Case study · Web3 · Wallet

Unified cross‑chain wallet

Intent-centric cross-chain UX

How a cross-chain transaction can feel simple and natural: turning complex infrastructure, like the Ethereum Interop Layer, into an intuitive wallet experience. I identified common user pain points, designed a cross-chain send flow across L2 rollups, unified balances, and applied intent-based design principles, so users can focus on what they want to do, not how the chains work.

RoleWeb3 product design · concept storytelling
PlatformResponsive web & mobile
TimeAbout 5 months

UI/UXFinanceBlockchain

Final UI: onboarding, unified balance and cross-chain send screens — Final UI and storyboards showing intent-based cross-chain flows, made simple and intuitive.

Design system board: colour scales, typography and components — Final UI and storyboards showing intent-based cross-chain flows, made simple and intuitive.

Discovery

The cross-chain transaction was technically complex and hard to explain to product and stakeholder teams. So I used storyboards and early concepts to show user intent, simplify flows, and align everyone on goals.

What I set out to do:

Mapped existing wallet UX and pain points, highlighting fragmentation and trust issues.
Defined a UX brief with behaviour goals, assumptions and success metrics.
Created concept storyboards for intent-based actions.
Iterated on flows, mental models and UI patterns through design explorations.
Used AI prototypes to quickly validate ideas and system behaviours.
Validated prototypes with internal testing, measuring learnability to track improvements.
Collaborated with tech and product teams to make sure it was feasible and aligned.

Whiteboarding session — **Whiteboarding**Define the key user story with the team.

Storyboard of the cross-chain send — **Storyboarding**Explain the tech and interactions.

Interactive prototype of unified balance — **Prototyping**Build and test an interactive version.

Design brief

The cross-chain ecosystem creates friction for both teams and users. L2 rollups unlock scalability, but they also fragment the experience. Users face confusing flows, multiple approvals, and uncertainty from relying on third-party bridges.

EcosystemMultiple isolated L2s, and dependency on third-party bridges.

UserA fragmented wallet experience, cumbersome bridging steps, and trust concerns.

HypothesisHow might we replace manual, multi-step chain management with a system that interprets high-level intents, like "swap across chains", and handles the rest, so users move from fragmented workflows to seamless, single-network interactions?

≤ 3Cognitive loadsteps to complete a send

≥ 90%Learnabilityfirst-time success; ≥ 95% complete without help

≥ 95%Approval & frictiontask completion with a one-signature flow

≥ 98%Reliabilitytransaction success

Success metrics, agreed with stakeholders.

User flow diagram of the unified cross-chain send — One unified cross-chain send that feels like a single-chain action.

Solution

Users think in terms of intent, sending or holding assets, not choosing chains.

Through research and exploration, I found that current wallets force early chain decisions, which creates confusion and fragmented balances. So I explored intent-driven cross-chain flows and balance-first information structures. Using USDC as a constraint, I storyboarded 1-to-1 and N-to-1 scenarios to test how the system could hide complexity while keeping transparency and user control.

Intent-firstUsers send assets by goal; routing is handled automatically.
Unified balancesSee all assets as one balance.
Consistent transfersSupports 1→1 and N→1 flows using USDC.
Fees when neededRouting and fees show only when they matter.
No chain knowledgeNo chain or bridge knowledge needed to act with confidence.
Simple, self-custodySimple for non-technical users, fully non-custodial by design.

Responsive web and mobile screens — **Responsive**Web & mobile

9:41

Sending…Sent

AAA OP✓

10 USDC (ARB → OP) preparing
Fee covered by paymaster
Bridging
Arriving on Optimism

Where's my money10 USDC in bridge · 180 USDC on Arbitrum10 USDC on Optimism · 180 USDC on Arbitrum

Run in background

SendingLive, dark · route and steps tick in order

Send flow screens — **Use flow**From intent to sent

Design system

Navy ink, one blue for action, soft shapes. A light and dark system so every flow stays consistent across web and mobile.

Live specimen below. Try the theme switch and tap a chain.

Wallet UI · Noto Sans

Colour

Action#007FFF

Text core#111D4A

Secondary40% ink

Chain chipcyan 20%

Card#FFFFFF

Chip fill#F0F1F3

Success#4BCE71

Warning#FC8C4D

Error#F3636F

USDC#2775CA

USDT#26A17B

Hero bggradient

Shape

full

Type · size jumps, not steps

$200.03Hero 72

$120.01Balance 44

Sending…Title 28

Select networkSection 20

USD CoinBody L 16

Arriving on OptimismBody 14

2,000.03 USDCCaption 12

Network feeMicro 11

Components

✓10 USDC (ARB → OP)

Bridge in progress

Arriving on Optimism

USDC2,000.03 USDC

$200.28

₮

USDT120 USDT

$120.01

Confirmed Pending Failed

One blue, one job#007FFF is the only "tap me" colour. One primary button per screen.

Depth by toneCards never get a shadow. Only floating things, like the button and sheets, do.

Cents step backDecimals drop to secondary ink, so the number you act on reads first.

Design board: typography — **Board**Typeface & scale

Design board: theme — **Board**Colour & modes

Design board: tokens and cards — **Board**Tokens & cards

Impact

Reframing complex blockchain mechanics as intent-driven stories turned technical complexity into a clear, user-centred product direction.

The narrative approach built shared understanding across design, product and engineering, and helped teams align on real user problems and roadmap opportunities. With proofs of concept, stakeholders could see how the solution fits into the wallet ecosystem. This reduced ambiguity, sped up decisions, and set UX principles that guide cross-functional work.

Get in touch

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