Crafting Compliance for financial institutions
Regtech
Role
As the lead and sole designer, I drove all design initiatives across the company:
End-to-end ownership of design processes
Building a foundation design system
Managing freelance designers and marketing agency
Collaborating with Product department on research and strategy
Intro
Cense provides advanced compliance solutions for managing risks associated with digital assets and cryptocurrencies. The platform helps financial institutions meet global AML and CFT regulations through transparent and comprehensive reporting, while simplifying compliance workflows through automated risk assessments and client profiling.
Cense’s Solution consists of three core products:
Client Connect Portal for end-user wallet connections
Institution Management Admin Panel for compliance teams
Forensic Intelligence Reports for risk analysis and assessment
Key Projects
Connect Portal
Admin Panel
Risk Analysis Report
Cense
Connect Portal
Business Scope
Cense needed a reliable and user-friendly way for end users to import their cryptocurrency assets into the platform, ensuring accuracy and ease of use across various wallets and exchanges.
Project Goal
Create a seamless crypto asset import process that minimizes user errors, reduces friction, and enhances overall user satisfaction.
Research Methods
Competitor Analysis
Since Cense lacks direct competitors, the research focused on crypto tax platforms with similar import interfaces, such as Cryptotaxcalculator, Koinly, and Accointing.
Stakeholders Workshop
This session shaped facilitated the development of initial assumptions, serving as a foundation for mockups, to be refined or validated through user research.
User Interviews &
Usability Testings
Two rounds were conducted with 24 testers of varying crypto expertise, using prototypes designed from theoretical assumptions.
6
Flows Analysis
9
Stakeholders
24
Testers
Key Research Findings
90% of users
successfully completed the connect process.
65% of users
expressed data sharing & security concerns.
70% of users
preferred starting support process with chatbot.
Major Insights
User Security & Trust (75% of users)
Strong preference for transparent data handling
High concern about sharing crypto data
Need for explicit purpose communication
Platform bank association increases trust
Import Process Success (83% of users)
Three-step process reduced user anxiety
Clear error messaging appreciated
Multiple connection options well-received
Visual progress indicators helped orientation
Critical Pain Points
Terms confusion ("Provider", "Web3Connect")
Verification status clarity
Hardware wallet accessibility
API key sharing hesitation
Key Improvements Implemented
Enhanced User Guidance
Added detailed API key location instructions
Improved Binance manual import explanation
Restructured provider search prioritization
Updated technical terminology
UI Refinements
Reintroduced step indicators
Repositioned instruction placement
Transformed wallet display (list to boxes)
Added confirmation modals
Trust Building
Enhanced privacy policy visibility
Added data usage explanations
Improved bank relationship clarity
Clear post-submission process
Solution
Three-step connection process
Connect: Multiple wallet connection options
Verify: Proof of ownership verification
Submit: Final compliance submission
Tailored flows for
Automatic connections (MetaMask, Coinbase)
Exchange connections (including Binance's partial data import)
Hardware wallets
Manual connections
Unsupported providers
Cense
Admin Panel
Project Scope
Compliance officers needed a comprehensive view to monitor and manage their clients' crypto asset assessments, track report statuses, and streamline their workflow in accordance with regulatory requirements.
Research Methods
User Interviews
Together with compliance officers of varying crypto expertise, we shaped expectations to build the platform's iterations and assumptions.
Journey Mapping
Helped identify key touchpoints, pain points, and opportunities in their current workflow, focusing on how they manage multiple client assessments and reports.
Usability Testings
Testing rounds were conducted with compliance officers from different financial institutions, using interactive prototypes to validate our assumptions and refine the interface.
Journey Mapping
Task Analysis: Actions & Errors State Journey
Key Research Findings
Major Insights
Client Status Tracking
Detailed invitation status tracking is critical for managing follow-ups and reducing communication gaps through:
- Email interaction monitoring
- Account creation progress
- Last activity timestamps
Report Management
Desire to track historical report submissions
Need for filtering by date and status
Ability to re-run reports for newer data analysis
Option to export data for reporting to superiors
Capability to redirect clients back to platform post-report generation
Transparency on Error Handling
Clear error status differentiation
Continuous status updates, even during investigation.
User-Specific Requirements
Internal reference; custom client ID integration
Deleted client history retention
Key Improvements Implemented
Improved Error Communication
Specified error types and resolution status
Implemented direct access to email Cense's team
Added transparency updates during investigation
Enhanced Status Tracking
Added detailed information of past interactions and their nature
Integrated new filters for easy tracking
Created one-table dashboard with tailored action views
Streamlined Report Management
Integrated advanced filtering and search options
Created quick access to essential functions
Implemented comprehensive status overview
Solution
One Table Dashboard
Centralized view for all client activities and statuses
Tailored action buttons based on client's current state
Quick access to essential functions
Integrated client ID for internal reference
Advanced Filtering System
Multi-parameter search capabilities
Status-based filtering (email interaction, account creation)
Date range selection for historical tracking
Error state filtering (minor/major issues)
Error Management Interface
Direct support email generation
Real-time status updates
Transparent investigation progress
Report Handling
Historical submission tracking
One-click report re-run option
Client redirection for data updates
Export functionality for team sharing
Cense
Risk Analysis Report
Research Methods
User Interviews
Working with compliance officers at different stages of the report development and new features integrations helped shape our understanding of risk data interpretation, crucial decision-making information, and effective ways to share findings across different team members.
Task Analysis
Through systematic mapping of compliance officers' report review process, we identified crucial decision points and required information hierarchy.
Solution
We built a comprehensive risk report data display & structure encompassing:
Overview
Source of Funds
Source of Wealth
Proof of Wallet Ownership
Source of Funds
Counterparty analysis
Top 20 Counterparties
High Risk Transactions
Source of Wealth
Holdings per wallet
Privacy Coins
Wallets insights
Summary per Wallet
Transactions Summary per Wallet
holdings per Wallet
Undeclared Wallets Indication
General Metrics & Outcomes
Enabling financial institutions to efficiently onboard millions in crypto-related funds from clients
Processing 500+ wallets and exchanges for institutional clients
Enabled RIEC (Regional Information and Expertise Centers) Netherland law enforcement to successfully conclude multiple investigations
Considerably reduce investigation time through automated data collection by a minimum of 50% (% varies per case & Institution)
*Exact numbers are subject to confidentiality agreements and cannot be disclosed.