Redefining Wallet & Account Management for imToken
imToken is a globally recognized non-custodial crypto wallet trusted by millions. While powerful, its original information architecture was designed from a technical perspective, creating a steep learning curve for newer users. As the Web3 space grew beyond early crypto-natives, our user base expanded to include Curious Newcomers and Web3 Explorers, who found the app confusing and intimidating.
This case study details the strategic redesign of imToken's core wallet and account management experience. The primary goal was to restructure the app's architecture and key user flows to lower the barrier to entry, improve usability for all user types, and create a more intuitive, scalable, and user-centered foundation for the future.
My Role and Responsibilities
Role
Lead Product Designer
Time
Nov. 2023 - March. 2024 (4 Months)
As the Lead Product Designer, I was responsible for the end-to-end design process. My role was both strategic and hands-on, and included:
Stakeholders interview and problem definition.
Facilitating a cross-functional, remote Design Ideation Workshop to align the team.
Developing low-fidelity wireframes and user flows to explore solutions.
Crafting the final high-fidelity UI and interaction design.
Collaborating closely with Product Managers and Engineers to ensure the design vision was implemented with quality.
Senior Product Designer
Zeid
Senior Product Designer
James
Staff Researcher
Feng Yi
Product Owner (CEO)
Ben
Product Manager
Yuan & Xin Lin
Tech Lead
Alan & Xiao Xiang
Engineers
Liuhui & Mingo
QA
Jianmin & Miaolu
Marketing
Longlong & Peijie
Project Goals
The primary goal of this project was to restructure imToken's core wallet and account management experience to support user growth. The original architecture was designed for crypto-savvy experts, but this created significant usability problems for new and exploratory user groups. Therefore, the project focused on two main objectives:
Solve Core Usability Problems
Address key issues like the confusing "Identity Wallet" concept, poor feature discoverability, invisible Layer 2 accounts, and ambiguous account naming to reduce friction and improve clarity.
Expand the User Base
By creating a more intuitive and accessible user experience, the strategic goal was to lower the barrier to entry and better serve emerging user personas like "The Curious Newcomer" and "The Web3 Explorer," moving beyond the initial crypto-native audience.
Understanding Our Users: Key Personas
To effectively solve these challenges, we first had to deeply understand the people we were designing for. While our team had conducted in-depth interviews prior to the project, I synthesized this research and aligned it with the company's product strategy. We focused on three core user groups and developed detailed personas for each.
These personas were not just a formality; they became our common reference point, helping the entire team build empathy and ensuring our design decisions were focused on solving real user needs.
The Crypto-Native
This user is a Web3 expert. They are highly technical, often manage multiple accounts across different chains, and engage with complex DeFi protocols. Their primary frustration is with inefficiency—anything that slows them down or makes managing a large portfolio cumbersome is a major pain point.
The Web3 Explorer
This user is enthusiastic and actively participates in the Web3 ecosystem, but they may not understand the deep technical details. They learn by doing. Their biggest challenges are poor feature discoverability and unclear navigation, which can stop their exploration journey in its tracks.
The Curious Newcomer
This user is new to the space and has a low tolerance for complexity and jargon. They are highly motivated by security and the fear of losing their funds. For them, a confusing interface isn't just an inconvenience—it's a reason to abandon the product entirely. They need clear guidance, simple language, and a reassuring experience.
The Problem Statement
The core problem was clear: the existing app forced users to understand a complex technical framework just to manage their assets. This created significant cognitive load and a poor user experience. Through a heuristic evaluation and analysis of prior user research, we identified four critical problem areas.
1. A Fractured Mental Model
Inconsistent Wallet Behaviors
The original "Identity Wallet" created in the app functioned as a multi-chain wallet. However, any wallet a user imported was artificially restricted to a single chain. This inconsistent behavior created a confusing and unpredictable experience, breaking the user's mental model of how wallets should function.
Confusing Jargon and Terminology
The term "Identity Wallet" itself was a major point of confusion. Our user interviews confirmed that people could not understand the connection between the concept of an "identity" and the function of a multi-chain wallet, which increased their cognitive load and made the app feel intimidating.
Misleading Labels and Unexpected Outcomes
The "Add Coin" feature was highly misleading. Based on its name, users expected it to add a new token type to their existing account. Instead, the action created an entirely new account on the selected network. This unexpected outcome repeatedly confused users and eroded their trust in the interface.
2. Poor Feature Discoverability
Key management functions were hidden. For example, a new user who already had a wallet couldn't import it without first creating a new imToken wallet. This was a major, unnecessary barrier. Similarly, managing the list of accounts was not an intuitive process.
3. Invisible Assets on Layer 2
The original "Identity Wallet" concept created an inconsistent experience. This primary wallet behaved differently and had more features (like multi-chain support) than any subsequently imported wallets. This broke user expectations and made the system feel unpredictable.
4. Ambiguous Account Labeling
All accounts were named based on chain name (e.g., "ETH," "BTC"), and there is no sign of the current wallet on home page. This made it impossible for users with multiple accounts to distinguish between them without constant cross-referencing, increasing cognitive load and the risk of error.
The Approach: From Shared Problems to Aligned Solutions
I knew that solving such a foundational problem required deep collaboration. The solution needed to be user-centered, technically feasible, and aligned with our business strategy of welcoming a broader user base.
Building Alignment with a Design Workshop
To kick off the process, I organized and facilitated a remote Design Ideation Workshop using Figjam, bringing together team members from design, engineering, and product across our Singapore, Hangzhou, and Taiwan offices. To ensure its success, I conducted a dry run with the CEO and key PMs.
The workshop included:
Lightning Talks:
We grounded the team in the data, reviewing user personas, customer support feedback, and leadership's expectations.
"Crazy 8s" Ideation:
I led the team through rapid sketching exercises to generate a wide range of potential solutions in a short amount of time.
Wireframing to Validate Concepts
Following the workshop, my design team and I translated the highest-priority ideas into low-fidelity wireframes. This was a critical step that allowed us to explore the solutions in more detail, get early feedback from engineering on technical feasibility, and present a tangible vision to stakeholders before committing to high-fidelity design.
The Solution
Our final solution was a holistic redesign focused on clarity, predictability, and user control. We made a strategic decision to prioritize a progressive and logical optimization rather than innovation for its own sake, respecting the habits of our existing users while dramatically improving the experience for newcomers.
A Streamlined and Progressive Onboarding
The first-time user experience is critical. I redesigned the wallet creation flow into clear, manageable steps: "Name the wallet," "Set a password," "Add accounts," and "Backup seed phrase." This progressive disclosure reduces cognitive load and builds user confidence. We also integrated contextual guidance for technical terms directly into the flow, creating a transparent and reassuring environment.
A Simplified and Equal Wallet Structure
We completely eliminated the confusing "Identity Wallet." Now, all wallets—whether newly created or imported—are treated equally within the architecture. The "account" is now the central focus, not the network. All Layer 1 and Layer 2 accounts are visible in a single, unified list, removing the need for users to hunt for their assets.
Control, Confidence, and Predictability
We empowered users by giving them clear control. Allowing users to customize account names is solving a major pain point for Web3 Explorers managing multiple accounts. While we explored advanced features like account filtering and sorting, but we eventually gave up "sorting", with our data showing that over 97% of users have fewer than 20 accounts. This crucial insight led us to discard these features for now to avoid adding unnecessary complexity for the vast majority of our users. "Search" and "Default/Custom Account Tags" has significantly improved the efficiency of locating a specific account.
Batch Account Creation for Power Users
To serve our 'Web3 Explorer' and 'Crypto Native' personas, I designed an advanced 'batch creation' feature to solve a key pain point: the tedious and repetitive effort of adding multiple accounts one-by-one. This solution provides expert-level control—such as choosing specific Bitcoin address types or adding accounts via a derivation path—all within a single, streamlined flow.
Our design strategy for this feature was guided by two key principles:
Accessible, Not Disruptive: The entry point for this feature was made easily discoverable for experts without cluttering the primary path for new users. This is a strategic use of progressive disclosure to serve multiple user types effectively.
Contextual Education: Clear explanations for advanced options were provided directly within the flow, empowering users to make informed decisions without having to consult a separate help section.
The Impact: Measurable Success
The redesigned experience was rolled out to users in May,2024. And it was rapidly adopted by our existing users and fueled a significant increase in new user growth and daily engagement.
Key Performance Metrics:
Rapid Adoption:
Within just two weeks of release, 60% of active users had migrated to the new version.
Growth in New Users:
The average number of newly created wallets increased to over 3,000 per day in the following month, with a peak of 7,800 in a single day.
Increased Engagement:
Daily Active Users (DAU) saw a significant increase of 16.67%.
Learnings & Next Steps
This project was a powerful reminder that for complex products, simplicity and clarity are not just aesthetic choices—they are fundamental to building user trust and driving adoption.
A key learning was the importance of balancing the needs of different user personas. The data-driven decision to postpone advanced filtering features was critical. It proved that sometimes the best design decision is to consciously not build something, in order to protect the experience for the majority.
Moving forward, the new, scalable architecture provides a solid foundation. The next step would be to continue iterating on it, perhaps by exploring more advanced management features (like session keys or dApp permission controls) that could be introduced via progressive disclosure, ensuring they empower our expert users without overwhelming newcomers.