Redefining human transactions with AI & blockchain

My role

As a Product Designer, I was responsible for:

• Planning and leading mobile app concept research to identify user needs and technological opportunities
• Managing client communication, ensuring alignment on goals, progress, and design decisions
• Designing the mobile app’s voice interface, focusing on intuitive, seamless AI-driven interactions
• Leading prototyping efforts, iterating rapidly to adapt to evolving technical capabilities

Outcome

• $6 Million secured in 2 rounds
  The prototype played a pivotal role in helping VAIOT reach their ICO hard cap during a private round just 2 months after launching investor communications.
• Rapid growth
  Post-funding, VAIOT has continued to expand, launching new products and services fueled by the foundational work from this project

Understanding the vision & defining goals

The project began with a deep dive into VAIOT’s vision and objectives. It was crucial to align the application’s prototype with its strategic purpose, especially given its role in securing investor funding. To establish clarity, we conducted extensive workshops breaking down the essential components that would define the product’s value proposition. While VAIOT's team provided strong input on the target audience, we could only work with proto-personas, as the product was still in its conceptual phase and had no direct market equivalents. The absence of similar solutions meant we had to draw insights from existing chat-based applications, using them as reference points while keeping an open mind for innovation.

Exploring chat & voice interaction

One of the biggest milestones was designing the chat interaction. Unlike traditional user interfaces, voice interaction presents a unique set of challenges. Our team dedicated time to studying the fundamentals of similar solutions through technical specifications, academic research, and industry literature. Understanding the technological feasibility of a voice assistant was just as important as defining its UX. We allocated significant time to technology research, ensuring that the interactions were seamless yet practical. Every design decision needed to balance innovation with feasibility, guaranteeing that the final product was not only visionary but also achievable. That phase ended with extensive technology research to understand the capabilities and limitations of emerging voice user interface (VUI) technologies.

Crafting the brand identity & visual direction

To set a strong foundation for the user experience, we worked closely with VAIOT and the marketing team to establish an attractive yet functional brand identity. The process involved:

• Moodboarding: we explored multiple visual directions, aiming to create an identity that was both distinctive in the market and aligned with core product experiences.
• Brand identity development: since branding is an integral part of any experience, we crafted a simple, elegant, and premium identity that informed every aspect of the product’s design. This included: logo development, color palette definition, and design guidelines.

Through these explorations, we ensured that every touchpoint of the AI assistant felt intuitive and visually cohesive.

Defining the AI assistant’s presence & motion concept

A critical part of the design process was visualizing the AI assistant. I explored different approaches to represent the assistant’s presence within the app, ranging from subtle visual cues to more dynamic, immersive interactions. These explorations led to multiple mood boards and concept iterations. Motion design played a key role, particularly in marketing communication. It was the defining element that would make the product stand out. To refine this experience, I developed over 30 iterations of the AI assistant’s core interaction, ensuring that it felt natural, engaging, and aligned with the product’s personality.

Iterating on the chat experience

With the AI assistant’s core interaction established, we shifted focus to the chat experience itself. This phase involved multiple iterations, fine-tuning the interaction model to create a fluid, user-friendly conversation flow. To bring the prototype to life, we integrated voice-over elements. Working closely with a professional voice-over team, we designed a compelling marketing scenario that fully showcased the product’s vision. The result was a high-impact prototype that not only demonstrated the assistant’s potential but also provided a strong narrative for investors and stakeholders.

Post-funding progress

After successfully securing the financing round, we expanded our focus to other critical areas of the product, including payment flows, data management, and supporting systems that, while not central to communicating the initial vision, were essential for delivering a complete experience. All interfaces continued to evolve through iterative cycles, incorporating insights gathered from ongoing user testing.