Haven1
Haven1 was an EVM Layer 1 blockchain company. As the founding product designer, I led design for a Layer 1 blockchain serving 230K+ verified users and 13M+ on-chain transactions across 7 core apps, while building and scaling the design function from 0 to 3 designers, including systems, standards, and hiring.
Year
2023 - 2025
Platform
Mobile & Desktop
My Role
Founding Designer, 0 to 1, Design Management & Strategy
Team
2 PMs, 8 Engineers, 3 Designers
Project Overview
A safer way to use Web3
Haven1 was created for people who want the benefits of Web3 without the constant uncertainty. Users needed a chain where they could explore, transact, and build with confidence. The early ecosystem demanded clear trust signals, predictable UX, and identity-backed safety that still respected user privacy.
Problem
Web3 promised openness but delivered uncertainty. Users moved through an ecosystem where scams were common, trust signals were inconsistent, and critical actions like staking or minting felt risky. Even educated users relied on guesswork and community warnings rather than clear design. There was no chain that aligned user safety, predictable UX, and verified identity into one coherent environment. This gap slowed adoption and created unnecessary friction for both users and developers.
Solution
Haven1 brings structure and safety to Web3 by combining verified identity with an ecosystem of trusted apps. The chain gives users a predictable environment where every interaction is safer by default. By integrating clear transparency moments, consistent UX patterns, and verified counterparties, Haven1 reduces the cognitive load of on-chain actions. Users can stake, trade, mint, and explore with more confidence, supported by a design system that makes the experience simple and familiar.
My Core Responsibilities
Founding Product Designer leading end-to-end design across the chain.
Defined product vision, UX principles, and interaction patterns for all core apps.
Partnered with engineering to align design with technical constraints.
Built the design system from scratch.
Established design process, standards and hiring.
Process
Competitive Analysis
The first step was a competitive analysis across major L1 and L2 ecosystems. The goal was to understand how different chains structure their native apps, how they onboard users, and how they handle blockchain-specific moments like wallet connections, on-chain actions, and cross-app navigation. This helped reveal patterns that worked well, gaps that created friction, and opportunities for Haven1 to differentiate with a safer and more predictable experience.
Friction & Opportunities
Understanding friction across the Web3 landscape helped reveal both the problems users consistently faced and the opportunities for Haven1 to differentiate. Identity flows created confusion, bridges eroded trust, liquidity fragmentation slowed adoption, and on-chain actions added unnecessary workload. These patterns guided how we structured Haven1's ecosystem, informed our early architectural decisions, and ensured that every feature directly addressed a known barrier to adoption.
Architecture & Flow
This ecosystem architecture shows how users move through Haven1 across identity verification, wallet actions, and on-chain flows. I mapped every pathway from KYC to staking, swapping, earning, and cross-app transitions to understand where trust decisions happen and where complexity builds up. This revealed structural friction points, clarified how identity intersects with product interactions, and guided the interaction patterns that shaped a safer and more predictable experience across the chain.
Feature Prioritization
Identity was the foundation of the ecosystem and one of the hardest parts to build. KYC onboarding and proof of identity required deep integration and on-chain checks, but they had to come first because every product relied on verified users. Liquidity features like bridging, staking, and swapping carried similar importance, so we built them in parallel with engineering. Growth features such as referrals delivered quick traction, while retention features like daily check-ins were added once the ecosystem had real utility. This sequence gave us a reliable identity layer, early liquidity, and long-term engagement.
Haven1 Ecosystem
A system of apps designed around identity, liquidity, and user trust.
Every product in Haven1 was built as part of a larger identity-driven ecosystem. Each app served a specific purpose in the liquidity and trust model, from verifying users to moving assets, earning yields, and returning daily. These are the core experiences and how users move across them.
Identity
Identity is the first gateway into Haven1 and the foundation every product relies on. It verifies the user, anchors their identity on-chain, and unlocks the rest of the ecosystem. Because every core action depends on a trusted identity, the experience needed to feel simple, transparent, and safe.
We designed a clear KYC onboarding flow that guided users through verification while managing trust, edge cases, and vendor states. Minting Proof of Identity was positioned as a simple, purposeful action that connected the verified identity to the chain and prepared users for their first on-chain interactions.
Bridge
Bridge enables deposits and withdrawals, forming the primary liquidity gateway into Haven1. It was the first real on-chain action for most users, so clarity and reassurance were essential.
The deposit and withdraw flow to reduce fear by showing real-time states, clear confirmations, and transparent progress. Proof of Reserve served as an additional trust signal for users bridging assets, connecting front-end clarity with back-end transparency.
Stake
Allows users to earn yield through flexible, locked, and liquid staking options. Staking needed to feel simple for new users while still providing transparency for experienced ones.
We organized staking into clear categories, Flexible, Lock, and Liquid, to help users choose the option that suited their needs. Each staking flow emphasized returns, lock periods, and confirmation steps so users understood exactly what they were committing to.
Swap & Liquidity Pools
We built Swap on top of a Uniswap v3 fork, but redesigned the experience to match the Haven1 identity and trust model. The goal was to make trading feel predictable and safe even for first-time users, with clear states, transparent fees, and flows that reduced cognitive load.
We reworked the Uniswap v3 interface to make rate visibility, slippage awareness, and confirmations easier for everyday users. Users could explore tokens and pools, understand ranges and fees, and add liquidity without the cognitive load usually associated with concentrated liquidity models.
Extension Ecosystem
A collection of additional products we introduced as the chain matured. Beyond the core identity and liquidity flows, we shipped several supporting products that expanded how users interacted with the Haven1 ecosystem.
These features included growth loops like referrals, airdrop mechanics, 2FA integration, wallet link and yield products such as Earn and Lend.
Design System
A system that started lean & scaled with the entire ecosystem.
I started with the foundational tokens while we shaped the onboarding and bridge flows. As more apps came online, the system grew alongside them, with new components and patterns added only when real needs surfaced. I guided the early direction so the team had a clear foundation, and as more designers joined, the system scaled with us and kept the experience consistent as we shipped more apps.
Impact
Results
Across two years, the ecosystem grew to serve a large base of verified users and handled millions of on-chain transactions.
13M+
On-chain Transactions
230K+
Verified Users
$4.6M
Funding Raised
7
Core Apps Shipped
2
Design Hires
Reflection
Leading through ambiguity, constraints, and the realities of a startup.
Building Haven1 taught me how to lead design in a company where nothing was defined yet. We were starting from a blank slate, so clarity had to be created, not inherited. I had to define direction early, work closely with engineering, and build simple patterns the team could move fast with. As the ecosystem expanded, I guided the design system and set the standards that kept every new app consistent. Even though the company eventually closed, the experience strengthened how I lead, how I design, and how I scale teams. It remains one of the most formative chapters in my growth as a designer and builder.
Leading in ambiguity
I learned how to define direction when nothing existed yet and guide the team with clear principles that shaped every product we built.
Designing systems under constraints
Working with limited time and resources taught me to simplify, prioritize, and ensure every design decision moved the product forward.
Balancing speed with quality
I learned how to balance pace with craft, setting workflows and standards that kept quality high while still meeting aggressive timelines.
Aligning across product and engineering
Cross-functional alignment became core to my role, helping us make decisions that were technically sound, user-centered, and feasible to ship.
Scaling a product ecosystem with consistency
Building a good system doesn't have to start with a bang, build what you need approach is better than building something that you won't use.
The realities of early-stage startups
Even though the company closed, the journey strengthened my leadership and resilience. It taught me how to keep teams focused under pressure while still building with intention.