Portal Wallet
Design Lead · UX · UI
Mobile-first multi-chain crypto wallet for the next generation of gamers and traders
Portal set out to build the infrastructure that would make Web3 gaming feel invisible — where players could jump into any game, earn across any chain, and carry their assets with them, frictionlessly.
As the lead designer, I brought Portal Wallet to life from the ground up, working end-to-end with the product team. This wasn’t just another wallet—it was a cornerstone of Portal’s ecosystem and the gateway for millions of users, from crypto natives to the crypto curious.
CHALLENGE
Most Web3 wallets offer a fragmented, intimidating experience for everyday users. Imagine how difficult it is to manage multiple wallets across multiple chains with no single place to view assets across games and transaction history that reads like machine output. Couple that with clunky onboarding full of seed phrases, browser pop-ups, and network errors.
Our mission was clear, create a mobile-first, cross-chain wallet that simplifies discovery, ownership, and interaction — balancing the needs of power users with the simplicity first-timers expect. Design an interface as approachable as Discord, with the multi-chain capabilities and precision that pro traders rely on.
LEADING THE DESIGN END-TO-END
As the first product designer embedded in a fast-moving Web3 team, I was responsible for taking the product from zero to launch.
This included defining the right problems to solve, what to prioritise and focus, setting up the design foundations, and establishing cross-functional ways of working, while building the infrastructure and processes needed to deliver product features and iterations at pace.
CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION
My role entailed everything from early user research and behavioural insight gathering, to shaping the product vision alongside Product leadership and the CTO, to end-to-end UX strategy, information architecture, interaction design, wire-framing, and prototyping.
Before designing in Figma, I mapped the full user journey — from sign-up to wallet setup and portfolio view. This helped us understand the emotional flow, technical steps, and where we could reduce friction.
It was a crucial step to align the team, focus our prototypes, and test the right things early. It helped us make smarter choices about where to simplify and where to add depth.
WIREFRAMES AND DESIGN SYSTEM FOR SPEED
Partnering daily with engineers, I ensured the design system wasn’t just beautiful — it was built for speed, adaptability, and real-world implementation in a rapidly changing Web3 environment.
By leveraging Figma’s modern tokenised system — featuring variables, nested components, and flexible patterns — I designed a scalable design system that supports multiple chains and evolving product features.
The design system was designed to adapt seamlessly to both light and dark modes with a single switch.
USER INSIGHTS
We immersed ourselves in the Web3 community — interviewing Web3 natives and crypto-curious gamers, while digging into their preferences and needs across X, Reddit, and app store reviews.
From this, clear patterns emerged. Three needs came up again and again: seamless sign-in without seed phrases or wallet popups, a unified portfolio view showing everything they own across chains (Solana, EVM, NFTs, in-game assets), and transaction history written for humans — not developers.
This led us to the big question: how do you build a wallet that’s future-proof — one that can evolve as fast as Web3 itself?
FRICTIONLESS UX
From our early insights, I defined Portal’s core UX principles: abstract blockchain complexity unless it truly matters, communicate in human-first language, and deliver speed without sacrificing trust.
These principles shaped every decision — from social logins instead of seed phrases, to a cross-chain portfolio that gives users a unified view of everything they own, and transaction summaries that feel like intuitive push notifications, not developer logs. In short, crypto should feel invisible — until it needs to show up.
Rather than overload users with technical choices, we focused on delivering just-in-time transparency. Subtle network labels help users instantly understand where assets live (e.g. Solana vs Ethereum), anticipate gas fees, and avoid costly mistakes — like sending tokens to the wrong chain.
DESIGNING FOR TRUST, SPEED & PLAY
We designed every interaction to feel transparent, safe, and familiar — with clear network callouts (Solana, EVM, ETH), simple explanations of gas, fees, and transaction statuses, and guardrails to prevent mistakes at critical moments. Just as importantly, we optimised for gamer behaviours: fast load times, responsive interactions, performance views to track gains and losses, and a UI that felt right at home in gaming culture — playful, punchy, and built for speed.
By using smart wallet infrastructure and MPC-based key management behind the scenes, we maintained non-custodial control while unlocking a radically smoother experience. Crypto should feel invisible until it needs to show up — and when it does, it should feel reassuring, not overwhelming.
OUTCOMES & IMPACT
Portal Wallet launched publicly in late 2024 and quickly struck a chord with the Web3 community, surpassing 1 million wallets created within weeks.
It was a rare chance to redesign one of crypto’s most critical tools from scratch — not just making it prettier, but proving a wallet could feel playful, clear, and fast, without sacrificing trust. Adoption was rapid across both Solana and EVM ecosystems, with strong retention and engagement signals showing users felt at home. Early feedback echoed what we set out to solve: crypto finally felt human.
The design system we created became foundational across Portal’s product ecosystem, while the wallet itself laid the groundwork for future innovations — from social identity features to in-game wallet experiences built for the next generation of users.
