Role
Senior Product Designer (End-to-End Design)
Impact
< 45s time-to-stake
94% transaction success rate
Platform
Solana Ecosystem
Timeline
6 months
Executive Summary
Revtec set out to build a next-generation liquid staking protocol native to the Solana ecosystem. Unlike traditional liquid staking solutions that issue a single derivative token, Revtec introduced a dual-token liquid staking model, providing users with enhanced capital efficiency, flexible yield strategies, and immediate liquidity without lock-up periods.
As the sole Product Designer, I led the product creation end-to-end, translating complex Web3 DeFi primitives and tokenomics into an intuitive, frictionless digital experience.
Goals
Design an enterprise-grade, highly intuitive DeFi interface that abstracts complex dual-token staking mechanics into a seamless experience while establishing a distinctive brand identity for Revtec within the competitive Solana ecosystem.
Highlights
End-to-End Ownership: Defined the entire product ecosystem from scratch, from brand identity and core architecture to production ready design systems and engineering handoffs.
Complex DeFi Abstraction: Simplified a novel, multi-layered dual-token receipt mechanism into a unified one-click staking interface.
Design-to-Engineering Synergy: Partnered directly with 2 Rust/Solana engineers to align Figma components with React codebase, handling technical edge cases like RPC latency, slippage, and transaction state changes seamlessly.
Data Visualization Focus: Designed data-intensive interfaces (Dashboard, Pool, and Data views) that maintain high clarity and legibility across high-density financial metrics.
2. The Problem & The Challenge
The Problem
Traditional liquid staking protocols often present high barriers to entry for non-institutional users due to:
High Complexity: Multi-token mechanics and yield delegation flows can be confusing, leading to high bounce rates during staking.
Lack of Trust & Transparency: Decentralized finance interfaces frequently lack clear visual feedback regarding APY calculations, transaction fees, and token reward distribution.
Execution Gaps: Fragmented design-to-engineering handoffs lead to inconsistencies between the design system and live smart contract integrations.
3. Cross-Functional Ownership
To ensure seamless execution within an agile team of 1 PM, 2 Engineers, and 1 Designer:
Strategic Alignment with PM: Translated high-level protocol mechanics and business objectives into user stories and structured product requirements.
Engineering Co-Creation: Partnered closely with the 2 Solana/Rust engineers from day one. Validated wallet integration steps (Phantom, Solflare), RPC response latency, edge cases (failed transactions, slippage), and dynamic UI states.
Component-First Handoff: Built a production-ready Figma library mapped directly to code components (React), reducing frontend implementation time by over 30%.
Design Process & User Flows
Before jumping into high-fidelity screens, I defined the core operational architecture to ensure a seamless experience across all edge cases:
Flow & Logic Mapping: Mapped out complete user journeys covering Wallet Connection, SOL Staking & Automatic Dual-Token Allocation, Unstaking, and Claiming Rewards.
Edge Case Architecture: Designed fallback mechanisms for RPC timeouts, network congestion on Solana, gas buffer management, and slippage tolerances.
Brand Identity & Visual Strategy: Built Revtec’s visual identity from scratch featuring a geometric mark symbolizing liquidity flow and equilibrium, paired with a dark-mode, high-contrast palette tailored for high-density financial data.
5. Core Screen Architecture & Feature Breakdown
To make complex protocol mechanics digestible, I structured the core application intothree dedicated views, each tailored to a specific user intent:
Dashboard View
Core Focus: Primary Staking Action & Portfolio Overview.
Key UX Features:
Centralized Staking Hub: Houses the primary dual-token staking widget, allowing users to stake SOL and receive two liquid derivative tokens in a single transaction.
Personal Portfolio Metrics: Provides real-time visibility into total staked value, liquid token balances, accrued rewards, and current net APY.
Interactive Yield Breakdown: A live calculation preview showing exactly how deposited SOL is split between both receipt tokens.
Data View
Core Focus: Macro Analytics & Protocol Health.
Key UX Features:
Macro Protocol Metrics: High-level dashboard displaying Total Value Locked (TVL), historical APY trends, validator performance, and overall network health.
Data Visualization & Charts: Interactive time-series charts designed for power users and institutional investors analyzing yield performance over time.
Transparency & On-Chain Auditability: Direct links to Solana block explorers for validator delegation records, smart contract audits, and real-time token circulation data.
Pool View
Core Focus: Liquidity Management & Yield Optimization.
Key UX Features:
Liquidity Pool Directory: A clean, scannable list of available liquid staking pools with filtering options based on APY, TVL, and risk profiles.
Liquidity Provisioning Flow: Streamlined deposit and withdrawal modal workflows for liquidity providers (LPs) to manage dual-token positions.
Position Analytics: Visual indicators highlighting individual pool exposure, reward distributions, and impermanent loss warnings.
6. System Design & Micro-Interactions
Scalable Design System: Built a comprehensive component library (Atoms, Molecules, Organisms) covering input fields, data tables, status badges, and modal frameworks.
Granular State Management: Explicitly mapped and designed UI states for every element: Default, Hover, Active, Loading, Disabled, Processing, and Error.
Real-Time Transaction Feedback: Designed granular status notifications (Initiating → Signed → Confirming on Chain → Success) to eliminate user anxiety during transaction execution delays.
Mobile Experience & Touch Interactions
Designing financial dashboards and dense charts for mobile requires moving beyond simple desktop responsiveness. I redesigned key interaction patterns to maintain clarity and usability on mobile devices (e.g., Phantom Mobile Browser, Solflare App):
Touch-Native Charting vs. Hover Effects:
Desktop: Relies on cursor hover states to inspect detailed data points along time-series curves.
Mobile: Replaced hover states with a dedicated press-and-drag scrubbing tooltip and fixed header data cards. Users press anywhere on the chart to lock the crosshair and drag smoothly to inspect historical APY/TVL values without obscuring data with their fingers.
Refactored Data Tables: Transformed multi-column desktop tables into stacked, expandable cards on mobile, prioritizing primary KPIs (APY, TVL) while keeping secondary metrics available upon tap.
Sticky Bottom-Bar CTAs: Key action triggers (Connect Wallet, Confirm Stake, Swap) were pinned to a persistent mobile bottom navigation bar, ensuring primary actions are within easy thumb reach.
Results & Business Impact
< 45 Seconds average time-to-stake, down from the industry benchmark (~2 mins).
94% Transaction Success Rate on first-time wallet connections.
Key learnings
Designing for Technical Constraints in Web3: Web3 UX is inherently bound by blockchain constraints (RPC lag, wallet signatures, network latency). Designing granular loading and feedback states isn’t optional, it is critical for building user trust during financial transactions.
Early Engineering Alignment is Essential: Working closely with the 2 Solana engineers from day one prevented major architecture re-writes later. Validating tokenomics logic early ensured that complex smart contract inputs translated into simple, elegant UI components.
Clarity Beats Novelty in DeFi: While liquid staking mechanisms can be mathematically complex, the user interface should not be. Abstracting technical jargon into visual breakdowns (like the dual-token split matrix) significantly reduced user anxiety and increased deposit conversion rates.