Web App
iOS App (Co-op)
Inexperienced traders faced confusion and uncertainty during the trading process, which led to potential scams. Dissatisfied traders were more likely to consider leaving the platform.
A user-friendly experience for new Bitcoin traders that prioritises immediate actions with systematic evidence gathering to minimise scams and close loopholes.
Paxful is a peer-to-peer platform that lets anyone buy or sell digital currencies with ease using 350+ different payment methods. In just five years, it has become the leading Bitcoin marketplace used by millions around the world.
Paxful’s shared vision of helping the unprivileged people through education and financial empowerment has led people to go full-time trading.
New: Clear, Simple, delightful
Upon analysing the existing app, I realised the presence of visual clutter.
Key information is lost in lengthy texts making it hard to follow instructions.
Discover & Empathise
In addressing this problem, I employed a comprehensive research approach to understand the landscape.
Dogfooding, or internally using the product, allowed for a firsthand understanding of the existing user experience by observing those who never traded on Paxful.
Collaborating on identifying common everyday UX patterns by brainstorming with diverse teams including copywriters, quality engineers, data architects, and customer support managers. Utilizing affinity mapping, I identified and categorized distinct themes.
Defining Problem
Two themes surfaced as I converged my research findings.
Users encountered lengthy texts characterised by confusing content and critical information being obscured or absent.
Novice traders found the end-to-end trade journey unclear. Questions like when to pay, when to wait, and concerns about acquiring Bitcoin often left them uncertain.
Design Challenge
How might we create a user-friendly interface, that seamlessly reinforces a secure trade experience, while staying true to the Paxful brand?
Develop
Taking ownership, navigating complex problem space, and synthesising abstract concepts while making them simple for others to understand.
Due to the extensive scope of the product, we decided to focus our initial release on a specific payment group. This involved translating a novel conceptual logic into a tangible composite flow.
I looked into domains other than fintech to get a better understanding of solution space. To my surprise, there was little to no aspect of guidance.
I decided to tackle the main trade screen with a novel approach for key UX. When users start a trade, they’ll only see what they need to do next and can view their progress right away.
One strategy the company adopted to improve retention was to introduce a fun element in their product.
However, the app lacked a friendly connection and was unable to communicate the user's current emotional state. To address this issue, I teamed up with illustrators and animators from the brand team to create engaging visuals that could help ease the waiting period.
An approval system was implemented to address traders' insecurity while sending money and uploading receipts in the chat.
This helped in improving team efficiency by providing a reason for the decline and evidence, as it was easier for the team to follow through in the backend.
After rigorous testing and iteration, I designed over 80 screens and 140 components in Figma to meet all primary flows and corner cases.
Deliver
When evaluating the impact of our product design initiatives, we selected specific key metrics.
# of disputed trades
# of cancelled trades
Resolution time for disputed trades
Time taken to complete a trade
# of guided vs. classic offers
Collectively, some of these success metrics formed the foundation of our assessment, affirming the tangible and qualitative strides achieved through our product design endeavours.
Impact
Many of my work findings were inherited by native mobile apps including
Stay Connected to the Streets
Working on this project was a rewarding experience that underscored the power of storytelling in shaping user experiences. Storytelling fosters a strong connection between the audience and your brand narrative.
Yet, it's crucial to prioritise your audience by understanding their pain points and incorporating their feedback into design decisions.
I look for micro-animations in every app now. From Facebook’s bell icon to Uber's little cars, micro-interactions allow you to connect with your users, elevate product experience to delightfulness and sell your brand story.
Sr. Product Designer – Paxful
UX Director – Paxful
UX Director – Paxful
UX Director – Paxful
Credits
Project Manager
Andrei Makarenko
CX Manager
Aleksei Solonevits
Illustrations
Kart and Abi