eFiat (Vendor Platform)
Client
eFiat.
Role
Product design Lead.
Industries
FIntech
Date
January 2021
CHALLENGE
Developing a sustainable and scalable design model for the distribution of flexible crypto vouchers in African countries with limited internet access and a high percentage of unbanked population, while ensuring a secure and reliable cryptocurrency platform that is accessible and user-friendly for customers in Africa, also addressing concerns around security, trust, and ease of use.
OBJECTIVES
Conducting and experimenting with extensive user testing to ensure that the platform is designed to meet the specific needs and preferences of customers in Africa, and to identify and address any pain points or usability issues, while developing an intuitive and user-friendly mobile interface that is easy to navigate and accessible to users with a range of technical abilities and levels of digital literacy. The Objectives are but not limited to
Develop a scalable and flexible platform architecture that can adapt to changing customer needs and market conditions, and that is built using best practices in software design and development.
Incorporate feedback from vendors and other partners into the design of the platform, to ensure that it meets their needs and is easy for them to use and integrate into their existing systems.
Develop a design language and visual identity that is consistent with eFiat's brand values and that resonates with customers in Africa, while also adhering to best practices in user experience (UX) design.
Incorporate robust security features into the design of the platform, including two-factor authentication, encryption, and other measures to protect customer data and prevent fraud.
RESEARCH
Preliminary Survey:
The appropriate demography to conduct a user research dependent on eFiats target market and the specific research questions that the survey is designed to address. However, given that we are focused on addressing the issue of cryptocurrency payments in Africa, it was appropriate to conduct a survey with the following Demographics
Age: The survey targeted adults aged 18 and above, as this is the age group that is likely to have the greatest need for financial services and may be most open to using innovative payment methods.
Income: Since eFiat's target market includes people who may not have access to traditional banking services, it was appropriate to target individuals in a lower income bracket.
Education level: The survey targeted individuals with a range of educational backgrounds, but should be designed to ensure that the questions are easily understood and accessible to individuals with limited formal education.
Geographical location: Since eFiat is focused on Africa, the survey should be conducted in countries within the region, with a focus on urban and peri-urban areas where mobile phone ownership and internet access are relatively high.
Gender: The survey should aim to include a balanced representation of men and women.
With consideration of the survey, it suggests that while there may be interest in cryptocurrency as a payment method, there are still significant barriers to adoption that need to be addressed. eFiat may need to focus on building trust and confidence among potential users, perhaps by implementing additional security measures or offering guarantees against volatility. Additionally, eFiat may need to prioritize establishing partnerships or systems to enable seamless conversion of eFiat vouchers into local currency, in order to meet the needs and preferences of its target audience.
Focus Groups
2 x 90 minute sessions
39 Participants from different tribes within Nigeria, Kenya, Namibia, Ghana and Senegal
User Personas
By creating these two user personas, eFiat can better understand the needs, goals, and behaviors of its target users and tailor its product or service to meet their specific needs. This could include designing a simple and user-friendly mobile app for low-income vendors, or implementing additional security features for tech-savvy entrepreneurs to ensure transparency and accountability in transactions.
Proposed Solution
The proposed solution is to create a secure and reliable cryptocurrency payment platform that is accessible and user-friendly for customers in Africa, using vendors to issue flexible crypto vouchers via mobile point-of-sale (POS) machines.
Pros:
Provides a secure and reliable way for customers in Africa to make cryptocurrency payments, which may be more convenient and cost-effective than traditional payment methods.
Using mobile POS machines and vendors helps to increase the accessibility of the platform, particularly in areas where internet connectivity may be limited or unreliable.
The flexibility of the crypto vouchers allows customers to easily convert their fiat currency into cryptocurrency, which may help to reduce barriers to adoption and increase the overall volume of transactions.
Cons:
Cryptocurrency is still a relatively new and unfamiliar technology to many customers in Africa, which may create concerns around security, trust, and ease of use.
Vendors may not have the technical expertise or resources to properly secure the mobile POS machines or manage cryptocurrency transactions, which could create vulnerabilities and increase the risk of fraud or other security breaches.
The reliance on vendors and POS machines may create additional points of failure or potential bottlenecks in the payment process, which could lead to delays or other issues for customers.
User Journey
The user journey helps us identify areas where the user experience can be improved, and can help them prioritize design decisions. It also helped us here to identify potential roadblocks or barriers that may prevent users from using the product or service, and find ways to remove or mitigate them.
Design Exploration
Generating and evaluating different design ideas and concepts for this project is a crucial stage in the product design process, as it allows us to explore a wide range of possibilities and generate innovative solutions.
Discovery
Generating and evaluating different design ideas and concepts for this project is a crucial stage in the product design process, as it allows us to explore a wide range of possibilities and generate innovative solutions.
A/B Testing
The proposed solution is to create a secure and reliable cryptocurrency payment platform that is accessible and user-friendly for customers in Africa, using vendors to issue flexible crypto vouchers via mobile point-of-sale (POS) machines.
Approach 1
The proposed solution is to create a secure and reliable cryptocurrency payment platform that is accessible and user-friendly for customers in Africa, using vendors to issue flexible crypto vouchers via mobile point-of-sale (POS) machines.
Approach 2
The proposed solution is to create a secure and reliable cryptocurrency payment platform that is accessible and user-friendly for customers in Africa, using vendors to issue flexible crypto vouchers via mobile point-of-sale (POS) machines.
Final Designs
The proposed solution is to create a secure and reliable cryptocurrency payment platform that is accessible and user-friendly for customers in Africa, using vendors to issue flexible crypto vouchers via mobile point-of-sale (POS) machines.
Key Metrics
Some key metrics we decided was appropriate to work with the project was selected and the team worked with these overtime.
Business Impact
The proposed solution is to create a secure and reliable cryptocurrency payment platform that is accessible and user-friendly for customers in Africa, using vendors to issue flexible crypto vouchers via mobile point-of-sale (POS) machines.