A Blockchain-Based Freelance Platform
Overview
- Timeline:** 2022 – 2023
- Role: Co-Founder & Product Designer
- Team: 3 founders + 2 developers (Frontend & Backend)
- Type: Startup / Product Design
- Goal: Connect top freelancers in Iran & Asia with Western clients through a secure blockchain-powered platform.
Problem
Freelancers in Iran and neighboring regions faced two major issues:
- Difficulty accessing international clients due to regional and payment limitations.
- Unfair and low project payments.
On the other hand, Western clients struggled to find trustworthy, skilled freelancers at reasonable rates.
Solution
We aimed to build BlockTask, a two-sided platform that:
- Helps vetted freelancers connect with Western employers.
- Uses blockchain-based **smart contracts** to ensure secure payments and transparent project management.
- Supports fair pricing and milestone-based payments for better trust and accountability.
My Role & Contributions
As Product Designer & Co-Founder, I led both the strategic and design sides of the product:
- Brainstormed and validated every UX decision with the founding team.
- Translated the initial idea into flows and product architecture for both sides (clients and freelancers).
- Designed complete user journeys: posting jobs, pricing logic, ask & bid process, project tracking, and milestone payments.
- Collaborated closely with developers on implementation using Tailwind CSS and a lightweight design system to launch MVP fast.
- Developed the structure for smart contract payments, quality control, and communication flows.
- Brainstormed and validated every UX decision with the founding team.
Research & Strategy
- Conducted market, user, and competitor research (analyzing over 20 direct and indirect competitors).
- Interviewed dozens of Iranian freelancers via calls, forms, and in-person discussions to build accurate personas.
- Defined both freelancer and client personas and their pain points.
- Worked on business strategy, market size estimation, pricing, and marketing strategy.
Design Process
- User Research & Personas
- User Flows & Information Architecture
- Wireframes & Low-fidelity Sketches
- UI Design & Prototyping (Web & Mobile)
- Testing & Iteration
- Design System & Final MVP Delivery
Outcome
- Platform launched successfully and gained its first real users.
- Designed a mini design system for scalability.
- Managed to secure a $90,000 annual contract, which unfortunately couldn’t be finalized due to legal sanctions.
- Despite the startup’s failure (due to financial and geopolitical challenges), it became a huge learning experience for me in end-to-end product design, UX strategy, and startup operations.
Key Learnings
- How constraints (like sanctions) can shape innovative UX and payment models.
- How to balance business strategy with user experience.
- Importance of fast MVP delivery in early-stage startups.
- How to communicate design intent effectively with non-design stakeholders and developers.