PHuture Finance

A new age of investing.

Phuture Finance set out to simplify crypto investing, making DeFi more accessible to everyday users. As Head of Design, I led the product’s UX and UI, balancing the complexity of Web3 with an intuitive, user-friendly experience. The goal was to create a seamless, high-trust investing experience that would reduce friction, simplify onboarding, and encourage adoption among retail investors — whilst still providing depth for seasoned investors.

The Challenge

Crypto investing in 2021 was complex, unstructured, and often untrustworthy. While platforms like Robinhood, Trading212, and Freetrade had revolutionised fiat investing with user-friendly experiences, DeFi platforms remained fragmented and intimidating for newcomers.

Phuture faced several key challenges:

  • No established user patterns for crypto index investing

  • High onboarding friction due to wallet setup and unfamiliar flows

  • Lack of trust in DeFi platforms, which often had cluttered UI and aggressive marketing

  • Disconnect from traditional investment models, making it difficult for retail investors to transition

Our approach focused on building trust, reducing complexity, and creating an intuitive user journey from wallet connection to investment execution.

Crypto investing in 2021 was complex, unstructured, and often untrustworthy. While platforms like Robinhood, Trading212, and Freetrade had revolutionised fiat investing with user-friendly experiences, DeFi platforms remained fragmented and intimidating for newcomers.

Phuture faced several key challenges:

  • No established user patterns for crypto index investing

  • High onboarding friction due to wallet setup and unfamiliar flows

  • Lack of trust in DeFi platforms, which often had cluttered UI and aggressive marketing

  • Disconnect from traditional investment models, making it difficult for retail investors to transition

Our approach focused on building trust, reducing complexity, and creating an intuitive user journey from wallet connection to investment execution.

UX Approach

Since no direct precedent for crypto index investing existed, we looked to traditional finance platforms for inspiration while adapting to the unique constraints of DeFi. The design process was iterative, based on community feedback and real-world testing. Key UX decisions included:

  1. Simplifying Onboarding & First-Time Experience

    • Designed a structured onboarding flow that guided users from wallet connection to first investment in the fewest possible steps

    • Developed a tooltip walkthrough for new users to explain key features and reduce uncertainty

    • Integrated the investment app directly into the website, removing the friction of switching between a marketing site and product platform


  2. Creating a High-Trust Investment UI

    • Built a clean, distraction-free dashboard that mirrored traditional portfolio management tools

    • Provided real-time market performance data with clear asset breakdowns and rebalance indicators

    • Used a minimalist, professional UI to differentiate Phuture from the more aggressive and promotional DeFi competitors


  3. Refining the Trading & Investment Flow

    • Simplified the buy/sell widget to allow for easy conversions without unnecessary complexity

    • Streamlined the trading experience to reflect the expectations of retail investors familiar with platforms like Robinhood and Freetrade

    • Ensured consistent UX across all devices, including a fully integrated dark mode


  4. Building Trust Through Transparency & Education

    • Introduced a learning center to provide educational content on index investing, boosting SEO and positioning Phuture as an authority

    • Ensured full transparency in how assets were selected, rebalanced, and secured

    • Used predictable, user-friendly UI patterns to minimize hesitation in executing trades

Since no direct precedent for crypto index investing existed, we looked to traditional finance platforms for inspiration while adapting to the unique constraints of DeFi. The design process was iterative, based on community feedback and real-world testing. Key UX decisions included:

  1. Simplifying Onboarding & First-Time Experience

    • Designed a structured onboarding flow that guided users from wallet connection to first investment in the fewest possible steps

    • Developed a tooltip walkthrough for new users to explain key features and reduce uncertainty

    • Integrated the investment app directly into the website, removing the friction of switching between a marketing site and product platform


  2. Creating a High-Trust Investment UI

    • Built a clean, distraction-free dashboard that mirrored traditional portfolio management tools

    • Provided real-time market performance data with clear asset breakdowns and rebalance indicators

    • Used a minimalist, professional UI to differentiate Phuture from the more aggressive and promotional DeFi competitors


  3. Refining the Trading & Investment Flow

    • Simplified the buy/sell widget to allow for easy conversions without unnecessary complexity

    • Streamlined the trading experience to reflect the expectations of retail investors familiar with platforms like Robinhood and Freetrade

    • Ensured consistent UX across all devices, including a fully integrated dark mode


  4. Building Trust Through Transparency & Education

    • Introduced a learning center to provide educational content on index investing, boosting SEO and positioning Phuture as an authority

    • Ensured full transparency in how assets were selected, rebalanced, and secured

    • Used predictable, user-friendly UI patterns to minimize hesitation in executing trades

Results & Impact

While DeFi is notoriously difficult to measure in traditional KPIs, our UX improvements led to several measurable and qualitative wins:

  • AUM grew to $3.5m within 12 months, with users holding assets on average 8+ months — much longer than the average in the space

  • Increased user confidence, as indicated by community feedback and lower hesitation in trade execution

  • Landed several major partnerships and boosted brand credibility, positioning Phuture as a professional, stable alternative in the DeFi space.

Phuture Finance was an opportunity to design a 0 to 1 product that introduced a new category of investing to the crypto space. The challenge was not only to create a functional investment platform but to build trust in a skeptical market.

By prioritising familiar UX patterns, clarity, and transparency, we were able to remove friction, establish credibility, and provide a structured investment experience that aligned with the needs of both retail and institutional investors.

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Behance

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Portfolio

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Resume

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Connect

LinkedIn

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Instagram

→

Mail

→

Behance

→

Portfolio

→

Resume

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