginning of time so am familiar with its UX and UI. Recently I was showing a friend on how to use Polkadot.js, in particular the extension signer, to which they brought to my knowledge of still using the now obsolete logo. They made a valid point of being slightly concerned with using a wallet which hasn’t updated their logo and therefore might be out of date/no longer in use.
What’s everyone’s opinion on getting a simple logo/branding update on the polkadot.js signer to ensure newcomers are aware that its still functional and being maintained?
Looking at Github there has been some updates within the last few months. I have made a pull request for changes to the current branding to add the new logo instead.
Please review these changes:
While I do agree the branding is outdated and should be fixed, I don’t understand the reasoning behind using developer tools to onboard new users to the ecosystem. I am a developer, I use p.js/apps daily, but even I (and I’d bet most ecosystem developers) don’t use p.js signer extension. There are much more user friendly and feature rich extensions and apps out there to manage accounts, such as Talisman and Subwallet for browser extensions and Nova for a mobile wallet app.
If you follow the incentive to maximally accrue value to DOT you can see the inevitable direction of travel as the Polkadot brand eats the ecosystem.
This is a good thing (in some ways) but also creates a fair amount of (predictable) collateral damage.
A Polkadot branded signer (aka a better Polkadotjs per this post) that does everything a bit better but with the brand / ecosystem firepower of Parity is another inevitable development that will play to this pattern.
Two choices:
Talisman, Subwallet and the others either lose talent to Parity as their offerings are made obsolete.
Figure out some alternative that offers meaningful resistance to this future.
Understanding the primary economic gravity is the key to seeing where things head across pretty much all dimensions of the project.
See Polkadot App for onboarding which will suck the air out of the room for existing wallets and the way system chains naturally expand into the territory of the parachain incumbents.