Designing a consumer crypto and payments app from zero: brand, design system and every screen
Problem
Design a premium consumer crypto and payments app from zero: no brand, no design system, no screens.
My role
Senior Product Designer, designing the brand, design system and every screen end to end.
Key decision
Build the brand and design system first, so every screen shares one foundation.
Outcome
0 → 1
A shipped app with wallet, Visa card, transfers and fiat accounts
Problem
A whole product with no brand, no system and no screens
Design an entire product from zero. No existing brand, no design system, no screens. The product needed to feel premium enough to compete with neobanks while being approachable enough for users who are new to crypto. Every feature, flow, and component had to be built and documented from scratch.
Solution · Foundation
Brand and design system before any screen
Started with the brand and design system before touching any product screens. Defined the color language, typography, spacing scale, and component library first so every screen that followed had a consistent foundation to build on.
Solution · Core features
Every core feature, designed end to end
Designed every core feature end to end. Home dashboard showing total asset value, portfolio, and quick actions. Card section covering Visa Signature ordering, physical card delivery tracking, freeze and limits controls, and card asset priority settings. Send flow supporting internal transfers via UID, QR code, email, and phone number with zero fees between PayitFast users. Fiat account setup with currency selection and activation states. Hub covering all settings, referral and earn, and account management. Transaction detail screens with full status tracking across waiting, completed, declined, and expired states.
Solution · States
Every flow mapped with all its states
Every flow was mapped with all states before design began. Empty states, loading states, error states, success confirmations, and edge cases across every feature.
Solution · Visual language
Dark, high contrast and built for daily checking
The visual language is dark with acid green accents. High contrast, high energy, built for users who check their portfolio multiple times a day.
Result
One cohesive product, shipped
A fully shipped consumer app with a complete design system, brand identity, and every screen designed from scratch. One cohesive product covering crypto wallet, Visa card, peer to peer transfers, fiat accounts, referrals, and portfolio management.
Want the full story?
There's a lot more behind PayitFast Consumer App than fits on one page. I'm happy to walk you through the research, decisions and trade-offs.
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