Democratizing DeFi through social trading
Democratizing DeFi through social trading
Democratizing DeFi through social trading
2022-2023
2022-2023
Fintech
Fintech
Senior Product Designer
Senior Product Designer
DeFi
DeFi
Crypto Trading Platform
Crypto Trading Platform
Making complex portfolio mechanics feel effortless: A Social Investing Redesign
Making complex portfolio mechanics feel effortless: A Social Investing Redesign
Joined as Senior Product Designer on a social investing platform mid-flight, audited an existing product, identified where complexity was bleeding users, and redesigned the experience to make sophisticated financial mechanics accessible to anyone.
Joined as Senior Product Designer on a social investing platform mid-flight, audited an existing product, identified where complexity was bleeding users, and redesigned the experience to make sophisticated financial mechanics accessible to anyone.
180
%
180
%
Growth in user transactions
The direct output of removing friction from the copy trading flow. Users who understood what they were doing, did more of it.
180
%
180
%
Growth in user transactions
The direct output of removing friction from the copy trading flow. Users who understood what they were doing, did more of it.
8
k+
8
k+
New users onboarded
Across a 12-month redesign cycle, each one navigating portfolio mechanics that previously required significant prior knowledge.
8
k+
8
k+
New users onboarded
Across a 12-month redesign cycle, each one navigating portfolio mechanics that previously required significant prior knowledge.
62
%
62
%
Copy trading adoption rate
Within their first week. The strongest signal that the core mechanic, previously opaque, had become genuinely intuitive.
52
%
52
%
User retention at 3 months
Users who stayed weren't just passive. 7,500+ active portfolios were being managed, adjusted, and shared.
62
%
62
%
Copy trading adoption rate
Within their first week. The strongest signal that the core mechanic, previously opaque, had become genuinely intuitive.
52
%
52
%
User retention at 3 months
Users who stayed weren't just passive. 7,500+ active portfolios were being managed, adjusted, and shared.
62
%
62
%
Copy trading adoption rate
Within their first week. The strongest signal that the core mechanic, previously opaque, had become genuinely intuitive.
52
%
52
%
User retention at 3 months
Users who stayed weren't just passive. 7,500+ active portfolios were being managed, adjusted, and shared.
180
%
180
%
Growth in user transactions
The direct output of removing friction from the copy trading flow. Users who understood what they were doing, did more of it.
8
k+
8
k+
New users onboarded
Across a 12-month redesign cycle, each one navigating portfolio mechanics that previously required significant prior knowledge.
Context
Complex financial mechanics don't fail because users aren't smart. They fail because the product assumes they are.
Complex financial mechanics don't fail because users aren't smart. They fail because the product assumes they are.
Nested had the right model: social investing, copy trading, on-chain transparency. What it didn't have was an experience that made any of that legible to someone who wasn't already an expert.
Nested had the right model: social investing, copy trading, on-chain transparency. What it didn't have was an experience that made any of that legible to someone who wasn't already an expert.
The Problem
The product worked. Technically. Users could find portfolios, copy trades, manage allocations, and track performance, if they already knew what they were looking for and what the numbers meant. For anyone else, every screen was a decision with insufficient context. Portfolio performance was displayed without explanation. Copy trading locked users into exact replicas with no customization. Gas fee structures surprised users at the point of commitment. The friction wasn't random. It was concentrated exactly where confidence was lowest.
The Design Challenge
The platform's core value proposition: let anyone benefit from expert-level portfolio strategies without needing expert-level knowledge. The design challenge: make that promise true at every step of the experience. Not by simplifying what the product could do, but by making what it already did completely legible. That meant redesigning how performance was communicated, how copy trading was structured, and how every high-stakes moment was framed. The complexity had to stay. The confusion had to go.
The Design Challenge
The platform's core value proposition: let anyone benefit from expert-level portfolio strategies without needing expert-level knowledge. The design challenge: make that promise true at every step of the experience. Not by simplifying what the product could do, but by making what it already did completely legible. That meant redesigning how performance was communicated, how copy trading was structured, and how every high-stakes moment was framed. The complexity had to stay. The confusion had to go.
My role
Redesigned a social investing platform to make expert-level financial mechanics accessible to everyone.
Redesigned a social investing platform to make expert-level financial mechanics accessible to everyone.
Senior Product Designer. Full product audit, user research, redesign, and 5 major feature updates across 12 months.
Senior Product Designer. Full product audit, user research, redesign, and 5 major feature updates across 12 months.
01
01
Starting with an audit, not assumptions
Before designing anything new, I conducted a full UX audit of Nested's existing flows: portfolio management, copy trading, social investing, and onboarding. Reviewed heatmaps, session recordings, and support tickets to map exactly where users dropped off and why.
Identified four critical friction points that accounted for the majority of user confusion: portfolio performance legibility, copy trading inflexibility, gas fee opacity, and post-investment tracking. Every subsequent design decision was anchored to one of these four.
01
01
Starting with an audit, not assumptions
Before designing anything new, I conducted a full UX audit of Nested's existing flows: portfolio management, copy trading, social investing, and onboarding. Reviewed heatmaps, session recordings, and support tickets to map exactly where users dropped off and why.
Identified four critical friction points that accounted for the majority of user confusion: portfolio performance legibility, copy trading inflexibility, gas fee opacity, and post-investment tracking. Every subsequent design decision was anchored to one of these four.
01
01
Starting with an audit, not assumptions
Before designing anything new, I conducted a full UX audit of Nested's existing flows: portfolio management, copy trading, social investing, and onboarding. Reviewed heatmaps, session recordings, and support tickets to map exactly where users dropped off and why.
Identified four critical friction points that accounted for the majority of user confusion: portfolio performance legibility, copy trading inflexibility, gas fee opacity, and post-investment tracking. Every subsequent design decision was anchored to one of these four.
02
02
Redesigning copy trading around how people actually decide
The existing copy trading flow required users to replicate a portfolio exactly: no customization, no partial copying, no asset exclusion before committing. I redesigned the flow to surface the decision-making information users actually needed (composition, risk profile, historical performance) and introduced partial copying and pre-investment asset adjustment.
62% copy trading adoption within the first week of the redesigned flow, versus a significantly lower baseline pre-redesign. Users who understood what they were copying, copied.
02
02
Redesigning copy trading around how people actually decide
The existing copy trading flow required users to replicate a portfolio exactly: no customization, no partial copying, no asset exclusion before committing. I redesigned the flow to surface the decision-making information users actually needed (composition, risk profile, historical performance) and introduced partial copying and pre-investment asset adjustment.
62% copy trading adoption within the first week of the redesigned flow, versus a significantly lower baseline pre-redesign. Users who understood what they were copying, copied.
02
02
Redesigning copy trading around how people actually decide
The existing copy trading flow required users to replicate a portfolio exactly: no customization, no partial copying, no asset exclusion before committing. I redesigned the flow to surface the decision-making information users actually needed (composition, risk profile, historical performance) and introduced partial copying and pre-investment asset adjustment.
62% copy trading adoption within the first week of the redesigned flow, versus a significantly lower baseline pre-redesign. Users who understood what they were copying, copied.
03
03
Making portfolio performance legible, not just visible
The portfolio dashboard displayed data: allocations, performance charts, transaction history, without contextualizing it. I redesigned the view around the three questions users actually needed answered: How am I doing? Why? What should I consider changing? Added real-time breakdowns, performance benchmarks, and risk indicators directly in the primary view.
Users stopped needing to leave the platform to cross-reference their performance elsewhere. Session depth increased. The dashboard became the source of truth it was supposed to be.
03
03
Making portfolio performance legible, not just visible
The portfolio dashboard displayed data: allocations, performance charts, transaction history, without contextualizing it. I redesigned the view around the three questions users actually needed answered: How am I doing? Why? What should I consider changing? Added real-time breakdowns, performance benchmarks, and risk indicators directly in the primary view.
Users stopped needing to leave the platform to cross-reference their performance elsewhere. Session depth increased. The dashboard became the source of truth it was supposed to be.
03
03
Making portfolio performance legible, not just visible
The portfolio dashboard displayed data: allocations, performance charts, transaction history, without contextualizing it. I redesigned the view around the three questions users actually needed answered: How am I doing? Why? What should I consider changing? Added real-time breakdowns, performance benchmarks, and risk indicators directly in the primary view.
Users stopped needing to leave the platform to cross-reference their performance elsewhere. Session depth increased. The dashboard became the source of truth it was supposed to be.
04
04
Adding staking without breaking copy trading
When Nested introduced staking pools via Beefy Finance, the technical constraint was significant: staked assets couldn't follow trades in a copied portfolio. I designed the staking flow to surface this limitation clearly, with warnings and confirmations that prevented users from accidentally staking actively traded assets.
Staking participation reached 48% without a single major incident of unintended asset locking. The UX guardrails replaced what would otherwise have been a wave of confused support tickets.
04
04
Adding staking without breaking copy trading
When Nested introduced staking pools via Beefy Finance, the technical constraint was significant: staked assets couldn't follow trades in a copied portfolio. I designed the staking flow to surface this limitation clearly, with warnings and confirmations that prevented users from accidentally staking actively traded assets.
Staking participation reached 48% without a single major incident of unintended asset locking. The UX guardrails replaced what would otherwise have been a wave of confused support tickets.
04
04
Adding staking without breaking copy trading
When Nested introduced staking pools via Beefy Finance, the technical constraint was significant: staked assets couldn't follow trades in a copied portfolio. I designed the staking flow to surface this limitation clearly, with warnings and confirmations that prevented users from accidentally staking actively traded assets.
Staking participation reached 48% without a single major incident of unintended asset locking. The UX guardrails replaced what would otherwise have been a wave of confused support tickets.
05
05
Building social mechanics that rewarded real performance
Designed Nested's trading competition system: a community engagement feature where users competed on portfolio performance. Built the transparency layer: leaderboard rules, trade history visibility, anti-abuse UX guidelines to prevent self-trading and multi-account manipulation.
30% competition engagement rate. The social layer became a retention driver. Users came back not just to track their portfolios, but to compete, share, and follow each other's strategies.
05
05
Building social mechanics that rewarded real performance
Designed Nested's trading competition system: a community engagement feature where users competed on portfolio performance. Built the transparency layer: leaderboard rules, trade history visibility, anti-abuse UX guidelines to prevent self-trading and multi-account manipulation.
30% competition engagement rate. The social layer became a retention driver. Users came back not just to track their portfolios, but to compete, share, and follow each other's strategies.
05
05
Building social mechanics that rewarded real performance
Designed Nested's trading competition system: a community engagement feature where users competed on portfolio performance. Built the transparency layer: leaderboard rules, trade history visibility, anti-abuse UX guidelines to prevent self-trading and multi-account manipulation.
30% competition engagement rate. The social layer became a retention driver. Users came back not just to track their portfolios, but to compete, share, and follow each other's strategies.
Deep Dive
Three users, one product: designing for a spectrum of financial confidence
Three users, one product: designing for a spectrum of financial confidence
Replacing a technical choice with a human one.
Replacing a technical choice with a human one.
The Problem
Nested's user base wasn't homogeneous. Research revealed three distinct user archetypes with fundamentally different relationships to financial complexity: Lucas (aspiring investor, intimidated by crypto), Ryan (experienced user, wants power and control), Sophie (cautious side-investor, risk-aware, small capital). A single UX couldn't serve all three without trade-offs.
The Problem
Nested's user base wasn't homogeneous. Research revealed three distinct user archetypes with fundamentally different relationships to financial complexity: Lucas (aspiring investor, intimidated by crypto), Ryan (experienced user, wants power and control), Sophie (cautious side-investor, risk-aware, small capital). A single UX couldn't serve all three without trade-offs.
The Decision
Rather than designing for the average user, I designed the information architecture to be progressively disclosed: essential information at the surface for Lucas and Sophie, advanced controls accessible but not forced on anyone, power features available without being mandatory. The same screen served three users at different depths.
The Decision
Rather than designing for the average user, I designed the information architecture to be progressively disclosed: essential information at the surface for Lucas and Sophie, advanced controls accessible but not forced on anyone, power features available without being mandatory. The same screen served three users at different depths.
Outcome
Retention held across all three archetypes. The cautious users didn't feel overwhelmed. The power users didn't feel constrained. The product stopped being a tool for one type of investor and became a platform for all of them.
Outcome
Retention held across all three archetypes. The cautious users didn't feel overwhelmed. The power users didn't feel constrained. The product stopped being a tool for one type of investor and became a platform for all of them.
Deep Dive
The copy trading redesign:
from locked-in to in-control
The copy trading redesign:
from locked-in to in-control
Designing familiarity on top of complexity.
Designing familiarity on top of complexity.
The Problem
Copy trading on Nested was binary: copy everything exactly, or don't copy at all. Users who wanted exposure to a strategy but not a specific asset had no option. The most common research finding: "I wanted to remove certain assets before investing." The product answered a question users weren't asking.
The Problem
Copy trading on Nested was binary: copy everything exactly, or don't copy at all. Users who wanted exposure to a strategy but not a specific asset had no option. The most common research finding: "I wanted to remove certain assets before investing." The product answered a question users weren't asking.
The Decision
Restructured the copy trading flow into three stages: discover (find portfolios worth copying), evaluate (understand composition, performance, and risk before committing), and customize (adjust allocations, exclude assets, set investment amount). The "copy" action became the last step in a sequence that built confidence, not the first.
The Decision
Restructured the copy trading flow into three stages: discover (find portfolios worth copying), evaluate (understand composition, performance, and risk before committing), and customize (adjust allocations, exclude assets, set investment amount). The "copy" action became the last step in a sequence that built confidence, not the first.
Outcome
The redesigned flow directly drove the 62% first-week adoption rate. Users who felt in control of what they were copying, committed. The product stopped losing people at the point where understanding was lowest.
Outcome
The redesigned flow directly drove the 62% first-week adoption rate. Users who felt in control of what they were copying, committed. The product stopped losing people at the point where understanding was lowest.
Deep Dive
The competition feature: making social mechanics feel fair
The competition feature: making social mechanics feel fair
Turning cryptographic proof into human trust.
Turning cryptographic proof into human trust.
The Problem
Trading competitions were a high-engagement community feature with a structural trust problem: if users couldn't verify that rankings were legitimate and that competitors weren't gaming the system, the leaderboard became meaningless and the social dynamic collapsed.
The Problem
Trading competitions were a high-engagement community feature with a structural trust problem: if users couldn't verify that rankings were legitimate and that competitors weren't gaming the system, the leaderboard became meaningless and the social dynamic collapsed.
The Decision
Designed the competition system around one principle: every ranking must be explainable. Trade history for every participant was visible. Rules were surfaced before joining, not after. UX guardrails prevented disqualifying behaviors (self-trading, withdrawal manipulation, multi-account abuse) through clear affordances and confirmation flows, not just policy text.
The Decision
Designed the competition system around one principle: every ranking must be explainable. Trade history for every participant was visible. Rules were surfaced before joining, not after. UX guardrails prevented disqualifying behaviors (self-trading, withdrawal manipulation, multi-account abuse) through clear affordances and confirmation flows, not just policy text.
Outcome
30% competition engagement rate, with no major fairness incidents post-launch. Users competed because they trusted the system was level. The leaderboard worked because transparency was built into the architecture.
Outcome
30% competition engagement rate, with no major fairness incidents post-launch. Users competed because they trusted the system was level. The leaderboard worked because transparency was built into the architecture.
Project Timeline
12 months. Four major features.
One redesign principle throughout.
12 months. Four major features.
One redesign principle throughout.
Every feature introduced new complexity. The design challenge at each stage was identical: make this legible without making it simpler than it needed to be.
Every feature introduced new complexity. The design challenge at each stage was identical: make this legible without making it simpler than it needed to be.
Phase 1
Strengthen the Vision (Jul–Aug 2022)
Full product audit.
Benchmarked eToro, Zapper, Enzyme.
Mapped friction points across the existing flows.
Defined the four design priorities that would guide every decision:
Portfolio legibility
Copy trading control
Transparent fee structures
Post-investment tracking
Phase 2
Data-Driven & User Research (Aug–Sep 2022)
15 in-depth interviews + 350+ survey responses.
Three personas defined.
User journey mapped from portfolio discovery to active management.
Four core research findings translated directly into feature priorities.
Phase 3
Elevate the Experience (Sep–Nov 2022)
Portfolio dashboard redesign.
Copy trading flow rebuilt from scratch.
New information architecture across all primary screens.
Design system consolidated: 80+ scalable components establishing the visual and interaction language for everything that followed.
Phase 4
Design, Iterate & Deliver (Nov 2022–Mar 2023)
Staking integration designed and shipped.
Trading competition system built.
Micro-interactions and responsive behavior refined.
Each feature validated through usability testing before launch.
Phase 5
Impact & Growth (Mar–Jun 2023)
Post-launch iteration driven by real behavioral data.
Onboarding drop-off reduced 27% by simplifying the first session.
Portfolio performance summaries introduced to drive retention.
Community feedback loops established as a permanent design input.
AI-Embedded Workflow
Nested was designed before AI was embedded in the workflow. That's what makes the comparison instructive.
Nested was designed before AI was embedded in the workflow. That's what makes the comparison instructive.
The methods I used at Nested in 2022 are the same methods I now run with AI at every stage. The discipline is identical. The difference is what's possible alone.
The methods I used at Nested in 2022 are the same methods I now run with AI at every stage. The discipline is identical. The difference is what's possible alone.
Research synthesis at scale
At Nested, 350+ survey responses and 15 interviews were synthesized manually, clustering feedback, identifying patterns, extracting the 4 insights that shaped the redesign. It worked, but it took time that compressed the ideation phase. Now, that same synthesis happens in hours with Claude. The insight quality is the same. The speed isn't.
Hands-on design and rapid iteration
Every screen went through multiple rounds of wireframing, testing, and refinement before reaching high fidelity. The cycle was thorough but slow. Today, I use AI to vibe-code UI directions in Lovable and Figr before opening Figma, generating components to react to immediately. What worked gets refined. What didn't gets discarded in minutes. Exploration cycles cut from a week to a day.
Component documentation and design system maintenance
Building 80+ scalable components as a senior designer on a fast-moving product requires a documentation practice that competes with shipping time. At Nested, that tension was managed manually. On subsequent projects, I've used AI to generate component documentation, maintain consistency guidelines, and flag deviations. The system maintains itself while the product evolves.
Research synthesis at scale
At Nested, 350+ survey responses and 15 interviews were synthesized manually, clustering feedback, identifying patterns, extracting the 4 insights that shaped the redesign. It worked, but it took time that compressed the ideation phase. Now, that same synthesis happens in hours with Claude. The insight quality is the same. The speed isn't.
Research synthesis at scale
At Nested, 350+ survey responses and 15 interviews were synthesized manually, clustering feedback, identifying patterns, extracting the 4 insights that shaped the redesign. It worked, but it took time that compressed the ideation phase. Now, that same synthesis happens in hours with Claude. The insight quality is the same. The speed isn't.
Hands-on design and rapid iteration
Every screen went through multiple rounds of wireframing, testing, and refinement before reaching high fidelity. The cycle was thorough but slow. Today, I use AI to vibe-code UI directions in Lovable and Figr before opening Figma, generating components to react to immediately. What worked gets refined. What didn't gets discarded in minutes. Exploration cycles cut from a week to a day.
Hands-on design and rapid iteration
Every screen went through multiple rounds of wireframing, testing, and refinement before reaching high fidelity. The cycle was thorough but slow. Today, I use AI to vibe-code UI directions in Lovable and Figr before opening Figma, generating components to react to immediately. What worked gets refined. What didn't gets discarded in minutes. Exploration cycles cut from a week to a day.
Component documentation and design system maintenance
Building 80+ scalable components as a senior designer on a fast-moving product requires a documentation practice that competes with shipping time. At Nested, that tension was managed manually. On subsequent projects, I've used AI to generate component documentation, maintain consistency guidelines, and flag deviations. The system maintains itself while the product evolves.
Key Takeaways
What designing for irreversible decisions taught me about trust, systems, and the work that happens before any screen.
What designing for irreversible decisions taught me about trust, systems, and the work that happens before any screen.
Trust is earned in the moments users expect to be misled.
Trust is earned in the moments users expect to be misled.
Complexity isn't the enemy. Unexplained complexity is.
Designing for a spectrum of confidence is different from designing for the average user.
Social mechanics only work if the trust architecture works first.
Complexity isn't the enemy. Unexplained complexity is.
Designing for a spectrum of confidence is different from designing for the average user.
Social mechanics only work if the trust architecture works first.
Raphaël.D
AI Design Leader
© 2026 Raphaël.D. All rights reserved.
Made from scratch in Framer with 💜
Raphaël.D
AI Design Leader
© 2026 Raphaël.D. All rights reserved.
Made from scratch in Framer with 💜
Raphaël.D
AI Design Leader
© 2026 Raphaël.D. All rights reserved.
Made from scratch in Framer with 💜