Cryptomato
I led the design and development of an AI-powered crypto investment research app that makes investing accessible and insightful for everyone
I led the design and development of an AI-powered crypto investment research app that makes investing accessible and insightful for everyone
Cryptomato is a mobile app that simplifies cryptocurrency investment research using AI-driven predictions and insights. Our mission is to help beginners confidently navigate the crypto market by providing intuitive analysis through AI, and a fun, accessible experience.
Lead Product Designer
May.2024 - Present
(MVP Launch)
3 UX Designers
1 Product Manger
2 Researchers
4 Developers
As the Lead Product Designer, I wore many hats to bring Cryptomato from concept to launch.
My key contributions included:
Product Vision & Strategy: Led initial research and ideation, defining the foundational concepts for Cryptomato.
Research Oversight: Directed user research, product research and competitive analysis.
Design Leadership: Spearheaded core features, user journeys, and UX flows to create an intuitive and engaging experience.
Content Creation & User Testing: Ensured seamless UX by refining app structure and validating design decisions through user feedback.
Marketing & Branding Strategy and Design: Shaped the brand identity and collaborated on positioning strategies to align with user needs.
Monetization Strategy Development: Developed a sustainable revenue model balancing business goals with user value.
Mentorship: Guided a team of interns, fostering a collaborative and growth-focused environment.
Beginners are eager to invest in cryptocurrency but are discouraged by confusing jargon, overwhelming information, and inaccessible platforms
Most platforms are built for experienced traders, packed with complex tools and assumptions that users already know the game. Even buying a first token feels like decoding a foreign language, and the fear of making costly mistakes drives many away. But newcomers don’t need shortcuts to riches—they need clarity, guidance, and a way to learn without feeling lost.
We encountered four fundamental obstacles - complex jargon, overwhelming data, beginner anxiety, and lack of friendly guidence. These issues collectively made crypto feel unapproachable for newcomers, stalling their progress before they even began.
Our goal was to break down these barriers by simplifying complexity into user-friendly insights, harnessing AI for personalized advice, and streamlining the user experience so beginners could quickly grasp core concepts. To ensure longevity, we also needed a sustainable monetization strategy that balanced accessibility with business goals, keeping user trust front and center.
Stay ahead with real-time news & buzz with AI predictions, be the first to catch the hype
We aggregate real-time crypto news and social media buzz, then apply AI-driven analysis to forecast potential market impacts. Users see these predictions alongside headlines, helping them act on trends before they peak.
Rely on AI-powered intuitive rating system & explanations to invest with confidence
Each coin’s profile offers a beginner-friendly overview of crucial market parameters—complete with intuitive rating scores and clear, jargon-free explanations. Alongside community metrics and news buzz indicators, it helps users quickly understand a coin’s potential without wading through technical complexities.
Browse community-driven rankings to explore trending cryptos and uncover hidden gems
We compile community-driven rankings of trending coins, as well as a “New Coin” section sourced from exchanges like Binance, Coinbase, and OKX. This gives users a streamlined way to find emerging opportunities or explore popular favorites, with plans to expand coverage as the crypto landscape evolves.
We started by combining multiple research methods - user interviews, competitor analysis, and hands-on exploration of the crypto market - to uncover where beginners get lost. With those insights, we moved quickly into ideation, crafting user flows and prototypes for immediate testing. Each round of feedback helped us refine both the functionality and content, ensuring our final product would feel intuitive and informative for new investors.
I led 2 researchers and 2 UX designers in understanding the beginner’s crypto journey. We kicked off with trading simulations, user interviews, and surveys to capture real-world challenges. We then dove deeper by consulting with professional traders and crypto experts to clarify complex areas that often discourage novices, and we also analyzed leading platforms like CoinMarketCap, CryptoRank, and CoinGecko to pinpoint gaps and opportunities.
Beginner Investment Diaries Gave Us Raw Insights That Shaped Our Product
One of our most revealing methods was a month-long “Investment Diary” initiative. I had every new team member—whether intern, designer, or engineer—logged their daily crypto activities, confusions, and emotional highs and lows. This raw, unfiltered perspective allowed us to pinpoint user pain points, shape our personas, and ultimately craft a more beginner-friendly experience.
👉 If you are interested, email me to reach out for our investment diary collections
As a small team without much crypto expertise, diving in felt intimidating. But that inexperience became an advantage - it helped us truly see the product through a beginner’s eyes. By embracing our own learning curve, we crafted a solution that spoke directly to novices’ needs
We set out to make crypto investing approachable by blending AI insights with a playful identity. Inspired by red-and-green market indicators, we introduced a friendly tomato figure to guide users, breaking down complex data into clear, engaging prompts.
We identified three essential user needs: quick access to crypto buzz, clear investment ratings, and community-driven rankings. These features let users catch real-time news, understand market trends with AI explanations, and discover hidden gems through social hype. Check our Figma file for a closer look at the user flows 👇
We created and tested wireframes, then refined them into high-fidelity prototypes based on user feedback. Below is an example of our News page:
I took the lead in designing explanation content by first diving deep into crypto market research and interviewing both seasoned traders and industry experts.
We created an interactive prototype to test whether our simplified explanations would resonate with users. We ran around a dozen user tests, grouping participants by their crypto familiarity—from highly experienced traders to complete newcomers. Through each session, I iterated on the content until it spoke clearly to every level of expertise.
Below is an example of how our “concept rating” feature on the profile page evolved based on user feedback, ultimately becoming more intuitive and beginner-friendly.
We set out to create a witty, slightly rebellious “tomato” character that could anchor Cryptomato’s personality. We explored dozens of designs and used ChatGPT to brainstorm different speaking styles and traits, ensuring the figure felt both quirky and adaptable.
Everyone on the team joined in multiple voting rounds, ultimately choosing a minimal, alien-like tomato with curious eyes—an approachable default that leaves plenty of room for future customizations and unique modules.
Leading Cryptomato was more than a project—it was a passion.
Empathy is Key: Immersing ourselves in the user’s experience allowed us to design solutions that truly resonated.
Team Synergy Matters: Collaboration and open communication were crucial in nurturing our project’s growth.
Fun Enhances Function: Injecting personality into our app made the experience memorable and engaging.
Looking Ahead...
Our mission doesn’t end here. We’re excited about the road ahead:
Community Building: Planning to introduce discussion forums and user-generated content, making Cryptomato a hub for crypto enthusiasts.
Evolving Mato: Enhancing our mascot’s capabilities to provide even more personalized support.
Continuous Growth: Committed to iterating and improving based on user feedback.
