PAYZA PRODUCT REDESIGN
MY JOURNEY WITH PAYZA
In 2023, Payza recognized a significant gap in the financial technology landscape: the exclusion of African professionals from global payment platforms like Stripe, PayPal, and Wise. Given Africa's young and growing population of freelancers and remote workers, there was an urgent need for a solution that would enable these professionals to receive international payments, create and send invoices, and manage financial operations across borders with ease. As a product designer, I joined the Payza team to redesign the user experience, focusing on improving layout, navigation, design language, usability, and fostering brand trust.
A Fintech Solution Tailored for African Professionals
Payza is a fintech platform designed to meet the unique needs of freelancers, remote workers, and professionals in Africa. It allows users to receive international payments, create and send invoices, and manage virtual bank accounts in multiple currencies (USD, GBP, and EUR). Additionally, Payza offers virtual debit cards for global transactions, making it easier for users to handle their financial operations across borders. The platform is tailored to help users save on fees, streamline their financial processes, and overcome the challenges posed by traditional financial systems.
THE PROBLEM: Financial Exclusion in Africa
African freelancers and professionals often find themselves excluded from the international payment market due to restrictions from major platforms like Stripe, PayPal, and Wise. This exclusion poses a significant barrier to their ability to conduct business globally. Payza was created to bridge this gap, providing a platform where professionals can create invoices, send them, and receive payments in foreign currencies, thereby empowering them to compete on a global scale.
User Perspective
"I currently use multiple platforms for invoicing and payments. I want to streamline these processes into one seamless experience."
"The current platforms I use are difficult to navigate and they offer complex experience without solving the problems I have doing financial transaction with international clients."
"As a contractor/freelancer, I face challenges in finding a fintech platform that I can trust to meet my financial needs, sending invoice and receiving payment from client is stressful and tedious"
GOAL: Enhancing User Experience and Fostering Trust
“Simplify Navigation and Workflow: Improve the existing navigation, layout, and information architecture of Payza to create a more intuitive and user-friendly experience.”
“Build Brand Trust through Design: Develop a unified, consistent, and cohesive design language that instills confidence in users, encouraging more professionals to adopt fintech solutions.”
“Empower African Professionals: Enable users to create and send invoices and receive payments easily, helping Africa’s freelancers feel connected to the global economy.”
Previous Interface of Payza
Payza after redesign
Research process
My research focused on understanding the challenges faced by African professionals in the global financial market and how existing fintech platforms addressed similar issues. Through competitive analysis, UX audits, and user interviews, I gathered insights to guide the redesign of Payza.
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
I conducted a thorough evaluation of successful fintech platforms like Wise, Deel, Revolut, Compound, and Grey Finance. I analyzed their design patterns, user flows, and the choices they made to guide users towards key moments of success (“Aha moments”).
UX AUDIT
I performed a comprehensive audit of Payza's existing platform, including its brand guidelines, style guide, and information architecture. This audit helped me identify areas for improvement and opportunities to enhance the overall user experience.
USER INTERVIEW
Engaging with Payza users through interviews and surveys allowed me to gather firsthand insights into their pain points and expectations. These sessions were crucial in shaping the direction of the redesign, ensuring that our solutions were aligned with user needs.
RESEARCH SUMMARY
My research revealed that African professionals needed a simpler, more cohesive platform that would allow them to manage their financial operations with confidence. By understanding the competitive landscape and synthesizing user insights, I was able to define clear goals for the redesign of Payza.
Redesigning Payza’s Visual and Functional Elements
I redesigned Payza interface featuring a simplified layout and navigation, a cohesive and consistent design language using components library and style guide, and an intuitive workflow that guides users through their financial operations seamlessly. Visuals of the wireframes and final designs highlight the key changes made to enhance the user experience.
Wireframes for Payza UI Redesign
Previous Signup Screen of Payza
Payza Signup Screen after redesign
Payza Onboarding Flow After Redesign
Home Screen Empty State After Payza Redesign
Home Screen with Wallet Balance
Currency Exchange Screen
All Transactions Screen
All Invoices Screen
All Empty State Screens After Redesign
LEARNING
I poured a lot of effort into this project, with plenty of exploration and research. My focus on research helped guide my design decisions. I also gained more knowledge into applying existing patterns wisely and creating reusable components rather than reinventing the wheel for every element. This really helped in saving time during the main interface design stage.
