Stash
About
Stash is a mobile trading app concept for memecoins, designed for young, FOMO-driven users with basic crypto knowledge. The app blends gamification with trading, featuring swipe interactions, AI-driven trending picks, and surprise “Hidden Gem” reveals.
Client
Fscape Technology
DELIVERABLES
Brand Identity / Mascot Design / UX Strategy / UI Design / Design System / Hi-fi Screens
Year
2025
Role
Senior Product Designer, branding & UX/UI
Project Overview
I created the brand, mascot, UX flows, and UI design. The focus was to make crypto trading fun and engaging without overwhelming new users. Swiping (save, pass, buy) made discovery intuitive, while the AI trending feed surfaced short-lived opportunities. I also designed the squirrel mascot, which testing participants remembered as the “squirrel app,” proving strong brand recall. In user tests with ~50 participants, 90% found the app engaging and fun.
Challenge
Traditional trading apps are either too complex for new crypto adopters or too plain to keep them engaged. Stash needed to strike a balance: make trading feel simple and playful while adding features that capture short-term market hype without overwhelming users.
● OVERCOMPLICATED PLATFORMS
Intuitive gestures (Save, Pass, Buy) reduced friction for beginners.
● LACK OF ENGAGEMENT HOOKS
Existing apps failed to capture the playful, hype-driven culture of memecoins.
● ONBOARDING BARRIER
Beginners lacked confidence due to unfamiliar terminology and trading mechanics.
Research & Insights
I studied trading apps like Moonshot, Robinhood, Binance's Discover feature, and Coinbase, as well as lifestyle apps such as Tinder, TikTok, and Bumble. The research showed that young users are highly FOMO-driven, prefer quick and simple flows over heavy dashboards, and engage more when discovery feels fun and gamified.
Personas
Users split into two key groups. Beginner traders wanted a simple, low-barrier way to explore memecoins without feeling overwhelmed, while curious degen users enjoyed hype-driven discovery but still valued a clean, mobile-first experience.
Strategy & Concept
The strategy was to make trading approachable and playful by borrowing familiar interaction patterns from social apps while layering in crypto-specific utility.
● SWIPE-TO-TRADE FLOW
Organized navigation separating quick swaps from deeper yield tools.
● HIDDEN GEM MOMENTS
Curated reveals and surprise rewards boosted engagement.
● BEGINNER-FRIENDLY LANGUAGE
Simplified crypto terms with approachable copy and visuals.
● CLEAN, FAST EXPERIENCE
Prioritized speed and ease of use over heavy analytics.
Design Outcome
For the brand, I created a squirrel mascot to match the idea of “stashing gems.” It gave the app a friendly, memorable face in a space that often feels cold and technical. In user testing, people actually remembered Stash as the “squirrel app,” which proved the mascot worked. The app design itself used bold colors, playful motion, and a clean system in Figma so everything stayed consistent—from swiping through tokens to checking AI picks.
Key Takeaways
Even though Stash wasn’t launched, we ran user testing with around 50 people on Userberry, and 90% said the app felt fun and engaging. For me, the biggest win was seeing both the swipe experience and the mascot branding stick with people. It showed that mixing gamification, AI-driven insights, and strong branding can make crypto apps feel fresh, accessible, and memorable.
