Back to Projects

Oravend

Oravend is a fintech and blockchain-based payment ecosystem designed to make spending cryptocurrency as easy as paying with cash or cards. The platform enables users to pay merchants using crypto while merchants receive instant fiat settlement in their local currency, removing volatility, friction, and technical barriers that have slowed crypto adoption.

Project Overview: I worked on Oravend as a Junior Product Designer, supporting senior designers and engineers in simplifying complex crypto workflows and making the platform usable for non-technical, everyday users.

Platform: Mobile Application

Category: Fintech

The Challenge

The Problem

Despite growing interest in cryptocurrency, adoption for real-world payments remains low due to:

Complex crypto-to-fiat conversion processes
High transaction fees and price volatility
Confusing wallet interactions and poor UX
Long onboarding processes for merchants
Lack of trust in peer-to-peer crypto payments

The core challenge was designing intuitive experiences for a technically complex system, while maintaining security, transparency, and speed.

Understanding the Users

Research Approach

1. Domain & Desk Research

Given the technical nature of the product, research began with:

Deep review of the Oravend whitepaper
Analysis of existing crypto payment platforms and wallets
Studying common failure points in crypto onboarding and payments

This helped translate blockchain concepts into user-facing mental models.

2. Stakeholder & Team Collaboration

I collaborated closely with:

Blockchain engineers
Backend developers
Product stakeholders

Through workshops and design reviews, we aligned on:

User goals vs. system constraints
Where users felt confused or dropped off
How much crypto complexity should be hidden vs. exposed

3. User Assumptions & Validation

Although direct user testing was limited at the early stage, we validated assumptions using:

Industry best practices
Feedback from crypto-aware and non-technical stakeholders
Iterative design critiques

Design Challenges

Designing for non-technical users interacting with blockchain systems
Handling multi-currency and multi-wallet flows
Preventing user anxiety around value loss and failed transactions
Making QR-based payments feel familiar and trustworthy

Research Implementation

Design Solutions

Based on research insights, the design focused on simplicity, clarity, and trust-building for complex blockchain interactions.

1. Simplified Payment Flow

I supported the design of a scan-to-pay QR flow:

Users scan a merchant QR code
View a clear transaction summary
Confirm payment with minimal steps

This removed the need for exchanges, manual conversions, or trading knowledge.

2. Clear Information Architecture for Multi-Currency

To reduce confusion:

Crypto values and fiat equivalents were visually separated
Emphasis was placed on "Value You Pay" vs "Value Merchant Receives"
Progressive disclosure was used to hide advanced crypto details

This helped users feel confident without understanding blockchain mechanics.

3. Merchant-Friendly Onboarding

I assisted in structuring:

Simple merchant onboarding forms
Clear settlement options (instant, daily, on-demand)
Visual cues to reassure merchants about real-time fiat settlement

This reduced perceived risk for merchants new to crypto payments.

4. Wallet & Security UX

Working with engineers, we designed:

Wallet selection flows (MetaMask, WalletConnect, etc.)
Clear confirmation states and transaction feedback
Error and failure states that reassured users rather than alarming them

5. Accessibility & Responsiveness

Designed responsive layouts for web and mobile use
Applied accessibility best practices to forms and transaction screens
Ensured readability and clarity for global users

Impact

Key Outcomes

Reduced Perceived Complexity

Simplified crypto payment flows made the platform more approachable for non-technical users.

Improved Transaction Clarity

Clear value displays and settlement information increased user confidence in crypto payments.

Supported Real-Time Payments

Designed user flows that enabled seamless crypto-to-fiat payments with instant merchant settlement.

Bridged Blockchain & Usability

Helped bridge the gap between blockchain infrastructure and real-world usability for mainstream adoption.

Reflection

Final Reflection

Oravend was a defining project in my growth as a UX designer. It taught me how critical clarity, trust, and reassurance are when designing financial products, especially in emerging technologies like blockchain.

I learned how to balance innovation with usability, and how thoughtful UX can be a key driver of adoption, not just aesthetics. This experience laid the foundation for my later work in marketplaces, payments, and complex systems.