Nora Chao

Product Design Leader | Growth, Fintech, Art

LinkedIn

About

Product Designer with 8+ years of experience driving user-centric, high-impact solutions — especially specialized in blockchain, crypto and payment. Proficiency in leading end-to-end design, blending PLG strategy, research, and execution to solve complex user flows.

Work Experience

Co-Founder & Head of Product Design

Noeme Foundation

Aug 2025 - Present

New York, NY, US

Co-founded and led the design of immersive programs connecting analytical insight and the art world; created customer experiences for curated events, private gallery visits, and artist interactions, iterating based on participant feedback to drive engagement and growth.

  • Defined the foundation’s mission and translated it into a product roadmap, shaping platform features to engage community members, artists, donors, and partners.
  • Oversaw end-to-end UX/UI for Noeme’s online platform and offline experience, from ideas to launch, ensuring accessibility and a cohesive brand experience.

Senior Product Designer

Blockdaemon

Mar 2022 - Present

New York, NY, US

Led end-to-end User Experience strategy and execution for enterprise and consumer-facing growth initiatives. Aligned user insights with business goals and technical constraints to drive measurable product impact.

  • Directed product design for key enterprise platforms, aligning UX strategy with business OKRs to achieve 65–70% onboarding completion / user activation at launch across Wallet-as-a-Service, Node Setup, and Developer API Platform.
  • Collaborated with engineering, PMs, and compliance teams to redesign the KYB (Know-Your-Business) onboarding flow, reducing user friction and cutting drop-offs.
  • Built and scaled a unified design system across multiple product surfaces, improving consistency and reducing UI debt.
  • Mentored junior designers and introduced quarterly UX health reviews to drive design maturity across the org.

Product Design Lead

Gem (Acquired)

Jul 2018 - Mar 2022

Los Angeles, CA, US

Collaborated extensively with the CEO and engineering team and lead the product concept development through rapid prototyping and testings. Provided high-quality designs on iOS, Android and responsive WebApp, for core crypto products.

  • Streamlining complex user flows across multiple global payment providers to deliver a seamless transaction experience for customers to buy and sell crypto with ACH, Cards, resulting in $5M transaction volume within the first three months after the initial launch.
  • Optimized the pre-purchase KYC flow, substantially increasing pass-through rates and reducing user drop-off.
  • Built a scalable design system enabling enterprise clients to efficiently customize widget UI and brand experience.

Product Designer

De Novo

Dec 2017 - Feb 2018

Los Angeles, CA, US

Redesigned a mobile recruiting app using user-centered design and data-driven decisions, driving a significant boost in user engagement.

  • Conducted stakeholder interviews and partnered with UX researcher to align project scope with business objectives, translating research insights into practical design solutions that balanced user needs and organizational goals.
  • Led the end-to-end redesign of a mobile onboarding experience — driving a 30% increase in recruiter engagement.

Staff Designer

Full House Design

Sep 2015 - Feb 2017

Taipei, Taiwan

Led end-to-end architectural design and construction administration for multiple residential, retail, and hospitality projects, including schematic design to budget management. Coordinated stakeholders, ensured accurate cost estimates, and delivered comprehensive, client-focused renovation solutions as both lead designer and administrator.

3D Artist

Nova Concept

Nov 2014 - Jun 2015

New York, NY, US

Developed high-fidelity visuals and mockups translating complex concepts for clients like Equinox and Sheraton, streamlining workflows and delivering high-value renderings at scale.

Education

User Experience Design

General Assembly UX Design Immersive

Nov 2017 - Feb 2018

Front End Web development

Institute of Information and Technology

Mar 2017 - Aug 2017

Architecture

Tunghai University

Sep 2009 - Jun 2014

Taichung, Taiwan

Skills

Product Design & Research

  • Product Strategy
  • Stakeholder Management
  • Interaction Design
  • Concept Design
  • Web Accessibility
  • User Testing
  • Agile Methodologies

Proficient Tools

  • Figma
  • FigJam
  • Figma Slides
  • Framer
  • Notion
  • ChatGPT
  • HTML5
  • CSS3
  • Jira
  • Github
  • Otter.ai
  • Hubspot
  • Slack