Case Study
Designing Privacy and Ease
Crafting a Next-Generation Crypto Wallet
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Client:
Venture Capital Firm -
Role:
Principal UX Designer -
Duration:
2021
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Client:
Venture Capital Firm -
Role:
VPrincipal UX Designer -
Duration:
4 Years
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Client:
JPMorgan Chase -
Role:
Principal UX Designer -
Duration:
2021
From Complexity to Confidence: Leading UX in Emerging Tech
This was one of those fast-moving, high-stakes projects where clarity wasn’t optional—it was everything. I led the UX design for a crypto wallet intended to replace Uphold as the browser’s default option. The mission: deliver a clean, secure, easy-to-use experience without compromising Brand’s core value—privacy.
Navigating KYC requirements, privacy-conscious users, and tight integration needs called for embedded UX leadership from day one. The experience reinforced a belief that led me to launch The UX Leadership Lab: great products don’t come from just checking boxes—they come from aligning strategy, execution, and real-world insight.
The Challenge
In 2022, a confidential VC-backed team set out to create a wallet that would integrate seamlessly with Browser. The users were stuck with Uphold, a platform widely disliked for its complexity and privacy concerns. The goal was simple but ambitious:
Build a crypto wallet users actually want to use.
Design Objectives
- Deliver a wallet with mass-market appeal
- Provide frictionless onboarding—even with KYC requirements
- Reflect The Browser Brand's privacy-first ethos
- Attract new users and rebuild trust
Research & Discovery
We combined qualitative and quantitative research across two strategic tracks:
Track 1: UX & Architecture
- Heuristic reviews of leading wallets
- Flow mapping and phased onboarding
- Backend feasibility audits for KYC and crypto integrations
Track 2: Brand & Visual Design
- Naming exploration
- Illustration and style direction
- Design system development in Figma
Track 2: Brand & Visual Design
- Users craved simplicity, even when experienced
- KYC flows needed to feel optional, not mandatory
- Clear visuals built trust faster than technical jargon
- There was an underserved market among women and non-crypto-native users
How Might We...
Framing challenges as How Might We questions kept us solution-focused, aligned across disciplines, and open to unexpected ideas—without losing sight of user and business needs.
…integrate deeply with The Browser without compromising UX?
Collaborated closely with The Browser’s product and engineering teams to ensure seamless end-to-end flows and maintain privacy standards.
…balance KYC requirements with user trust and ease of onboarding?
Designed a phased identity verification process that introduced KYC only when necessary—reducing friction while maintaining compliance.
…build trust with skeptical or privacy-conscious users?
Embedded educational prompts and transparent value messaging throughout the experience to build confidence from the first tap.
Our Solution
Key Features
- Personalized Dashboard with savings tips and portfolio visibility
- Effortless Onboarding via real-time identity check tiers
- Integrated Education to onboard even the crypto-curious
- Browser Integration for seamless flow continuity
Results & Impact
- Strong usability scores across new and existing crypto users
- Created a scalable onboarding framework now used as a reference
- Project paused pre-dev due to shifting business priorities
- Strategic groundwork laid for future wallet and fintech projects
Final Thoughts
Leading the design of this crypto wallet was a deep dive into the complexity of privacy, regulation, and trust in emerging tech. It was also a chance to guide a multidisciplinary team toward clarity and momentum in a space often dominated by confusion.
The work reinforced what I’ve come to believe through every project since: great UX leadership is embedded, responsive, and aligned with both user insight and business ambition. These principles now sit at the heart of The UX Leadership Lab—where I help clients transform complexity into clarity through strategic design.