Optimism Fractal Respect Game: Research into Democratic Fund Distribution

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User Experience Design for System Interface

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Introduction

This document presents a unified user experience design for the Optimism Fractal fund distribution system, integrating multiple proven components into a cohesive interface that makes democratic coordination accessible, transparent, and engaging. Building upon the technical architecture, governance frameworks, and role-based reward system established in previous deliverables, this design prioritizes ease of use while maintaining the sophisticated functionality required for democratic capital allocation.

The interface design brings together existing tools—the Fractalgram UI for Respect Game sessions, ORDAO for onchain governance execution, Respect.Games for asynchronous coordination, legislative deliberation for the Optimism Fractal Council and Town Hall using Snapshot, Hats Protocol for role management, and integrated fund distribution mechanisms—into a seamless experience that guides participants through their journey from initial contribution to reward claiming. By unifying these components under consistent design principles and intuitive navigation, we create an environment where democratic participation feels natural and engaging rather than bureaucratic or burdensome.

As Optimism Fractal continues Season 6 with bi-weekly events (which everyone is welcome to join through our Season 6 governance forum thread), this research captures both our current tools and our vision for their evolution. While specifically designed for Optimism Fractal to help scale the governance processes and fund distribution systems of the Optimism Collective — supporting both the Token House and Citizens’ House as they work to scale Ethereum’s values and technology — these applications and user flows can be adapted by different communities across the Superchain to fit their unique needs.

Whether implemented on OP Mainnet, Base, World, Unichain, Celo, Zora, or any other Superchain network, this foundational UX layer provides a template for democratic coordination that can benefit organizations and communities throughout the ecosystem. Every design decision prioritizes reducing friction for participants while maintaining the transparency and auditability essential for legitimate democratic governance, creating interfaces that express care and gratitude to users through thoughtful, beautiful design.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction

  2. System Architecture Overview

    • Design Philosophy: Building the All-in-One Community Operating System
    • Core Technical Stack Integration
    • Cross-Chain Development
    • Progressive Web Application Approach

  3. Core User Flows

    • New Participant Onboarding Flow
    • Respect Game Participation Flow
    • Governance Participation Flow
    • Fund Distribution Flow

  4. Interface Components

    • Dashboard/Home
    • Respect Game Interface
    • Governance Hub
    • Fund Distribution & Rewards
    • Profile & Reputation
    • Social & Professional Networking
    • Leaderboard

  5. Design Specifications

    • Craftsmanship & User Experience Principles
    • Accessibility & Universal Design
    • Mobile Responsiveness
    • ENS Integration

  6. Technical Integration & Development Roadmap

  7. Conclusion

System Architecture Overview

Design Philosophy: Building the All-in-One Community Operating System

This user experience design envisions more than just a fund distribution interface — it presents the blueprint for an all-in-one community operating system and user friendly application that enables any group to coordinate democratically and effectively. While focused on fund distribution as a core feature, the system provides comprehensive tools for communities to operate in a truly decentralized and autonomous manner.

Core Design Principles:

  • Community Operating System: At its heart, this is the ideal app for empowering communities and organizations across the Superchain. Starting with Optimism Fractal as the pioneering implementation, the vision extends to thousands or millions of communities that need effective coordination tools. The recurring meetings serve as the foundation — bringing people together regularly to build relationships and shared understanding — while the surrounding tools for governance, social networking, and fund distribution create a complete ecosystem for community operation.

  • Organic Evolution with Purposeful Curation: This system has emerged through the dedication of volunteer developers who built tools to serve real community needs. Each developer contributed their unique vision, creating a distributed development ecosystem. The purpose of this document is to curate these innovations so others can understand and use them effectively, while providing a vision for unifying these tools into a cohesive interface that maintains decentralized development benefits while dramatically improving user experience.

  • Resilient Independence: The system is built to function regardless of external circumstances—whether AI becomes a thousand times more powerful, traditional institutions become less reliable, or communities simply need tools that respect their sovereignty. Through open-source foundations and modular architecture, communities can depend on these tools to help them adapt to technological and social changes while building more trustworthy institutions and connections.

  • Practical Implementation: The app is designed to support the transformation of Optimism Fractal from a small, strong community of pioneers into a central onboarding, governance, and fund allocation hub for the Optimism Collective — a key component in attracting and empowering builders across the Superchain. The tools enable technical developers, artists, community leaders, and creators to coordinate effectively, while making it simple for any community to adopt these systems for their own needs, whether they’re Web3 natives or newcomers who need to get onchain to adapt to societal changes.

  • Modular Flexibility: Communities can select components that serve their specific needs. Some may start with just the Respect Game for peer evaluation, while others might implement the full suite including governance protocols and fund distribution. This flexibility ensures accessibility for communities at different stages while providing a clear path for growth into a comprehensive community operating system.

Core Technical Stack Integration

The unified interface operates through several interconnected layers that work together to enable democratic coordination:

Blockchain Layer: Direct integration with the Superchain for all onchain operations. Currently deployed on OP Mainnet and Base, with full interoperability in development.

Identity Layer: ENS integration providing human-readable addresses (e.g., dan.optimismfractal.eth) that create consistent identity across all tools.

Reputation Layer: Respect token contracts (ERC-1155 standard) and Hats Protocol for role management, creating a unified reputation system that supports governance participation and specialized permissions.

Governance Layer: Three distinct but complementary systems reflecting the tripartite structure:

  • Judicial Branch (Respect Game): Foundation for evaluating contributions and distributing governance influence
  • Legislative Branch (Council): Snapshot-based deliberation and proposal development
  • Executive Branch (ORDAO): Onchain execution of community decisions through sophisticated smart contracts

Distribution Layer: Integration with Splits.org for automated fund distribution based on community decisions.

Fund Allocation Lifecycle

Here’s a high level overview of how the app’s primary fund distribution system works:

  1. When participants play the Respect Game through the Fractalgram UI, they interact directly with ORDAO smart contracts by submitting proposals that distribute Respect based on the rules of ORDAO.
  2. This Respect enables participation in the Council and voting on proposals. The Council uses Snapshot to deliberate and approve funding proposals, such as creating split contracts for distribution.
  3. Once approved by the Council, the community can execute these decisions onchain by voting with Respect via ORDAO to create split contracts for distributions and signaling funding organizations to distribute funds to the split.

This separation between community governance and fund custody provides essential legal protections while maintaining democratic control—the community makes decisions, but funds are held and distributed by separate entities (such as nonprofit organizations) based on those decisions. More details will be provided about this in an upcoming deliverable.

Participants can leverage other app features such as gamified social networking platforms to enhance fund allocation, foster community collaboration, and create other benefits as needed. More details about primary and supplementary features are provided below.

Cross-Chain Development

My team has recently been accepted into the Superchain Interop Incubator, where we’re developing cross-chain ORDAO smart contracts that will enable participation across all Superchain networks. This advancement will allow users to:

  • Play the Respect Game with wallets on any Superchain network
  • Earn and use Respect across OP Mainnet, World, Base, Zora, Unichain, and other networks
  • Participate in governance regardless of which chain holds their assets
  • Avoid the friction of constantly switching networks

While this technology is still in development with an MVP complete, it represents a significant improvement in user experience by removing chain-switching barriers and enabling true Superchain-wide coordination. You can view our progress video demonstrating this functionality.

Progressive Web Application Approach

The system is designed as a Progressive Web Application (PWA), providing native app-like functionality across all devices while maintaining the independence and accessibility of web deployment. This approach ensures participants can engage through desktop browsers, mobile devices, or as an installed application without dealing with app store restrictions.

Currently, the ecosystem operates through several independent PWAs and applications:

This research envisions bringing these together into a unified experience while maintaining the modularity that allows communities to adopt only the components they need. Beyond the PWA, we’re also developing integrations with existing platforms—a Telegram version of Fractalgram (built by Tadas, operational for ~2 years), a Discord version being developed by community member Zaal, and exploration of Farcaster mini-apps—meeting users where they already gather.

3. Core User Flows

This section outlines the key pathways users take through the system, from their first interaction to becoming active participants in democratic fund distribution. Each flow represents a critical journey that shapes the user experience.

New Participant Onboarding Flow

The journey begins when potential participants discover Optimism Fractal through various channels:

  1. Discovery and Initial Engagement

    • Find Optimism Fractal through social media, governance forums, friends, or other communities
    • Visit OptimismFractal.com to explore comprehensive overview and educational content
    • Watch introduction videos and read about the Respect Game mechanics

  2. First Event Registration

    • Browse upcoming events on calendar interface
    • RSVP for next Optimism Fractal event (Thursdays at 17:00 UTC)
    • Receive welcome guide with key details for participation
    • Join Discord or Farcaster channel for questions and community connection

  3. Wallet Connection and Account Setup

    • Connect existing wallet or create new one through integrated Privy authentication
    • Complete basic profile information (name, contact details for event coordination)
    • Review and accept community agreement establishing clear expectations and protections
    • Receive token-gated NFT that provides access to future events

  4. Post-First Event

    • Claim ENS subdomain after earning initial Respect (preventing spam)
    • Connect with community members for collaboration
    • Continue joining bi-weekly events to deepen engagement
    • Explore governance interfaces and upcoming opportunities
    • Participate in social media aspects and community discussions
    • Enhance profile with bio, links, and contribution history
    • Learn how to implement these tools in their own communities

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Respect Game Participation Flow

The Respect Game forms the heart of the system. Currently, all Optimism Fractal events use live participation via video call with Fractalgram, with asynchronous options planned for future integration.

Live Event Participation via Video Call with Fractalgram (Primary Method)

  1. Event Preparation

    • Review event details and optionally prepare 4-minute presentation
    • Optionally gather links, metrics, and materials to share (encouraged but not required)
    • Join event through Zoom link (future: WebRTC or in-person)

  2. Opening Ceremony (First 15 minutes)

    • Welcome message with music and community updates
    • Brief educational presentation about Optimism ecosystem
    • Distribution of welcome guides in chat
    • Explanation of process for newcomers

  3. Breakout Room Experience (45 minutes)

    • Random assignment to groups of 3-6 people
    • Create Optimism account with Privy via Fractalgram if needed
    • Each participant shares contributions (screen sharing and link sharing encouraged)
    • Group collaboratively ranks contributions using the Fractalgram UI’s intuitive interface
    • Consensus building through discussion

  4. Consensus Submission

    • Fractalgram pre-fills blockchain transaction with rankings
    • Submit consensus to ORDAO smart contracts
    • Automatic Respect distribution via Fibonacci sequence (55, 34, 21, 13, 8, 5) if ORDAO conditions are met
    • Transaction confirmation and celebration

  5. Post-Game Activities

    • Return to main room for closing thoughts
    • Optional participation in Optimism Town Hall (immediately following at 18:00 UTC)
    • Review Respect earned and updated standings

Below are a couple screenshots of the Fractalgram UI to give you an idea of how consensus formation and submission works. The first screenshot shows the ranking in progress for level 6 (which is who contributed the most based on their presentation). After forming consensus on level 6, the players would click ‘Next Ranking’ and form consensus on level 5, and so forth, then each submit consensus onchain. Explore the Fractalgram UI and Optimystics.io/fractalgram to learn more about how communities use the app to play the Respect Game.

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Asynchronous Participation via Respect.games (Planned Addition)

While Optimism Fractal currently focuses on live events, the Respect.games platform provides an alternative for asynchronous participation. This separate application uses different smart contracts optimized for time-shifted gameplay. While currently operating as a separate application, the vision is to integrate this functionality into the all-in-one app, allowing participants to choose between synchronous and asynchronous play directly from the Respect Game interface.

The platform plans to incorporate an advanced consensus algorithm, rewarding accurate predictions of group consensus. A couple screenshots are provided below to give you a preview of the app. For detailed information about how Respect.games works, see this video walkthrough, the article, or visit Respect.Games.

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Governance Participation Flow

The governance system operates through three complementary branches reflecting natural human decision-making processes:

Legislative Process via Council and Snapshot

  1. Proposal Development

  2. Deliberation Phase

    • Council members (top 6 Respect holders who registered in bi-weekly cycle) review
    • Community discussion during Town Hall if topic receives enough Respect-weighted votes
    • Town Hall uses Cagendas system where community votes democratically on discussion topics
    • Feedback incorporation and refinement

  3. Council Voting

    • Proposals require 2/3 majority (e.g., 4 of 6 council members)
    • If fewer registered (e.g., 4 councilors), threshold adjusts (3 of 4)
    • Results posted publicly as offchain signal to ORDAO

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Executive Process via ORDAO

Following Council approval, implementation moves to onchain execution:

  1. ORDAO Proposal Creation

  2. Voting Period (3 days)

    • All Respect holders vote weighted by holdings
    • Requires minimum YES votes exceeding 2x NO votes
    • Real-time tracking via ORDAO interface

  3. Veto Period (3 days additional)

    • NO votes only to prevent last-minute manipulation
    • Ensures thorough community review

  4. Execution

    • Any community member can trigger execution
    • Creates onchain record (e.g., splits contract)
    • Triggers fund distribution process

Learn more about the ORDAO app in the demo video below, the video playlist, or at Optimystics.io/ordao. The video presentation showcases the ORDAO Fractal app, a cutting-edge governance interface that enables decentralized communities to execute onchain actions democratically while overcoming voter apathy. The demo features live proposal creation, community voting, and the veto mechanism that protects against contentious decisions.

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Fund Distribution Flow

The fund distribution process ensures transparent, accountable resource allocation:

  1. Allocation Decision

    • Council deliberates distribution strategy
    • ORDAO executes creation of splits contract
    • Creates immutable onchain record

  2. Fund Distribution

    • Third-party entities (nonprofits, businesses, or individual donors) receive onchain signal
    • These entities review compliance and initiate transfers
    • Funds sent to splits contract for distribution

  3. Individual Claims

    • Notification when funds available
    • Review reward calculation
    • Complete any required agreements or KYC through provided instructions
    • Initially claim through splits.org interface
    • Future: integrated claiming within unified interface
    • Optional privacy-preserving claims via Railgun integration

The system intentionally avoids a “community treasury” to prevent liability—instead, multiple entities can support a fractal community while maintaining separation between governance decisions and fund custody.

4. Interface Components

This section details the key interfaces users interact with throughout their journey. While many of these features represent the future vision for a unified all-in-one app, we currently have various components operational to varying degrees. The descriptions below outline both current functionality and planned enhancements.

Dashboard/Home

The unified dashboard will serve as the central hub for the all-in-one community app, immediately orienting users and providing quick access to all major functions. The design prioritizes actions over status, encouraging active participation while maintaining visibility of key information.

Primary Elements (in priority order):

  1. Upcoming Events - Shows next Respect Game sessions, upcoming Optimism events (such as Optimism Town Hall), other fractal community events on the Superchain, and other ecosystem gatherings with RSVP functionality

  2. Play Respect Game - Separate button allowing immediate access to start games with friends or join scheduled sessions

  3. Governance Hub Access - Quick links to both Council proposals and ORDAO execution interfaces

  4. Profile & Social - Access to personal profile page with contributions, Hats, and social networking features

  5. Leaderboard - Current standings fostering healthy competition

  6. Claimable Rewards - Clear indication of any pending distributions

  7. Respect Score Display - Personal score with recent changes

  8. Community Updates - Recent activities and announcements

The dashboard includes subtle tutorial overlays for new users and contextual tooltips throughout, progressively revealing complexity. AI-powered chat support will help answer questions and guide users to appropriate resources.

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Respect Game Interface

The Respect Game interface offers multiple tools serving different participation styles:

Fractalgram UI for Live Events

Currently, the Fractalgram UI (being developed by Abraham) provides the interface for weekly live events. Operating as a web app alongside Zoom calls, it features:

  • Clean, intuitive ranking interface using click-based selection
  • Visual representation of group members with contributions
  • Real-time consensus tracking
  • One-click transaction submission to ORDAO contracts

Future enhancements may include AI-generated contribution summaries, integrated metrics display, attestation features for verifying claims, and multi-dimensional ranking options while preserving core simplicity.

Respect.Games Integration

The vision includes full integration with Respect.Games (developed by Vlad and Lennar) where participants can choose synchronous or asynchronous play from a unified interface, with all Respect contributing to the same reputation system regardless of play mode.

Governance Hub

The Governance Hub will provide unified access to all governance functions through four primary interfaces:

1. ORDAO Interface (Executive)

  • Direct access to optimism.frapps.xyz (created by Tadas)
  • Live proposal dashboard with voting progress
  • Educational materials and video tutorials

2. Optimism Fractal Council (Legislative)

  • Custom interface for the Optimism Fractal Snapshot space
  • Clear proposal templates and submission flow
  • Bi-weekly registration for council participation

3. Optimism Town Hall Topics

4. Respect Game and Event Links

  • Quick access to participation interfaces and events for playing Respect Games

While Snapshot currently provides the underlying infrastructure for the Optimism Fractal Council and Town Hall topic selection, future development will create custom interfaces encoding our specific rules directly into the application.

Fund Distribution & Rewards

This interface makes the fund distribution process transparent and accessible:

Personal Rewards Dashboard:

  • Current claimable balance with detailed breakdowns
  • Historical earnings and claims with verification
  • Role-based multipliers visualized and explained
  • Instructions for any KYC and compliance requirements
  • Privacy options via potential Railgun integration

Distribution Management: Fund distribution proposals are created through the Governance Hub, with visual tools for creating and managing splits contracts.

Community Distribution Overview:

  • Funds awaiting distribution from supporting entities
  • Distribution schedules from multiple sources
  • Transparency reports and update summaries
  • Clear separation between governance decisions and fund custody

Profile & Reputation

Rich profiles showcase contributions and reputation:

Current State:

Planned Enhancements: The profile system will evolve to include:

  • Core Profile Elements: ENS name display, comprehensive Respect history with visual graphs, earned Hats with badge displays, contribution showcase featuring video clips from Respect Game presentations, peer attestations and endorsements, integrated social profiles, and rich personal bios with skills

  • Contribution Portfolio: Automated capture of Respect Game presentations with AI-generated summaries, organized contribution history with evidence and metrics, integration with Ethereum Attestation Service for additional credentials, and the foundation for professional networking within the ecosystem.

  • Roles & Reputations Integration: Jacob’s Roles & Reputations system will provide visual skill trees, one-click Hat claiming, trust relationship mapping, and Respect token redemption options. While the open-source tools exist, integration with Optimism Fractal profiles is planned for future development.

Social & Professional Networking

Building on the fractally whitepaper’s vision and inspired by Hive and Steem (the first blockchain social media platforms, which were created by fractally’s founder), this component transforms how builders showcase work and connect.

Professional Networking Platform: The professional networking features create value by enabling builders to showcase their contributions in a verifiable way, build lasting professional relationships, and discover collaboration opportunities. Like LinkedIn but with onchain reputation, participants can display contribution portfolios, connect with other builders based on shared interests and complementary skills, and leverage their Respect scores for credibility in the broader ecosystem.

Social Media Integration: The Respect token provides the foundation for fairer social media where quality contributions are recognized regardless of follower count. Communities can stay connected throughout the week, not just during events, by sharing updates, upvoting valuable content, and coordinating effectively.

Future integrations may include:

  • Earning Respect through valuable posts on Farcaster and Lens
  • Content amplification weighted by Respect holdings
  • Integration with Zora for content monetization using protocol rewards
  • Forum integrations for better topic prioritization
  • Notion and other collaboration tool integrations

These social features transform the Respect token from a weekly meeting primitive into a comprehensive coordination tool that communities can adapt to their specific needs. The interface will also include local community building features to connect people for in-person meetups, enabling local chapters to form and strengthening relationships beyond digital interactions.

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Leaderboard

The leaderboard fosters healthy competition while making contribution patterns visible:

Current Implementation:

Enhanced Design:

  • Unified seasonal and all-time views
  • Gamified interface with achievements
  • Multiple ranking dimensions
  • Advanced analytics from community-created dashboards
  • Social sharing capabilities