ARTBANX FINANCE was a strategic pivot from ARTBANX, a B2B fine art collection management platform. My initial UX research had identified that the original product concept was not addressing real user needs, and when early launch results reflected this, I contributed directly to the product strategy pivot and led the redesign. The result was a blockchain-based B2C investment platform, designed and delivered end-to-end in 8 months, with a new visual identity to distinguish it from the original product. I was responsible for both the brand direction and the full product design, translating complex financial and ownership mechanics into an experience that felt accessible and trustworthy to a non-expert audience.
Client:
ARTBANX
My Role:
Product Design Lead
Year:
2022-2024
Service Provided:
UX/UI, UX Research, Prototyping, Brand and Corporate Identity
The Problem
High-value art and luxury assets were inaccessible to most investors due to cost and the absence of fractional ownership mechanisms. For asset owners, the problem ran in the other direction. Liquidating assets meant permanent sale, with no way to retain long-term ownership. The gap between the value locked in these assets and the tools available to access it was the design brief.
The Solution
ARTBANX FINANCE was a blockchain-enabled platform allowing asset owners to release liquidity against their holdings, liquidating for a portion of the asset's value with the option to buy back within a defined timeframe, while investors received secured returns backed by the asset itself. The blockchain layer provided the transparency and security that made this model viable for both sides of the transaction.
My role was to make this mechanism intelligible and trustworthy for users who were not financial experts. That meant translating ownership structures, return mechanics, and blockchain-backed processes into a clear, navigable interface, designed from the ground up with a new visual identity that distinguished ARTBANX FINANCE from the original collection management product.
The platform launched. The business subsequently closed following a significant contraction in the high-end art market, with primary market sales declining sharply across 2023 and 2024. The design work was sound. The external market conditions were not.
ARTBANX AG was a venture backed solely by Francesco Fernandez, former CEO of Avaloq, one of the world's leading wealth management software firms.
