Transforming Financial Complexity into Clarity and Trust
USDC Rewards is Coinbase's primary growth lever, offering interest-like incentives for users holding USDC cryptocurrency. When I joined the project, users struggled with two critical issues: understanding how rewards were calculated and knowing when they'd be paid. As the sole designer on this project, I transformed this confusing experience into a transparent, engaging journey that improved user comprehension from 30% to 80%, reduced support tickets by 25%, and drove an estimated $30M in additional USDC deposits.
role
Product Design Intern
duration
8 Weeks
May - June 2024
team
Product Manager
Software Engineer
Legal
Marketing
Content Design
skills
Interaction Design
Visual Design
User Research
UX Writing
Storytelling
tools
Figma
UserTesting.com
Challenge
APY calculation was hard to understand
When I joined the project, the initial challenge focused on a complex financial calculation problem. Coinbase One members received boosted rates (e.g. 5.50% APY) on balances up to $30,000, but amounts above that threshold only earned the standard rate (e.g. 5.10%). This tiered system created confusing "blended rates" like 5.33% that didn't match the advertised 5.50% APY.
The old interface showed minimal information – just a single APY percentage and lifetime earnings with no explanation. When users tried to understand the discrepancy, the system provided no clear answers, further increasing frustration.
Research
Diving beneath surface confusion to find the trust gap
To understand the scope of the problem, I led a comprehensive research effort:
Analyzed 500+ support tickets related to USDC rewards
Interviewed 10 Coinbase One members about their rewards experience
Shadowed support team interactions to understand how they explained rewards
The findings revealed widespread misunderstanding:
The invisible reward distribution problem
Through research, I discovered a second critical issue that hadn't been initially identified:
Users had no visibility into when rewards would be distributed, received no notifications when rewards were deposited, and had no way to track their earnings over time.
This problem could cause high support volume, low trust, less engagement, and ultimately fewer deposits.
Scope
Two-Phase Project
I advocated to expand the project from the initial APY fix to addressing the end-to-end USDC rewards experience.
APY calculation confusion: Users couldn't understand why they were seeing different rates than promised
Invisible reward distribution: Users had no idea when rewards would be paid
Solution
I tackled the dual challenges through an integrated approach that made the entire rewards journey transparent and engaging.
Phase #1
Rewards Module Redesign
Before
After
The original rewards display showed only a percentage and lifetime earnings with no explanation. Users had to take multiple steps to find rate explanations. It's time-consuming.
The redesigned module features tappable rows, clearer information hierarchy, and a comprehensive visual system that invites exploration rather than hiding information.
For users with balances under $30K
I created a focused, straightforward explanation that:
Clearly states their APY rate
Provides simple, jargon-free explanation of Coinbase One benefits
Includes concise legal information without overwhelming the user
Features prominent dismissal and learn-more actions
For users with balances over $30K
I designed a more detailed breakdown that:
Shows "Average reward rate" to acknowledge the blended calculation
Provides a receipt-style balance breakdown that shows rate tiers
Illustrates which portions earn which rates with balance amounts
Maintains the same clear information hierarchy
Phase #2
Rewards Delivery Transparency
Redesigned payout email
Scalable to all rewards-related emails across the company
Contains clear amount display and timestamp
In-app experience
Confetti celebration screen creating moments of delight upon payout
In-app payout history providing reward tracking over time
Push notifications alerting users when rewards are deposited
Impact
As we are rolling out the revamped payout experience through August and September, our data science partner expected us to achieve…
Learnings & Takeaways
Take ownership, seek opportunities, and drive the solution forward
I started this project as a simple task to clarify reward rates but expanded it into a larger project when user feedback revealed additional issues. By proactively exploring these issues, I was able to solve the immediate problem and create a more cohesive and satisfying user experience for USDC Rewards.
Become familiar with the design system and the use cases
Understanding Coinbase's design system early on allowed me to create designs that were consistent and integrated smoothly with existing patterns. Familiarity with different use cases ensured that the new features worked seamlessly across various contexts, minimizing future redesign efforts.
Scalability matters
Designing for scalability was critical to make sure that the USDC Rewards module could adapt to future changes, different membership tiers, and additional USDC products. A scalable design supports long-term growth and simplifies future updates, and makes the solution more sustainable.