The journey began at ETH Global HackMoney, where the earliest concept for DefiDollar was formed. After gaining insights and validation from top DeFi experts during IDEO’s Product Validation Day, the project transitioned from a promising hackathon prototype to a venture-backed initiative.

I joined as the Early Founding Designer ( from hackathon team member to joining full-time ) and was one of the first team members to carry the product forward into its next chapter. My role spanned across brand, product design, creative systems, and storytelling, from the ground up.

Leading End-to-End Design from Day One

As the sole founding designer, I spearheaded the creative direction, product design, branding, and strategic design vision of DefiDollar. I led the entire design process from concept (0) to launch (1), shaping every aspect of how the brand and product looked, felt, and functioned.

Led end-to-end design across the Brand, MVP and investor pitch deck, driving clarity, trust, and usability across every surface. The design work not only attracted initial funding but also enabled a successful transition from testnet to mainnet - unlocking further milestones. DefiDollar later raised a $1.2M seed round from Standard Crypto, Accomplice, Divergence Ventures, CMS Ventures, Ledger Prime, and Altonomy, confidently entering its growth phase soon after.

Designing for Real Users and Real Impact

I worked closely with a founder, a cross-functional team, including smart contract engineers, front-end and back-end developers, and the chief marketing officer (CMO), ensuring that our product was both functional and intuitive.

My focus was on transforming complex DeFi actions - like minting, redeeming, saving, burning, borrowing, swapping, staking, and earning LP rewards - into simple, human-friendly interfaces. This user-centred approach led to dramatically reduced onboarding friction, enhanced user efficiency, and strong early engagement, which contributed to driving $3.5 million in volume handled shortly after launch.

Crafting a Cohesive Design-Driven Brand

I designed and executed comprehensive branding and marketing collateral, significantly boosting visibility and credibility in a competitive DeFi landscape. As the protocol matured, I led the design transformation during DefiDollar’s rebrand into a Multichain DeFi Protocol Lab, elevating the overall perception and aligning visuals with the project's new strategic direction.

I also played a leading role in launching and designing the visual identity, UI/UX for flagship offerings:

• DUSD – The Stablecoin Index

• ibBTC – The Bitcoin Index

• Opeth – Options-Backed Smart Collateral

These products were all crafted to enhance clarity, drive interaction, and simplify complex DeFi workflows for a growing user base.

Contributed to Driving Tangible Growth through Design

The collective product suite at DefiDollar reached a total value locked (TVL) of approximately $250 million plus. Design was one of the key pillars that contributed to this milestone, not just in visuals, but in how it built user trust, explained complex ideas, and shaped interaction.

I helped position DefiDollar through strategic brand and design leadership, playing a key role among multiple factors in attracting investment from Binance Smart Chain’s $100M innovation fund.

Building for Scale: Design Systems and Efficiency

To streamline design and marketing workflows, I created a template-based design system called “Ora”, which increased operational efficiency by 80%. This systemized approach helped scale marketing and product initiatives with speed and consistency.

In addition, I led a complete UI/UX overhaul of the core platform, introducing refined DeFi interaction patterns that improved decision-making, usability, and user understanding. Alongside that, I built a modular design system to ensure brand consistency and platform-wide UI alignment.

Key Learnings

At DefiDollar, I learned that in early-stage Web3 startups, design is not a layer; it's leverage. As the founding designer, I saw firsthand how clear, intuitive UI/UX can simplify complex DeFi interactions, reduce onboarding friction, and build trust in volatile, high-risk environments.

Owning the entire design function taught me how to turn raw ideas into investor-ready products, bridging the gap between vision and execution. I experienced how thoughtful design can influence funding outcomes, accelerate adoption, and shape product perception across ecosystems.

Building systems like Ora reinforced the value of scalable design operations, creating repeatable frameworks that drive speed and consistency. Most importantly, I learned how to lead design inside fast-moving, cross-functional teams where collaboration, clarity, and decisiveness directly impact protocol success.

Thanks for reading and taking the time!

If you’d like to know more about me or dive deeper into my work, feel free to reach out. Let’s connect, share ideas, and explore ways we can work together. Contact me anytime, I’d love to hear from you ♥

PS: I only present a curated set of visual moments from each company, chosen through my lens of perspective and taste. I’m thankful to everyone who’s been part of this journey, and to the tools, resources, and assets that made it possible.

Let’s connect, email me, or DM me on twitter.