TL;DR

In 14 days, I led UX design for a DeFi platform that evolved from 4 investment vaults to a $7M ecosystem with 18,000+ holders across three blockchains. Key wins: turned inventory constraint into premium curation through card interfaces, built Trust Score system achieving 60% engagement vs 15% industry average, designed modular components that scaled through AI-Broker launch and multichain expansion without redesigns. Platform reached Top 50 on Blast with 450% token price growth and major exchange listings.

Impact & Results

$7M raised in token presale from 18,000+ holders

450% token price surge from $0.01 to $0.055 during presale

22% fiat onramp adoption vs <5% industry standard

35% AI-Broker feature adoption in beta launch

$120K Total Value Locked with Top 50 ranking on Blast

Platform scaled to 3 blockchains (Blast, Arbitrum, Base), achieved Gate.io and MEXC exchange listings, with 6 one-click strategies live.

The MVP Problem: 4 Vaults Looking Like Demo

Cybro needed a DeFi platform designed in exactly two weeks with only 4-5 investment vaults when users expect 20+ options. In DeFi, sparse vault lists immediately signal unfinished product or potential exit scam.

Users mentally count available options and make trust decisions based on perceived completeness. This was our biggest design risk.

My Role: Led UX/UI design coordinating with our team, making core interface decisions while working directly with Cybro's developers under brutal 14-day deadline.

DeFi Interface Strategy: Cards Hide Inventory Count

Why Tables Kill MVP Trust

Standard DeFi platforms use vault tables because they efficiently display multiple options. But tables expose exactly how many vaults you have—users scan rows and immediately know you only have 4 options vs competitors' 20+.

Card System Solution

I designed vault cards because cards prevent instant inventory counting. Users focus on one vault at a time instead of scanning the entire list for completeness signals.

Each card told complete stories: APY rates with historical ranges, Trust Score breakdowns, protocol partnerships, clear investment paths. 4 cards felt like curated selection where each option deserved individual attention.

Cards work because users process sequential information differently than tabular data—they encourage deeper evaluation per option rather than quick comparison counting (progressive disclosure research confirms this pattern). Our team built this approach knowing we'd need to scale gracefully.

The card system proved critical when we scaled to 28 vaults. Tables would have created overwhelming scroll experiences, but cards maintained browsing quality.

Trust Score System: Multi-Factor Risk Assessment

The DeFi Trust Problem

Most platforms hide protocol risks or dump raw technical data that only crypto experts understand. This kills mainstream adoption because users need risk context they can actually process.

Comprehensive Scoring Framework

I built Trust Score as multi-factor assessment system evaluating specific criteria: Protocol maturity (operational history), audit completion (security verification), TVL stability (market confidence), hack resistance (security track record), and governance decentralization.

Each factor received numerical scoring that combined into overall 1-10 rating. The interface showed both simplified color coding and detailed breakdowns. Key insight: we displayed specific factors like "3 audits completed by Certik" rather than abstract numbers.

Results: 60% engagement rate with Trust Score details vs 15% industry average for risk indicators.

This framework became foundation for every feature addition—new vault types inherited the same risk assessment, maintaining consistency across growing complexity.

Dark Theme with Character-Driven Branding

Cyberpunk Aesthetic Strategy

Cybro used dark theme like most DeFi platforms, but we differentiated through bright yellow accents and character-driven branding targeting different user segments.

Our team created cyberpunk-inspired mascots: sophisticated AI women for institutional contexts, playful crypto-trading beavers wearing sunglasses for retail "hamster" traders. This visual language made complex DeFi concepts approachable without sacrificing credibility.

Characters appeared strategically—serious interfaces for serious money (staking locked tokens), playful touches for engagement features (swap interfaces, referral systems). The dark base provided professional context while yellow highlights ensured key actions stood out clearly.

Integrated Investment Flow: Calculator + Transaction

Eliminating Context Loss

Traditional DeFi flows break user context: browse vaults → open separate calculator → lose calculations when navigating → start over → finally invest. Each step increases abandonment risk.

I unified calculation and investment into persistent interface elements. Users could calculate yields while browsing different vaults, compare options without losing their math, then convert calculations directly into investment transactions.

This eliminated the mental overhead of maintaining investment amounts while exploring options. The persistent calculator became decision-support tool rather than separate utility, reducing friction that kills DeFi conversion rates.

Platform Evolution: Hub Architecture and Advanced Features

Scaling Beyond MVP Constraints

The initial card system handled MVP perfectly, but growth required interface evolution. Our team gradually introduced table views for power users while maintaining cards for discovery, solving the classic DeFi accessibility-expertise tension.

As features multiplied (staking, swapping, bridging), I built central Hub interface providing quick access to different platform areas. This prevented navigation complexity from overwhelming new users while enabling power users to access advanced functionality.

Staking Interface Development

The staking system required different approach than investment vaults. Users needed to understand lock periods, reward calculations, and early withdrawal penalties. I designed interfaces showing clear timelines (3, 6, 12 months) with projected rewards and penalty structures.

The staking interface used more serious cyberpunk aesthetics since users were committing tokens long-term, requiring higher trust signals than quick yield farming decisions.

Cross-Chain Bridge Functionality

When multichain support launched, I designed bridge interfaces handling token transfers between Blast, Arbitrum, and Base networks. The challenge was making cross-chain complexity feel simple while maintaining security awareness.

Bridge interfaces showed clear source/destination networks, estimated transfer times, and fee breakdowns. Visual indicators helped users understand which network they were operating on, preventing costly mistakes.

AI-Broker Development: Conversational DeFi Interface

ChatGPT Pattern Application

When AI-Broker development began, I applied proven conversational patterns because users already understood how to interact with AI assistants. The chat interface guided users through investment preference discovery, risk tolerance assessment, and portfolio recommendation review.

Our team designed the robot mascot to make sophisticated technology feel approachable while maintaining financial context. Each conversation step built on previous responses while showing transparent AI reasoning—users could see why specific vaults were recommended.

Beta Results: 35% adoption in first month vs typical robo-advisor rates below 10%.

The conversational approach eliminated decision paralysis—instead of choosing from 20+ vaults, users answered simple questions and received tailored recommendations matching their goals.

Fiat Integration and Mainstream Adoption

Reducing Crypto Onboarding Barriers

Platform data revealed wallet connection as primary abandonment point for non-crypto users. I designed fiat integration that felt like traditional online banking while maintaining DeFi functionality.

Clear fee displays, familiar payment flows, and simple language ("Buy with card" vs "Fiat on-ramp integration") reduced barriers for mainstream users entering crypto space.

Results: 22% fiat adoption among new users vs industry average below 5%.

This accessibility focus became crucial during exchange partnerships where platforms compete on mainstream adoption metrics rather than just crypto-native feature depth.

Design System Impact and Business Results

Modular Foundation Success

Every component I designed during the sprint was built for reuse. This enabled 4 to 28+ vault scaling without redesign, multichain support across three networks, feature additions without visual debt, and consistent experience through major platform evolution.

The Trust Score framework scaled to new vault types, bridge transfers, and AI recommendations. Character branding adapted to different feature contexts while maintaining overall platform coherence.

Measurable Growth Metrics

• User Growth: 0 to 18,000+ token holders with major exchange partnerships

• Financial Performance: $120K+ TVL growth, $7M token presale with 450% price appreciation

• Platform Recognition: Top 50 apps on Blast, professional exchange validation

• Feature Adoption: 35% AI-Broker beta usage, 75% simplified strategy preference, 22% fiat integration adoption

Validated UX Design Principles

Progressive Disclosure Works

Combining simplified interfaces with expandable details solved the expertise gap without alienating either newcomer or expert users. Cards for discovery, tables for comparison, detailed breakdowns for analysis.

Character-Driven Branding Scales

Different user segments responded to different visual approaches—serious imagery for serious money decisions, playful elements for engagement features. This segmentation improved both trust and retention.

Integrated Flows Reduce Friction

Eliminating context switching between calculation and investment dramatically improved conversion rates. This principle guided all subsequent feature design and became core platform philosophy.

Trust Transparency Drives Adoption

Clear risk communication through Trust Score achieved 4x higher engagement than industry standard, proving that accessible risk assessment expands market reach rather than limiting it.

Ongoing Partnership and Proven Results

The emergency MVP sprint became ongoing partnership through 2025. Recent work includes AI-Broker interface refinement, advanced DeFi strategy interfaces, and enhanced Trust Score frameworks—all building on accessibility-first principles established during those crucial first two weeks.

This project demonstrates how strategic MVP design constraints can create foundations that support sustained platform evolution, turning initial limitations into long-term competitive advantages across multiple product development cycles and market conditions.