[WIP] Designing trust with Cryptonite Design System
Created a scalable crypto design system that simplifies complex workflows and builds trust through consistent components, clear affordances, and guided flows—helping users navigate high-stakes transactions with greater confidence and fewer errors.
Context
Crypto apps operate in a high-risk, heavily regulated environment. Without consistent flows and components, users face fragmented experiences that can cause confusion, mistrust, and compliance issues. Designing for crypto requires addressing security, transparency, and complex user actions clearly and reliably.
Goals
Create an MVP design system for a crypto app focusing on essential user flows that ensure trust, security, and consistency across the product. The system aims to unblock development quickly while laying a scalable foundation for future crypto features.
Industry benchmarks
I analysed top-tier crypto platforms such as Binance and Coinbase. These apps set industry standards for managing complex crypto flows while maintaining user trust and clarity. Key areas studied included:
Onboarding and KYC verification processes to ensure smooth yet compliant user activation.
Wallet management interfaces, focusing on backup flows and security prompts.
Transaction tracking features with clear status indicators.
UX patterns and best practices
This benchmarking revealed common UX patterns that effectively balance security, transparency, and usability across diverse user segments.
Reviewing onboarding flows that build user confidence without overwhelming them.
Designing transaction flows that clearly display fees, rates, and confirmation steps to avoid ambiguity.
These insights helped shape the core components and microcopy guidelines to meet real-world fintech usability standards.
Regulatory compliance considerations
Given the regulatory scrutiny surrounding crypto products, I reviewed KYC (Know Your Customer) requirements relevant to target markets. This research informed:
How identity verification steps are integrated seamlessly into onboarding.
Data handling and privacy considerations embedded within design copy and flows.
Aligning design with regulatory needs ensured that the system not only supports user trust but also meets compliance obligations critical to crypto operations.
Key insights
Users value security and transparent fees more than visual flair.
Competitors standardise network selections, address inputs, and confirmation modals to reduce user errors.
Approach
Identified minimum component set needed to support them
Broke down each flow into simplest possible user journey for MVP
Created copy guidelines for consistent tone and terminology
Main flows for MVP
Onboarding & 2FA
Wallet Management & Transaction History
Buy/ Sell Crypto
[WIP] Main flow screens are brewing…
Design system deliverables
Style guide i.e. typography, colours
Assets i.e. illustrations
Reusable UI components
[WIP] Components are brewing…
Copywriting guidelines for clarity, trust, and compliance
Published an MVP design system foundation featuring essential user flows, reusable core components, and clear, consistent copy guidelines.
[WIP] Design system is brewing…
In fintech/crypto, clarity is a feature — a strong design system prevents costly user errors
Even an MVP design system can deliver huge consistency gains if flows are chosen strategically
Copy guidelines are just as critical as visual components in building trust