2017—2018
Transforming a trading platform into a social investing community
Accountable & responsible
I led the product redesign from concept through launch, defining the product vision, information architecture, design system and user experience while working directly with the founders to shape the future of the platform.
Consulted & informed
I collaborated closely with founders and engineers to balance user needs, business goals and technical feasibility, ensuring every feature was practical to build while supporting Pelican’s long-term product strategy.
Pelican had a powerful copy trading proposition, but the product lacked the social experiences needed to build trust, community and engagement
To reposition Pelican as an accessible social investing platform, I focused on four product transformations that would have the greatest impact on user engagement, community growth and the company’s ability to scale.
Social-first architecture
Reorganised the product around familiar social experiences like Feed, Discover, Trading and Profile.
Community-driven investing
Built trust through shared trades, profiles, copy trading and discussions.
Competitive engagement
Increased retention with leaderboards, achievements and gamification.
Scalable foundations
Simplified the experience while introducing Pelican’s first design system to support future growth.
Transformation 1
The product was prioritised around trading, making its social features difficult to discover.
I redesigned the information architecture around five core destinations; Feed & Messages, Discover, Trading, Portfolio and Profile. Creating a familiar foundation for both investing and social interaction.
Social behaviour became a core part of the experience, making it easier to discover traders, build connections and engage with the platform.
Transformation 2
I designed rich trader profiles, shared trades, comments, groups and social interactions that helped users understand who they were following and why.
Investing became a collaborative experience where users could confidently discover, follow and learn from successful traders.
Transformation 3
I introduced leaderboards, achievements, badges and profile progression to reward participation and celebrate top-performing traders.
The platform became more engaging, encouraging users to compete, return regularly and build their reputation within the community.
Transformation 4
I simplified the experience through a modern visual language, intuitive interactions and Pelican’s first design system, creating reusable foundations for every new feature.
Investing became more accessible while giving the team a consistent, scalable platform to build on.
Together, these changes repositioned Pelican as a more accessible, social-first investing platform, giving the company the foundations to grow its product, community and business.
