Global marketplace for investing in people, a crowdfunding and social platform 'Pipo'
Pipo is an innovative global marketplace for investing in people, a crowdfunding and social platform, where individuals could issue shares of themselves—whether for a specific project or to establish their presence in the market. Our mission was to enable people to raise funds from friends, family, colleagues, and supporters in exchange for shares in their future success, creating a unique opportunity for both issuers and investors to grow and thrive together.
Team & My Role
We built this MVP as a small, focused team. I worked closely with Shahar Burg (Co-founder & UX/Product Lead), who played a key role in both UX research and product strategy while also driving fundraising efforts. Before Pipo, Shahar led the Wix Mobile team as Head of Product, where she helped shape their mobile experience. At Pipo, she applied her expertise in competitive research and product strategy, which was crucial for defining our direction. We worked closely together, iterating on UX flows and shaping the platform's core experience.
My Role
I was responsible for the entire UX/UI design process, from early wireframes to high-fidelity prototypes and design handoff. My focus was on making investing feel intuitive, engaging, and accessible while keeping the interface clean and lightweight.
Project Duration: 12 months
Goal: Launch a functional MVP with a strong UX foundation
This screenshot from our Product Hunt launch showcases the core team behind Pipo.
About Pipo. Company Purpose
‘Invest in the future of individuals you believe in.’
The Problem:
Traditional investments are limited to companies, startups, or real estate—sectors where understanding true potential can be challenging. We often know people whose talents and journeys are clearer than any quarterly report, yet their potential is overlooked.
The Solution:
Pipo is the first stock market for people. Talented individuals, or “Pipsters,” create profiles and issue “pips” (shares in themselves) with defined future dividends. Investors—from close connections to strategic backers—can purchase these pips, earning dividends and benefiting from share price appreciation.
Key Benefits:
For Issuers: Raise funds through an IPO-like process and earn rewards as their share value increases.
For Investors: Receive dividends and capitalize on the growth of their investments.
Community:
Pipo isn’t just about transactions—it’s a community. Pipsters and investors interact via public chats and participate in voting, fostering open communication and collective decision-making that supports ongoing personal growth.
Blockchain Integration:
Pipo enhances blockchain technology by leveraging smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain to track share ownership. Each share issued on the platform is registered as a token, which can be bought, sold, or transferred digitally, ensuring secure and transparent ownership guarantees.
User Personas: Issuers and Investors
To define our user personas, I collaborated with Shahar, who led the competitive research and user insights. We analyzed market data, competitor strategies, and qualitative feedback from early discussions to identify two key user groups: Issuers and Investors. This segmentation helped us tailor the product experience to their specific needs, ensuring a clear and intuitive user journey.
As a result, I developed 4 user personas: 2 types of Issuers and 2 types of Investors. Each persona reflects distinct motivations, goals, and behaviors.
1. The Issuers are individuals who create and sell shares of themselves:
Creator: A young, creative individual seeking funding for a personal project.
Professional: An established professional or public figure looking to monetize their reputation and build a loyal investor base.
2. The Investors are those who buy shares of Issuers:
Supporter: A supportive friend or family member driven by personal connections.
Strategist: A strategic investor eager to explore new financial opportunities and grow their portfolio.
*I created these image portraits using the 'Imagen' generative AI model by Google Cloud, based on prompts derived from the 'Pipo' User Persona overviews.
Issuer Persona 1: Creator
Name: Lukas Meier
Age: 30
Location: Berlin, Germany
Occupation: Figurative Artist
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts
Family Status: Single, close relationship with family
Profile:
Lukas is a passionate and determined figurative artist based in Berlin. Despite his talent, Lukas struggles with financial stability and is looking for ways to fund new projects, expand his reach, and increase recognition within his artistic community. He believes that using the Pipo platform to issue shares will help him gain the support he needs from both friends and art enthusiasts who believe in his work.
Motivations:
Funding new art projects and exhibitions.
Expanding his artistic influence by building a loyal investor base.
Gaining recognition while maintaining creative freedom.
Pain Points:
Struggling with inconsistent income as a freelance artist.
Limited access to traditional funding sources.
Who Lukas Expects as Investors:
Close Friends and Family: People who know and support him on a personal level, regardless of his broader recognition.
Fans and Admirers: Individuals who connect with his artistic vision and want to see him succeed, even if they aren’t art experts.
Casual Investors: People interested in exploring a new type of investment and willing to bet on Lukas because of his dedication and potential.
Dividend Strategy:
Profit Sharing: Allocating a percentage of profits from exhibition ticket sales and artwork sold at or after the event.
Exclusive Access: Offering perks like limited-edition prints or access to private viewings, enhancing the investor experience.
By aligning his financial success with his investors' interests, Lukas ensures they feel valued and invested in his long-term growth.
Quote:
“My art is a reflection of my journey, and I want to share that journey with people who see its value and want to grow with me.”
Issuer Persona 2: Professional
Name: Emma Janssen
Age: 29
Location: Utrecht, Netherlands
Occupation: Environmental Scientist and Climate Activist
Education: MSc in Environmental Science
Family Status: Single, Focused on Career and Advocacy
Profile:
Emma is a recognized environmental scientist and climate activist based in Utrecht. Over the past few years, she has built a strong public reputation for her work on climate change. With her growing public profile, Emma is looking to expand her influence and take on a major environmental project, such as a carbon-reduction initiative or the development of a new green technology. She believes that by using the Pipo platform to issue shares, she can attract investors who want to make a tangible impact on global sustainability issues.
Motivations:
Funding a large-scale environmental project aimed at reducing carbon emissions or promoting green technologies.
Building a community of investors who believe in her mission and want to support sustainable change.
Growing her visibility in the global environmental movement to further spread her ideas.
Pain Points:
Difficulty in securing funding from traditional sources like government grants or corporate sponsorships.
The challenge of converting her growing public reputation into sustainable, long-term financial support for her projects.
Who Emma Expects as Investors:
Impact Investors: Individuals or organizations who are motivated by the social and environmental impact of their investments, rather than purely financial returns.
Technology Enthusiasts: People or organizations with an interest in green technologies and sustainable solutions, who believe in the scalability and profitability of Emma’s projects.
Socially Conscious Individuals: Investors who are passionate about addressing global issues like climate change and are looking for ways to contribute financially to real-world solutions.
Dividend Strategy:
Impact-Based Dividends: Investors receive returns based on the success of her projects, such as the achievement of carbon-reduction goals or the adoption of green technology solutions.
Exclusive Access and Updates: Investors will have access to detailed reports on the impact of their contributions, as well as invitations to environmental events and opportunities to engage directly with Emma's work.
Quote:
“My mission is to create a sustainable future, and with the right support, we can turn innovative ideas into real solutions for our planet.”
Investor Persona 1: Supporter
Name: Sofia Rodriguez
Age: 32
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Occupation: Marketing Manager
Education: Bachelor's in Communications
Family Status: Married, one child
Profile and Personality:
Sofia is an empathetic investor who makes decisions based on personal connections. She focuses on supporting individuals with clear goals and genuine passion. While she’s emotionally driven, Sofia also values long-term returns and expects a reasonable profit. Her approach is a balance of care, pragmatism, and a desire to see her investments succeed.
Motivations:
Supporting people she believes in while seeking a financial return.
Making a positive impact while ensuring her investments grow over time.
Building long-term relationships with individuals she can trust.
Pain Points:
Needs a clear understanding of potential returns and risks.
Selective in her investments, ensuring emotional and financial alignment.
Seeks candidates with a clear, executable plan for growth.
Types of People She Would Invest In:
Individuals who demonstrate emotional commitment and long-term goals.
People she can relate to on a personal level, with a compelling story and vision.
Quote:
“I invest in people I believe in—not just because I care, but because I want to see their success and grow with them.”
Investor Persona 2: Strategist
Name: Ole Hansen
Age: 38
Location: Oslo, Norway
Occupation: Financial Analyst, Startup Investor
Education: Master's in Finance, Blockchain & Cryptocurrency courses
Family Status: Single, no children
Profile and Personality:
Ole is a strategic investor with a focus on long-term growth. He’s highly analytical and cautious, preferring to invest in people and projects he believes in, especially public figures with a clear vision. While he’s skeptical about new models, he’s open to investing in individuals who have a proven track record or strong potential to succeed.
Motivations:
Investing in trusted public figures with strong potential for growth.
Diversifying his portfolio and exploring emerging sectors.
Seeking long-term returns and stability.
Pain Points:
Needs clear, transparent information about returns and risks.
Cautious about investing in new models without proven success.
Types of People He Would Invest In:
Public Figures: Ole prefers to invest in well-known individuals with a strong personal brand and a clear vision for future success.
Innovative Thinkers: Ole values those who are exploring new ideas and opportunities, especially in emerging sectors.
Quote:
"I invest in people who have the potential to make a real impact, especially those who have already shown they can succeed."
User Stories
After developing detailed user personas, I created user stories to define the specific goals and needs of each user type. These stories helped clarify what users expect from the platform and guided the design of key features and interactions to ensure the product effectively meets their needs.
User Stories: Issuers
User Story 1
Lukas Meier
Issuer Persona 1: Creator
"As an emerging artist, I want to raise funds from supporters who believe in my artistic vision, allowing me to finance new projects, expand my reach, and gain recognition within the art community."
User Story 2
Emma Janssen
Issuer Persona 2: Professional
"As an environmental scientist, I want to secure funding for my sustainable projects so that I can create tangible solutions to combat climate change."
User Stories: Investors
User Story 3
Sofia Rodriguez
Investor Persona 1: Supporter
"As a selective investor, I want to support individuals with clear goals and genuine passion so that I can make a positive impact and achieve a steady financial return over time."
User Story 4
Ole Hansen
Investor Persona 2: Strategist
"As a strategic investor, I want to explore opportunities with public figures who have a strong track record so that I can diversify my portfolio and ensure long-term growth."
User Journey Maps
Here, I’ve outlined the user journey maps I created for key personas within the Pipo platform. These maps illustrate the paths, motivations, and challenges faced by users, offering a clear understanding of their experiences and interactions with the platform. This work helps me better comprehend user behavior and guides design improvements.
User Journey Maps: Issuer
User Journey Maps: Investor
Sitemap
This Sitemap illustrates the overall structure of the Pipo platform, showing the main screens and their associated subpages. It includes key sections like Home, Go Public, Exchange, My IPO, My Investments, My Account, and Issuer Profile, along with subpages for actions such as buying and selling shares. This visual representation provides a high-level overview of the platform’s layout, helping to understand the relationships between different pages and sections.
Homepage Animation Prototype
I created this animation in After Effects to showcase the homepage flow. It highlights the user journey across the screen and demonstrates some micro-interactions in action.
Home, Landing Page
When designing Pipo’s homepage from scratch, my goal was to convey the essence of the platform in just a few seconds: making investing in people as seamless as investing in companies. What I particularly love about the final design is how the visual layout and structure help users instantly grasp the concept and engage with it. Below is the final design.
User Cards on the Homepage
Initially, I used round frames for user photos, but I chose rectangular cards because they provide a clearer and more logical organization of content. Round frames create a softer visual effect, but rectangular shapes are better for evenly distributing elements on the card, such as the name, description, and stats. This decision allowed the cards to look more balanced and structurally organized, especially when combining images with text and numbers.
Mobile Version
Although the platform has a complex structure, the primary focus throughout the development process was the mobile version. The main challenge was adapting the platform’s extensive functionality to a smaller screen without compromising usability.
I concentrated on designing compact user profile cards that highlight key information while avoiding screen clutter. By establishing a clear visual hierarchy, I ensured easy navigation and quick access to core features.
Go Public: launching a campaign on Pipo
The Go Public Flow is a key part of the Pipo platform, designed to guide issuers through the process of launching their own public campaign. This flow introduces users to the step-by-step journey of going public, making it easy for individuals to share their goals, connect with potential investors, and secure funding for their future.
Inspirational Section: At the start of the page, the platform showcases current users who have successfully gone public. This section serves to inspire newcomers by presenting real-world examples of people already leveraging the platform to advance their careers.
Below, you can see the initial version of the screen Go Public on the left, followed by the redesigned version on the right.
I designed the process around a static page where the content updates dynamically as users move through each step. The gradient background shifts smoothly with scrolling, creating a sense of progression while keeping the page itself steady and focused.
Visual representation of Pipo’s commission: clear, bold, and impactful
I developed this visual concept to clearly communicate how the platform’s fees work: users keep 95% of the earnings from their campaigns, while Pipo retains only 5% as a fee. This design effectively visualizes Pipo’s commission structure in a way that is both intuitive and engaging.
The sharp, graphic split of the square visually emphasizes how minimal the platform’s fee is compared to the issuer’s retained profit. This simple yet powerful representation makes the commission structure easy to understand at a glance.
This visual was implemented across the platform to ensure transparency and build trust with users. I think, it simplifies complex information, making it accessible and memorable!
Go Public Flow
I designed the Go Public flow to simplify a complex process and make every step clear and intuitive. My goal was to create a seamless experience where users always know what to do next. The progress bar at the top keeps users oriented, showing exactly where they are and how much is left.
Minimalist Form Design
I broke the process into clear, focused steps. Each screen asks for just one action, helping users stay on track without feeling overwhelmed.
Helpful Hints and Guidance
I added contextual tips and examples (like the pitch-writing guide) that offer support at the right moment without cluttering the interface.
Smooth Completion Flow
The final confirmation screen with the congratulatory message feels rewarding and reinforces a sense of accomplishment, leaving users with a positive impression.
Bringing life to form filling
In the early stages, the form design followed a classic structure—straightforward text fields and a standard layout. While functional, it lacked energy and felt monotonous.
We wanted to break away from that dull experience and inject some life into the flow. The updated version introduces a more dynamic and engaging layout. I shifted away from rigid fields, making the input process feel more conversational and visually stimulating. This approach transforms a typically tedious task into something more enjoyable, keeping users engaged as they move forward.
Issuer Profile: a space for connection
In designing the Issuer Profile, my focus was on creating an intuitive space where users could effortlessly present their personal and professional stories while engaging directly with their investors. This profile goes beyond just numbers—it’s about storytelling, trust-building, and showcasing progress.
The profile consists of two key areas: a Public Profile and a Social interaction Space. The public-facing profile highlights essential details—investment stats, personal pitches, and achievements—giving potential investors a clear and engaging overview. The social interaction space brings a more dynamic, community-driven element to the experience. Features like live chats, polls, and milestone updates were designed to foster real-time interaction and create a sense of community between issuers and their investors.
The video feature adds a personal touch, making the experience more human and relatable. The pip price history chart provides investors with objective data on token value trends, helping them make informed decisions.
Chat Button Placement: Finding the optimal position on Mobile Screen
When designing the chat button, I explored several placement options and ultimately chose the floating button at the bottom of the screen. This position offered the most intuitive access, allowing users to easily initiate conversations without disrupting their browsing experience. Being at the bottom makes it easy to reach. It’s clear this is a direct chat with the issuer, not some generic support—simple & intuitive.
User-Centered Design Approach
Although this project was developed before user testing became an industry standard, I still approached the design process with user-centered thinking by continuously evaluating potential UX issues. Instead of relying on assumptions, I iterated based on logical design principles and internal feedback.
For instance, in the Go Public Flow, I identified a potential user fatigue issue with long-form inputs. To address this, I reworked the form structure, making input fields more engaging and breaking the process into smaller, digestible steps.
In the chat feature placement, I tested multiple positions within the UI and opted for a floating button at the bottom of the screen. This decision was driven by accessibility principles—ensuring the chat remained visible yet non-intrusive.
If usability testing had been conducted, I would have measured task completion time, drop-off rates, and user engagement levels to validate these design choices.
Issuer Profile: Interaction states
Managing Investments and Dividends
I designed these screens to streamline essential financial actions for users. The first set focuses on the share purchasing flow, the second set simplifies dividend payments, guiding users through distribution with straightforward, user-friendly steps. My goal was to create an efficient experience that makes managing investments smooth and stress-free.
My Investments: Clear, actionable Portfolio Overview
The goal was to present key financial data in a way that’s easy to understand while allowing users to take quick actions without unnecessary steps. I approached this screen with a focus on clarity and usability, aiming to make managing investments simple and efficient.
At the top, I prioritized key metrics - Current balance, Total change, Daily change, and Total dividends. These numbers are the first thing users want to see, so I made them visually prominent for instant clarity.
Instead of forcing users into separate screens, I integrated quick actions (buy/sell) directly into the portfolio view, allowing for seamless transaction flow. This reduces decision fatigue and keeps engagement high.
Each investment card is built for quick interaction. Users can see essential data at a glance: how many shares they hold, dividends paid, and performance trends.
Sign up, Account settings, Change password
Brand Visuals and Animations
I also designed the Pipo logo, exploring multiple typographic concepts to capture the brand's essence—simple, approachable, and modern. The final version uses clean, rounded letterforms.
This is the final logotype version.
This is the icon designed for clear recognition and consistency across browser tabs and devices.
Additionally, I created an animated version of the logo, specifically designed for our Product Hunt launch page.
I designed a simple, smooth loading animation to keep the experience fluid and contemporary during transitions.
