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

01. Introduction

✏️Design Challenge

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

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

• Users struggled to assess trader performance or find traders that aligned with their needs, resulting in hesitation and reduced confidence.

• The recommendation system failed to match user preferences, leading to frustration and diminished retention.

Usability Challenges: Complex, cluttered interface and information overload

• The homepage and other key-pages were unintuitive, cluttered with underutilized features, and lacked clarity in guiding users toward copy trading goals.

• Critical information was presented in an overwhelming or unclear manner, preventing users from making informed decisions efficiently.

Accessibility Barriers: Low feature visibility and insufficient onboarding for beginners

• Key features on the homepage lacked visibility and accessibility, leading to low engagement and reduced user value.

• Beginner users lacked clear guidance and education, making the copy trading process intimidating and difficult to start.

Trust and Confidence Gaps: Risk aversion and lack of confidence due to unclear processes

• Concerns about potential losses and a lack of clarity in trade configuration deterred beginners from participating.

• Without proper onboarding or assurance mechanisms, users struggled to build trust in the platform, further discouraging engagement.

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.

Explore - Research: Competitor Analysis

In my research, I analyzed competitors and identified key weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, which guided our redesign strategy to enhance Gate.io’s performance and user engagement.

Weaknesses
Gate.io’s current homepage suffers from high information density, overwhelming new users and making it difficult for them to navigate. Lack of user education is another significant issue, as beginners struggle to understand the platform’s features and full capabilities. Additionally, the visual hierarchy on the homepage is unclear, with confusing CTAs that disrupt the user journey, ultimately hindering conversions and leaving users uncertain about where to click next.

Opportunities
There is a clear opportunity to simplify user engagement by enhancing the reward system for new users. Offering incentives such as trial credits can reduce initial trial costs and encourage more users to try copy trading. Furthermore, improving user education through interactive tutorials and visual guides can significantly reduce the learning curve, helping new users feel more confident and engaged. Data-driven insights can further enhance the design, allowing for better personalization and more effective trader card recommendations, which will likely result in increased conversion rates.

Threats
Competitors, like OKX, Bybit, and Bitget, are setting a high standard for onboarding experiences, offering clear guidance, interactive tutorials, and better user education. This creates a threat for Gate.io, as users are more likely to engage with platforms that provide a smooth, intuitive entry experience. Additionally, the complex user flow on Gate.io’s platform increases the likelihood of users dropping off or abandoning their journey, ultimately reducing conversion ratesand user retention.

03. Design Process: From Definition to Execution

💡Define

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

Explore - Ideation and Feedback

An iterative process of research, design, validation, and adjustment, following a cyclical rather than linear path.

1. Get Creative

   In the initial phase, I focused on freely brainstorming and sketching a wide variety of ideas—both bold and conservative, unconventional and standard—without limitations. This allowed me to generate a diverse set of concepts. After reviewing and evaluating these ideas, I selected the most promising ones and explored their feasibility in the user journey. Some ideas were discarded as I encountered limitations that made them less viable.

2. Get Internal Feedback

   Once I refined the design flows, I presented them to the design team for critique. This session was crucial for gathering feedback and ensuring the ideas aligned with other parts of the product. It helped identify potential oversights and sparked fresh insights. I then iterated on the designs, incorporating technical feedback from engineers and aligning with the business team’s goals. Using data from prior research, I addressed their concerns and integrated their feedback into the final design.

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 Redesign
The goal was to enhance the homepage’s information architecture to provide users with a clearer layout and focus. By streamlining the page, users would easily understand the page’s objectives upon arrival. I reduced unnecessary CTAs that caused confusion by directing users to other pages, and instead focused on effective triggers that guided users to start copy trading or take relevant actions. Additionally, I eliminated the infinity scroll feature for trader cards, providing clear categories and descriptions that better satisfied user needs.

Search & Filters
The focus was on simplifying the information layers and terminology within the filters. Based on user data and survey results, we removed redundant settings and restructured the filters to make them more intuitive, allowing users to easily find and engage with relevant traders. This made the overall process smoother and more user-friendly.

📈 After Launch

After the redesign, we saw a significant improvement in user engagement:

• User Satisfaction Score: Users reported a satisfaction score of 87%, indicating a strong positive response to the new design.

• Click-Through Rate (CTR): The CTR on trader cards increased by 22%, showing a marked improvement in user interaction with the homepage and trader profiles.

Copy Process

The new process aimed to streamline the copy trading experience by reducing unnecessary page transitions and simplifying the steps required to complete a trade. A key change was the introduction of a popup that allows users to easily set up essential fields, such as investment amount and stop loss ratio, directly from the trader card. This minimized page redirections, helping users quickly choose traders without losing focus. Additionally, the popup clearly displays the required minimum amount for copy trading, preventing frustration from users who previously had to navigate through multiple pages to realize they didn't have enough crypto.

A secondary confirmation message was also introduced, ensuring accuracy and reducing mistakes. While this may cause some users to drop off, usability testing showed it was essential for ensuring correct trades.

We also removed confusing pop-ups based on user feedback, opting for clear entry points to easily access transaction history or return to the homepage. Outdated and irrelevant recommendation lists were eliminated to better meet user needs.

Initially, we considered adjustments to the trader profile and copy settings. However, user data revealed that most users clicked the trader card intending to copy, and time spent on the profile page was minimal. Given limited engagement and development resources, these changes were prioritized for future updates.

📈 After Launch

After launching the new copy process, the improvements in user experience and transaction flow were evident:

• User Satisfaction Score: Users expressed a high level of satisfaction, with a score of 82%, highlighting positive feedback on the streamlined process.

• Transaction Completion Rate: The introduction of the secondary confirmation step led to a 18% increase in trade completion, ensuring a smoother and more reliable copy trading experience for users.

Loss Protection Voucher

To help new users feel more confident when starting their copy trading journey, we introduced the Loss Protection Voucher. This feature guarantees that users' first copy trade is risk-free, offering protection against any losses during their initial trade. The voucher serves as an incentive for users to try copy trading without the fear of financial loss, lowering the barrier for entry and encouraging them to engage more with the platform.

The voucher is clearly presented at key stages of the user journey, ensuring that new users are aware of this benefit from the moment they begin the process. By addressing user concerns about risk, we aim to enhance user experience and build trust, ultimately driving more conversions and increasing overall engagement.

📈 After Launch

After introducing the Loss Protection Voucher, we saw a significant impact on user behavior:

• Claim Rate: The claim rate for the voucher reached 68%, indicating strong user interest in utilizing the risk-free offer.

• Conversion Rate: The conversion rate for new users who used the voucher increased by 25%, showing a clear positive effect on user engagement and decision-making.

05.RESULTS & IMPACT

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

📈 22% Increase in CTR: The redesigned trader cards successfully improved user engagement and click-through rates, directly solving the low CTR issue.

🚀 Revived User Growth: The streamlined user journey and improved onboarding led to a steady increase in new user copy trading, solving the high drop-off rate issue and reversing the growth plateau.

😊 Enhanced User Experience: Usability tests showed that beginner users reported higher satisfaction and confidence, and improving overall user retention.

06.THOUGHT

Throughout the project, I faced challenges that required clear communication, time management, and focus on both short-term tasks and the overall product vision. I tried different methods to improve workflow, and while some worked, there were areas where I could have done better. Moving forward, I plan to apply these lessons to improve future projects.

🧐Challenges Encountered & Solutions

1. Aligning Teams and Product Lines (Communication)
   Clear communication across teams with different priorities was a challenge.

   Solutions:

   • Cross-Functional Meetings: Hold regular check-ins with all teams (design, PM, engineering) to stay aligned on goals and progress.

   • Shared Documentation: Maintain a centralized roadmap and living documents to ensure everyone has access to up-to-date information.

2. PM’s New Requirements with Tight Deadlines (Time Management)
   Managing multiple new requirements while staying on schedule.

   Solutions:

   • Prioritization Frameworks: Use MoSCoW or other frameworks to prioritize tasks based on urgency and business impact.

   • Frequent Progress Updates: Provide status updates and communicate any potential delays early to set realistic expectations.

3. Advancing Design in the Roadmap (Big Picture, Product Vision)
   Balancing short-term deliverables with long-term goals was tough due to resource constraints.

   Solutions:

   • Phased Delivery & Lean Prototyping: Break down the roadmap into smaller phases and use low-fidelity prototypes to test ideas before full development.

   • Design Thinking Workshops: Educate teams on design thinking principles to ensure alignment with both immediate and long-term product goals.

4. Implementing Data-Driven Decisions While Gaining Consensus (Team Collaboration)
   Convincing the team to adopt data-driven decisions was challenging.

   Solutions:

   • Clear Data Presentation: Use a mix of quantitative data (A/B testing, surveys) and qualitative insights (user interviews) to support decisions.

   • Early Involvement of Stakeholders: Share data early with all stakeholders and incorporate feedback into the design process to build trust and consensus.

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