Gate.io- Streamlining Copy Trading for User Success

copy trading feature allows users to copy the top traders on the platform

2024 • Gate.io Sr. UX Designer • UX / UI / User Research / Product Strategy

Intro

In the rapidly evolving world of crypto trading platforms, copy trading has become a powerful tool, allowing users to follow and replicate the strategies of seasoned traders. This project aims to optimize the copy trading feature within our app, making it more user-friendly, intuitive, and accessible. By leveraging research and detailed analysis, we seek to deliver a frictionless experience that not only attracts new users but also fosters greater trading success and community engagement.

My Role

As the product designer for this project, I was responsible for enhancing the copy trading experience on our crypto platform. My role involved leading the design process from research to implementation, ensuring the copy trading feature is intuitive, user-friendly, and effective in driving conversions.

What I Did

Research & Analysis: Conducted usability tests, user interviews, and competitor analysis to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement in the current copy trading flow.
User-Centered Design: Developed wireframes, prototypes, and user flows based on research insights to streamline the process of finding and copying traders.
Collaboration: Worked closely with cross-functional teams, including product managers, developers, and marketing, to align design solutions with business goals.
Design Iteration: Iteratively refined the design based on feedback from user testing sessions and stakeholder reviews to ensure the final solution met user needs and enhanced the overall experience.
Conversion Optimization: Focused on improving the user journey to boost conversion rates and increase user engagement, making the process of selecting and copying traders more accessible and seamless.

01. Introduction

🛠️ Design Challenge

“How might we simplify the copy trading experience by enabling users to easily discover and follow top traders, while providing clear guidance to help them confidently start their crypto journey?”

🏢 Project Background

Gate.io's copy trading feature was designed to provide a simple entry point for novice crypto investors, allowing them to easily copy the strategies of experienced traders. However, as I delved deeper into the project, I uncovered several challenges that were preventing users from fully engaging with the platform. Through a combination of surveys, usability tests, user interviews, and data analysis, it became clear that the overall user experience of the product needed to be improved.

These insights revealed the need for a more intuitive, streamlined experience—one that would reduce confusion, simplify the onboarding process, and eliminate the time-consuming learning curve. By focusing on creating a smoother journey for beginners, who often struggled with navigating the platform’s features, the goal was to increase user engagement and drive higher conversion rates. This ultimately positioned the project to support long-term business growth.

😫 The Problem

Upon taking ownership of the copy trading product, I built a comprehensive data dashboard using Volcengine to monitor performance metrics closely. The analysis revealed two critical underperforming metrics:

Low CTR on Trader Cards: The trader cards on the homepage had a notably low click-through rate, directly impacting conversion rates.
High Drop-Off Rates: Many users abandoned the process mid-journey.
Growth Plateau: New user engagement in copy trading had stagnated over several months.

These challenges indicated deeper issues with usability, feature discoverability, and user confidence—particularly for beginners navigating the platform.

🧠 Insights & Hypothesis

My hypothesis centered around three core issues:

Usability: The user journey was too complex, leading to high drop-off rates.
Discoverability: Top traders were not prominently displayed, making it difficult for users to find and follow them.
User Confidence: Beginners lacked the guidance needed to start their copy trading journey with confidence.

02. Approach: Turning Insights into Action

To address the challenges identified in the copy trading product, I adopted a comprehensive approach combining research, design thinking, and data-driven iterations.

Discovery Survey: Collected insights into user needs, expectations, and pain points

As part of my effort to improve the copy product, I utilized several strategies to collect user insights. I began by creating and deploying an in-app survey to capture user feedback, pain points, and expectations related to copy trading. To boost participation, we offered a 20 USDT reward to help us gather responses within two weeks—sufficient to provide a representative sample of user opinions. In parallel, I reviewed existing feedback obtained by our Operations and Growth teams. Combining these new survey results with the previously collected insights enabled me to build a well-rounded understanding of both new and experienced users’ perspectives.

Key Findings of Copy Experience by Category:

Discoverability Issues: Difficulty finding suitable traders and misaligned recommendations
Usability Challenges: Complex, cluttered interface and information overload
Accessibility Barriers: Low feature visibility and insufficient onboarding for beginners
Trust and Confidence Gaps: Risk aversion and lack of confidence due to unclear processes

補充圖：User Flow 圖表

Usability Testing: Conducted in-depth user interviews and tests to understand where and why users were struggling

As part of the ongoing effort to improve the copy trading feature of the app, I conducted a usability test with three user segments: New Users, Beginner Users, Current Active Users. The goal was to identify pain points and gather insights on how users interact with the copy trading flow, from trader selection to executing a trade. Here are the key takeaways from the usability test and the recommended actions based on the findings.

Design a simpler and clearer navigation system to improve the accessibility of key features like trader selection and fund management.
Simplify the parameter setup process by offering preset defaults, percentage-based sliders, and auto-calculations to make it easier for users to configure their copy trades.
Clarify trading terminology and provide tooltips to make it easier for users, especially beginners, to understand complex concepts.
Enhance feedback by offering detailed post-trade success messages and guidance on what users should do next.
Increase transparency by displaying clear information about risks, fees, and potential outcomes before users make a decision.
Redesign trader cards to show key metrics like success rates, risk levels, and popularity for easier decision-making.
Introduce a clear product introduction on the homepage to guide new users through the copy trading process.
Guide users to more copy options and help them review their trading history after completing a copy trade to maintain engagement.

Explore- Research: Competitor Analysis

Easy Onboard, 簡化流程，減少會分心的資訊
提供奖励机制：提供体验金（即新手礼包）作为新用户的福利，降低用户的试错成本，鼓励用户尝试交易机器人，从而增加用户参与积极性

03. Process

Define

Based on the insights, I divided the problem into three focus areas, each addressed in separate phases of the project:

1. Redesigning the Homepage for Better Discoverability

Simplified the homepage layout to highlight key trader cards.
Introduced better filtering and sorting options to help users find traders that meet their needs.
Enhanced the recommendation system to align more closely with user preferences.

2. Redesigning the Copy Trading Flow for Improved Conversion

Simplified the copy trading process to make it more intuitive and seamless for users.
Reduced unnecessary steps and provided clear progress indicators to guide users through the flow.
Incorporated user feedback to ensure the process aligned with their mental models.

3. Introducing a Loss Protection Voucher for Confidence Building

Launched a loss protection voucher to encourage new users to try copy trading without fearing financial loss.
Designed the feature to provide clear assurance and onboarding for beginners, improving their confidence in starting the process.

Ideation

Establishing CTA and Information Hierarchy
To ensure a clear and intuitive Asset Card design that guides users towards desired actions while providing them with the necessary information for informed decision-making, I defined the hierarchy of CTAs and information elements
- Primary CTAs: These are the key actions we want users to take, such as "Buy Now," "Make Offer," or "Sell" These primary CTAs guide users towards key interactions and transactions.
- Secondary CTAs: These are additional actions that users can take, such as "Add to Watchlist," "Share," or "Like." These secondary CTAs provide users with more engagement options and social sharing capabilities.
- Primary Info: This includes essential information displayed prominently on the Asset Card, such as Collectible name, Price (Starting bid/ Fixed price), edition number, and Chain. This information enables users to quickly assess the NFT's key details.
- Secondary Info: This includes additional information that provides further context or details about the NFT, such as artwork description, artist biography, rarity indicators, or provenance. This secondary information is available for users who desire a deeper understanding of the NFT.
Diving into Design Exploration
When ideating the Asset Card redesign, I took into consideration the valuable insights obtained from previous research. Here are the considerations I made for:
- Redefining Information Hierarchy and Layering: I restructured the hierarchy of information and how it's layered to improve the overall user experience.
- Implementing Interactive Elements and Clear Calls-to-Action (CTA): I introduced interactive elements and prominent CTAs to enhance user engagement and guide them through the desired actions.
- Ensuring Logical Information Display across Different Page Usages: I ensured that information is logically presented and coherent across various pages, guaranteeing a seamless navigation experience.
- Creating a Clear User Interface (UI) using Typography, Color, and Size: I utilized typography, color, and size to establish a user-friendly UI that enhances readability and visual appeal.

04. Design Outcomes

*Noted that below are a collection of various key features and are implemented
*Due to privacy concerns and confidentiality requirements, the data presented is provided in an approximate format

Homepage

The redesign improved the way users discover assets by presenting them in a visually appealing and easily scannable format. It showcased key information, (such as asset type, features, and ratings) in a more organized and intuitive manner.

The new Call-to-Action (CTA) also caters to diverse user preferences, aligning with their purchasing behavior. Users now have the option to buy directly from the card level, eliminating the need to navigate to the detail page and proceed to checkout.

Search & Filters

The redesigned Asset Card with adaptable grids offers a responsive design that optimizes the viewing experience across different devices. It allows users to seamlessly switch between large and small card sizes, improving view efficiency and ensuring an optimal browsing experience.

Cards & Categories

Copy

The Asset Card Redesign revolutionized the discovery experience on different pages, including homepage, marketplace, profile, drop event, brand, collections enabling users to seamlessly explore and take action with ease. By implementing a consistent and cohesive design across various pages, Crypto.com ensured that users could navigate effortlessly and interact intuitively with NFTs.

Copy Page Process

Copy Bottom Sheet Process

Loss Protection Voucher

The Marketplace Page serves as the central hub where users can seamlessly explore and potentially acquire NFTs. As we designed and tested the Asset Card, we concurrently validated the Marketplace Revamp. The primary goal was to ensure users could navigate pages and search for NFTs swiftly and clearly. Additionally, with the launch of the Top Collection feature as a significant traffic driver, it is strategically positioned on the page to offer user choices and serve business promotion needs. Here are the three major enhancements in the Marketplace experience

05.Results & Impact

The New Asset Card and Marketplace were conceptualized, developed, and launched within a span of five months with three phases.
These targeted design changes led to measurable improvements:

📈 18% Increase in CTR: The redesigned trader cards significantly boosted user interactions.
🚀 Revived User Growth: The enhanced user journey led to a consistent uptick in new user registrations for copy trading.
😊 Improved User Experience: Feedback from usability tests indicated higher satisfaction and confidence among beginner users.

By transforming insights into action, I successfully enhanced the copy trading experience, making it more user-friendly, engaging, and conversion-driven.

06.Thought

The outcomes rooted in data affirm the accomplishment of the goals set for enhancing discovery. The redesign has effectively elevated click-through rates, enriched the discoverability and usability of the marketplace, search results, and filters, while simultaneously amplifying transaction volumes within the secondary market.

NOTE
Please contact me at cindyw1211@gmail.com if you are interested in more details of the project.