A TALK WITH ROY.KIM
From o Cl Crypt ud
Roy-Kim.png
↘ INTERVIEWED BY ↘ MEIYAO LI
Coinbase-2022
TikTok-Shop-2023
TikTok-Shop-2023
ROY KIM
Roy is a 2015 UW Interaction Design Alum. He now works as a Senior Product Designer at Consensys, building MetaMask—the world’s most secure Web3 Wallet for crypto. Previously, Roy designed for Google Cloud, Coinbase Wallet, and TikTok Creator Experience.
As a student interested in design system and strategy, I'm curious about what roles designers play in enterprise tech, creator economy, and crypto/Web3. What lessons can we learn from Roy's diverse career journey
[JUL 2015]
GOOGLE CLOUD
What was your experience as a product designer at Google Cloud back in 2015?
At that time, Cloud Infrastracture-as-a-Service (IaaS) for enterprise wasn’t very mature. The problem space was very technical, and I was designing for a user base that was difficult to relate to. Most of our work focused on enabling developers to complete their workflows through an interface rather than code. Designing for these workflows was interesting to me by then.
How did designers collaborate with developers?
Google Cloud was very developer-led, as they were considered the "experts" of the product. Design didn’t have a big seat in those conversations, but we played a key role in showing how their problems could be approached through a creative lens.
What motivated you to pivot from Google to Crypto & Web3?
Conceptually, designing new features that enable people to do things without code was exciting, but the reality of what I created wasn’t very satisfying. I wanted to work on something I was an everyday user of and have 100% confidence that it's a problem that I can resonate with. I also pivoted to mobile to explore more fun, creative design work.
[JAN 2022]
COINBASE WALLLET (NOW BASE)
At Coinbase, how have you evolved your design approach?
I worked on the Growth team, my first opportunity in the consumer space. I learned how to design experiences that directly impact business metrics. My goal was to encourage Coinbase Retail users to download Coinbase Wallet (now base), with designs focused on improving the growth funnel across discovery, activation, engagement, and retention. Even in my current work, I still consider growth metrics as a key part of the design process.
Google-Cloud-2015.jpeg
PJ.01 RECOMMENDATION-AI
Roy simplified ML model management into intuitive UIs for non-technical online retailers to deliver personalized recommendations at scale.
PJ.02 MODEL CARD
Roy designed “Nutrition labels” for an image detection model. It has evolved into industry standards for responsible, transparent AI.
What was a design decision you made based on metrics?
For discovery, we tested different messages to motivate people to download Coinbase Wallet, phrases like "your gateway into web3" or "trade to make more money " But surprisingly, what people cared at the time was "self-custody", which means you are the sole owner of your coins. That word outperformed every other value proposition we tested.
[OCT 2022] COINBASE TRADING
What were some interesting challenges as you improve the growth funnel?
For engagement, I designed the notifications inbox. We alerted users about price updates on coins they had recently purchased, or industry news that might excite them to buy or hold that token. One interesting challenge was how to handle notifications that were considered “read.” In a sea of red-dotted alerts, we made the decision that all notifications would be marked as read as soon as a user visited the notifications page. Designers spend countless hours thinking through challenges like this— problems the end user might never realize were challenges in the first place.
COMMENT FROM ROY'S COWORKER
[JUN 2023] TIKTOK CREATOR EXPERIENCE
What made you miss your time at Coinbase?
I left Coinbase at an interesting moment in crypto — when the NFT hype was fading, but social presence and engagement were on the rise. The web3 space evolves every day, and that constant change was what made designing for it so exciting to me…
"Roy excelled in driving clarity & staying in lock-step with the (ever-changing) engineering and product specs, all while keeping an upbeat demeanor..."
What did you design at TikTok?
Creators get commissioned on every sale from their showcase. I designed tools for content creators to sell products directly to their followers. For example, "Video insights" help creators understand why some videos performed better than others.
Any design decisions you made that you were proud of?
We used to have a different product detail page for a buyer versus a creator. This bottom sheet [with commission rates] used to be its own separate page. We decided to keep this page consistent for everybody. Buyers, creators and admin all see the background UI, and we unlock additional access with this little assistant sub-page for creators to see additional insights.
How did TikTok's culture shape your design approach?
TikTok places a strong emphasis on continual output. It was a fast-moving environment where we were constantly exploring new features. Our product direction relied heavily on quantitative metrics. My PM and I would check in very frequently on how a certain design is performing. But data only tells you good or bad, it does not tell you how to improve it. We don't have enough user research to understand what truly creates the best experience.
PJ.03 VIDEO INSIGHTS FOR CREATORS
Features like Video Insights engage & retain creators in the funnel through education & content inspirations.
Ranch-Road-BurgersBranding.jpeg
Roy's Review for Snapchat AR Spectacles Glasses
“I have absolutely no use for this
"Snapchat, at one point, was my fav app. Text messages and emails require senders to be articulate and describe. It also involves the recipients to be imaginative and try not to be pissed when they get a message that reads "Fine" or "K”. In 2016, Instagram launched Stories. I was disappointed, Instagram copied a lot of visual elements and interactions that made Snapchat one of a kind, and the move seemed blatant. My friends' story count on Snapchat reduced to about 40 to 4...
I used to be reluctant bc of my allegiance to Snapchat, but as time passed I ended up assimilating just like the rest of the world. Just a month later, Snapchat Inc. rebranded to Snap Inc... had to expand its business model to cover more than just messaging on the phone.
“Holographic content never ceases to make me happy."
Madame
"I like to doodle when I'm bored. Usually they end up being some sort of Pokemon character."
What Roy does for fun
Kibon
@thedesignmood
Obsessed with @teenageengineering.
Oh, the thrill of the double life!
Roy brings clarity to chaos, making serious design decisions based on data rationales. But once he clocks out, Roy slips into his playful skin—one filled with Pokémon doodles, fun branding projects for burgers, and even a curation sites of his favorite minimalistic goods across the web. He design graphics for friends’ events the same way others unwind with tea.
Roy's philosophy of work-life balance is very simple: do creative work that makes you feel excited and fulfilled. And sometimes, you don't have to seek it within your 9-to-5 job.
Fun fact: Roy secretly ran an Instagram account where he curates clever product and brand designs with thoughtful commentary. One post reads, "When 'cheap' design can look and feel like 'luxury'... you've done something great for the world. Pictured is the 'One Dollar Glass' by German studio Haus Otto."
Roy loves when simplicity is just a confident color palette, or when smart packaging makes wwith Teenage Engineering and anything holographic. He'll pause for Triangle Notebook (by Tan Mavitan), Rassen (helix-shaped chopsticks), and porcelain vessel that "glitches" depending on the angle one looks at it (by Tim Defleur).
It's inspiring to see how Roy celebrates thoughtful designs in everyday object and stays curious about how product design can make life a little bit more delightful.
fun-friend-40th-Octoberic.pdf
(1972), but I
“Beatles infographic by pop chart is intriguing."
Interview with Roy Kim by Meiyao
[PRESENT] METAMASK
What made you leave TikTok?
The work culture eventually became exhausting. TikTok was fast-paced and filled with truly exciting work, but I started to feel burned out. The constant intensity began to take a negative toll on my mental health. What ultimately made me move on was TikTok's return-to-office policy. It made me reflect on what I enjoyed about working in Web3—the flexibility, autonomy, and remote culture—and I started looking outward for new remote opportunities.
MetaMask is leading the Web3 wallet, what makes them unique in this industry?
MetaMask launched in 2016, when browser-based crypto wallets were still rare. It made decentralized applications (dApps) accessible to everyday users directly through a simple browser extension, effectively bridging the Web2 and Web3 worlds long before most competitors existed.
Thankfully, over the years, our brand became known as a secure and trusted wallet for storing crypto. We already had a large user base, which gave us a strong advantage over other wallets— security is a core value we keep in mind while designing. I think we're in a different age of crypto where it's very much toned down—it's not the new technology anymore. We just use it because we love it.
TikTok-Bowling-Social.jpeg
How can design communicate sense of trust and security?
We strive to be transparent throughout the token trading journey. We provide users with the details they care about—the exact fees, the precise amount that will be deposited into their wallets, and clear signals to help them identify potentially fraudulent tokens. We also have a separate confirmation screen to instill confidence that this is going to their wallet.
[Meiyao: Similar to how banking apps ask "Are you sure you're transferring money to this person with their name " with a slider to confirm payment. This physical action helped me trust this brand more.]
We strive to be transparent... the exact fees, the precise amount that will be deposited into their wallets, and clear signals to help traders identify potentially fraudulent tokens." "
What initiatives have you taken at MetaMask?
When I first joined, I noticed there were a lot of inconsistencies in our trading experience— each feature was built by different teams and designers, so they all looked and functioned differently. I pitched a concept that streamline and simplify our trade flows, Unified Action is what I called it at the time. I emphasized the importance of creating approachable, intuitive experiences, which ultimately contribute to brand perception. At the time, there wasn't a lot of traction as teams had other high-priority items. However, when new leadership comes in, this initiative placed me on the core team redesigning all the trade interfaces.
What transferable skills stayed valuable till today?
I believe every experience taught me skills that compounded into the next, from communicating concepts with stakeholders, to using metrics to make design decisions, and becoming a great design partner. I hated making presentation decks at Google, but today, I’m thankful to have that skillset to help me effectively communicate my thinking.
What advices would you give to student designers anxious about their career?
Take every learning opportunity with a positive mindset. I wish someone had told me to worry less about the company I worked for, and more about the work I would be doing. I eventually landed in a role I truly love — I just wish it hadn’t taken six years to leave one I didn’t.
Looking back, UW design program gave me a solid foundation to design for any industry or medium. Each role offered new perspectives and skills that I can carry into the next. Today, I’m in a place I couldn’t have foreseen, and I feel grateful every day.
Roy caught a moment of rest on his commute home after a long day
NOUN VS. VERB TITLE EXPAND SELECTORS
OLD DESIGN
NUMPAD VS. SYSTEM INPUT
HEADER VS. DIVIDER BUTTON WIDTH
REPLACED REDUNDANT "PAYMENT METHOD" SELECTOR TO TRADE AMOUNT SHORTCUT.
UNIFY BACK & CANCEL TO BE ONE ARROW ICON.
OLD DESIGN
ROY'S REDESIGN
ROY'S REDESIGN
REPLACE NUMPAD W/ TRANSACTION DETAILS TO BUILD USER TRUST.
DIFFERENTIATE INFORMATION (COIN) AND CTA BUTTON (SWAP)WITH CORNER RADIUS.
COIN SWITCHING ACTION FROM 4 CLICKS TO 1 CLICK.
ESTABLISH VISUAL HIERARCHY TO HELP USERS DIFFERENTIATE INPUT AND SECONDARY INFO.
I hated making presentation decks at Google, but today, I’m thankful to have that skillset to help me communicate my thinking efectively.
Transferable Skills Conpounds
About This Publication
24/7 DESIGN is a series of 19 interviews conducted by students in the DESIGN 376 Typography course at the University of Washington. Each student interviewed a designer and crafted a newspaper spread to highlight their design & life journeys.
The name is inspired by both the work we do in Room 247 at the School of Design and how design is all around us, all the time.
Special Thanks
Roy Kim for patiently revising content with me in the past five weeks. (Apologies for my 3:07 AM Linkedin messages the night before CRIT...) VCD 2027 Cohort for helping me transition from Figma to InDesign & inspiring me with your talent. The very cute divas group chat has been a constant source of motivation and solace.
Po-Yu & Fay for emotional support & thoughtful critiques over Discord & last minutes crit before ordering the taboloid on Wednesday 1AM. (fun~) Professor Cheng for pushing me to iterate bold variations with high expectations and care. You opened my eyes to the beauty of type and showed me how print can be just as exciting as the digital world. (Esp. CMYK )
