Enter password to view the "Snowball Money" case study
Snowball Money
Rewards Hub
Snowball Money
Rewards Hub
Snowball Money Rewards Hub
Snowball Money
Rewards Hub
2024
Turning a Crypto Wallet into a Daily Habit.
A gamification system designed to drive daily retention in a crypto investment app, through streaks, missions, and mystery box mechanics.
Turning a Crypto Wallet into a Daily Habit.
A gamification system designed to drive daily retention in a crypto investment app, through streaks, missions, and mystery box mechanics.
Turning a Crypto Wallet into a Daily Habit. A gamification system designed to drive daily retention in a crypto investment app, through streaks, missions, and mystery box mechanics.
Turning a Crypto Wallet into a Daily Habit.
A gamification system designed to drive daily retention in a crypto investment app, through streaks, missions, and mystery box mechanics.
Turning a Crypto Wallet into a Daily Habit.
A gamification system designed to drive daily retention in a crypto investment app, through streaks, missions, and mystery box mechanics.
Role
Senior Product Designer
Project Type
DeFi crypto Investment App
DeFi crypto Investment App
Platform
iOS & Android
My Contribution
UX Audit, Information Architecture, End-to-End design, User Flow Architecture, Design System, Onboarding Flow Design, Reward Mechanics UX, Component-Driven Design
Design Ownership, End-to-End Design, UX Strategy, User Flow Architecture, Brand Identity Design, Marketing Web Design, Complex UI/UX System, Component-Driven Design
Design Ownership, End-to-End Design,
UX Strategy, User Flow Architecture,
Brand Identity Design, Marketing Web Design, Complex UI/UX System, Component-Driven Design
Role
Senior Product Designer
Project Type
DeFi crypto Investment App
Platform
iOS & Android
My Contribution
Design Ownership, End-to-End Design,
UX Strategy, User Flow Architecture,
Brand Identity Design, Marketing Web Design, Complex UI/UX System, Component-Driven Design
Discovery.
Defining the Problem
Crypto wallets traditionally have very low daily engagement.
Users open the app when prices move or when they want to make a transaction — not as a daily habit. We had strong acquisition but weak retention.
Crypto wallets traditionally have very low daily engagement. Users open the app when prices move or when they want to make a transaction — not as a daily habit. We had strong acquisition but weak retention.
Crypto wallets traditionally have very low daily engagement. Users open the app when prices move or when they want to make a transaction — not as a daily habit. We had strong acquisition but weak retention.
Crypto wallets traditionally have very low daily engagement. Users open the app when prices move or when they want to
make a transaction — not as a daily habit. We had strong acquisition but weak retention.
Signal 1
Retention Data
Retention Data
D+7 retention was below target. Most users opened the app 1–2 times per week at best. The majority of sessions were passive: checking balances, not taking actions.
D+7 retention was below target. Most users opened the app 1–2 times per week at best. The majority of sessions were passive: checking balances, not taking actions.
Signal 2
Session Depth
Session Depth
Average session lasted under 90 seconds. Users had no reason to explore beyond the main Assets screen. The Earn section was underused despite offering real financial rewards.
Average session lasted under 90 seconds. Users had no reason to explore beyond the main Assets screen. The Earn section was underused despite offering real financial rewards.
Signal 3
Competitive Pattern
Competitive Pattern
70% of leading crypto apps had implemented some form of gamification. Apps with gamification showed 2–3× higher daily active user rates compared to pure utility wallets.
70% of leading crypto apps had implemented some form of gamification. Apps with gamification showed 2–3× higher daily active user rates compared to pure utility wallets.
Research.
What We Learned
Research.
What We Learned
Before designing anything, I ran three research streams to understand the problem space: user interviews, behavioral data analysis, and competitive benchmarking.
Before designing anything, I ran three research streams to understand the problem space: user interviews, behavioral data analysis, and competitive benchmarking.
Before designing anything, I ran three research streams to understand the problem space: user interviews, behavioral data analysis, and competitive benchmarking.
65%
Users want gamification
Survey of 1,000 crypto app users. 65% expressed interest in Mystery Box and Mission mechanics, citing excitement, reward, and sense of progression as primary motivators.
Survey of 1,000 crypto app users. 65% expressed interest in Mystery Box and Mission mechanics, citing excitement, reward, and sense of progression as primary motivators.
12×
Difference in daily opens
Usability interviews revealed users with "something to come back for" opened their crypto apps up to 12 times more per week than users with pure utility wallets.
Usability interviews revealed users with "something to come back for" opened their crypto apps up to 12 times more per week than users with pure utility wallets.
3
Core motivation types
We identified three user motivation types: Explorers (love discovery), Achievers (want to progress), and Collectors (enjoy accumulating). The system needed to serve all three.
We identified three user motivation types: Explorers (love discovery), Achievers (want to progress), and Collectors (enjoy accumulating). The system needed to serve all three.
🎤
8 user interviews with active crypto app users, exploring daily habits and motivations
8 user interviews with active crypto app users, exploring daily habits and motivations
📊
Behavioral data analysis in Amplitude — identifying drop-off points and usage patterns
Behavioral data analysis in Amplitude — identifying drop-off points and usage patterns
🔍
Competitive teardown of 8 crypto apps with gamification: mapping mechanics and UX patterns
Competitive teardown of 8 crypto apps with gamification: mapping mechanics and UX patterns
🔀
Card sorting workshop with team and prioritizing which mechanics to design first
Card sorting workshop with team and prioritizing which mechanics to design first
Key Research Insight
Key Research Insight
Users weren't avoiding the app out of disinterest, they simply had no behavioral trigger to return on days when nothing happened in the market. The opportunity wasn't to redesign the core wallet UX, but to create a parallel loop that rewarded the act of showing up, independent of market activity.
Crypto wallets traditionally have very low daily engagement. Users open the app when prices move or when they want to make a transaction — not as a daily habit. We had strong acquisition but weak retention.
Crypto wallets traditionally have very low daily engagement. Users open the app when prices move or when they want to make a transaction — not as a daily habit. We had strong acquisition but weak retention.
Crypto wallets traditionally have very low daily engagement. Users open the app when prices move or when they want to
make a transaction — not as a daily habit. We had strong acquisition but weak retention.
Design Process.
How I Approached This
I followed a structured discovery-to-delivery process, spending significant time in definition before any visual design work began.
I followed a structured discovery-to-delivery process, spending significant time in definition before any visual design work began.
I followed a structured discovery-to-delivery process, spending significant time in definition before any visual design work began.
System Design.
The Rewards Architecture
Rather than designing individual features, I first designed the system. The underlying Flakes economy that would connect all the mechanics.
Rather than designing individual features, I first designed the system. The underlying Flakes economy that would connect all the mechanics.
Rather than designing individual features, I first designed the system. The underlying Flakes economy that would connect all the mechanics.
User Flow.
Core Flows — Screen by Screen
User Flow.
Core Flows — Screen by Screen
The three primary user journeys in the Rewards Hub, shown as linear flows with every screen state.
The three primary user journeys in the Rewards Hub, shown as linear flows with every screen state.
The three primary user journeys in the Rewards Hub, shown as linear flows with every screen state.
Iteration.
What Changed Through Testing
I ran three rounds of moderated usability testing with 5 participants each, targeting our core user personas.
I ran three rounds of moderated usability testing with 5 participants each, targeting our core user personas.
I ran three rounds of moderated usability testing with 5 participants each, targeting our core user personas.
Impact.
Outcomes & Learnings
Impact.
Outcomes & Learnings
Measured against the metrics defined at the start of the project, three months post-launch.
Measured against the metrics defined at the start of the project, three months post-launch.
Measured against the metrics defined at the start of the project, three months post-launch.
3×
Daily Opens Increase
Survey of 1,000 crypto app users. 65% expressed interest in Mystery Box and Mission mechanics, citing excitement, reward, and sense of progression as primary motivators.
Survey of 1,000 crypto app users. 65% expressed interest in Mystery Box and Mission mechanics, citing excitement, reward, and sense of progression as primary motivators.
+28%
D+7 Retention
Seven-day retention improved significantly compared to pre-launch cohort, driven by the daily streak mechanic.
Seven-day retention improved significantly compared to pre-launch cohort, driven by the daily streak mechanic.
67%
Daily Rewards Claim Rate
Of users who entered the Rewards Hub, 67% claimed their daily reward. A strong signal of habit formation.
Of users who entered the Rewards Hub, 67% claimed their daily reward. A strong signal of habit formation.
🔍
Transparency earns trust in crypto UX
The gas fee education was the single most-mentioned positive change in user feedback. Being proactive about complexity built more trust than hiding it.
Transparency earns trust in crypto UX
The gas fee education was the single most-mentioned positive change in user feedback. Being proactive about complexity built more trust than hiding it.
🎯
The Claim action creates more delight than auto-credit
Making users explicitly claim their reward, rather than auto-crediting was counterintuitive but created a stronger emotional moment and higher session engagement.
The Claim action creates more delight than auto-credit
Making users explicitly claim their reward, rather than auto-crediting was counterintuitive but created a stronger emotional moment and higher session engagement.
The Claim action creates more
delight than auto-credit
Making users explicitly claim their reward, rather than auto-crediting was counterintuitive but created a stronger emotional moment and higher session engagement.
💡
Confirmation dialogs reduce churn, not just errors
The "Continue, Losing Streak?" confirmation reduced streak abandonment. Friction at exit points is often underused as a retention tool.
Confirmation dialogs reduce churn, not just errors
The "Continue, Losing Streak?" confirmation reduced streak abandonment. Friction at exit points is often underused as a retention tool.
Confirmation dialogs reduce churn,
not just errors
The "Continue, Losing Streak?" confirmation reduced streak abandonment. Friction at exit points is often underused as a retention tool.
📊
Define success metrics before designing
Having D+7 retention as the primary metric from week one kept the team focused on behavioral outcomes rather than shipping features for their own sake.
Define success metrics before designing
Having D+7 retention as the primary metric from week one kept the team focused on behavioral outcomes rather than shipping features for their own sake.
