Problem Statement
A significant portion of Nigeria's population working in the informal sector lacks access to essential financial services such as insurance, pensions, and credit. The survey in 2022 highlighted an alarming 82% lack of insurance access and a staggering 93% absence of pension schemes among respondents. Bridging this gap and ensuring financial inclusion for the informal sector becomes imperative.
The Challenge
The primary challenge in the APil Me project arose from extensive usability testing from 15 participants in the Southwest part of Nigeria (Lagos). The initial prototype, while well-conceptualized, encountered significant usability hurdles revealed through these tests. The feedback from the users indicated a clear need for a redesigned solution that overcomes these obstacles and delivers an intuitive and engaging user experience.
Goal
Our aim is to craft an intuitive, accessible, and trustworthy financial inclusion tool that empowers users, simplifies their financial journey, and maximizes their participation in essential services such as insurance, pensions, savings, credit, and investments.
This goal encapsulates the aspiration to create a user-centric platform tailored to the needs and context of the informal sector, promoting financial empowerment and accessibility.
How might we optimize the user interface of APil Me to ensure it resonates with the diverse user base within the informal sector, maximizing usability and engagement?
The ultimate aim is to ensure that users easily navigate the platform and comprehend the array of financial services provided.
Image by Charles Williams Adofo
Process
The journey commenced by closely collaborating with stakeholders and conducting in-depth usability tests on the existing APil Me prototype. These tests unearthed crucial usability issues, setting the stage for a comprehensive redesign. The iterative nature of the redesign process involved continuous testing and feedback loops, ensuring that the new design aligns seamlessly with user expectations and provides an optimal user experience.
User Flow
Analyzing user interactions within APil Me is crucial. By understanding entry points, key actions, and potential pain points, we design an experience tailored to users, ensuring satisfaction and engagement. Below are some of them;
IA
The platform's information architecture is designed to present a clear hierarchy of services, ensuring intuitive navigation for users to explore and select the financial services relevant to them
Previous Screens
Some elements were not consistent across the screen, and the responsiveness for accessibility on different screen sizes is very bad.
Design System
I led the creation of APil Me's vital design system, Apil Gear, serving as the platform's backbone, ensuring consistency in visuals and interactions. This involved standardizing the color palette, typography, UI elements, components, and interaction patterns. Additionally, I used this opportunity to mentor two interns, assigning them tasks to contribute to the design system, enhancing both efficiency and knowledge transfer.
Crafting Keystone HRMS
Some visual representation of Keystone HRMS
Auth - Onboarding (Registration)
Auth (Login, Forget PIN, Reset PIN)
Home Page and Notification
Top Up
Transactions
Customer
Micro Saving, Pension and Insurance
Support
Some admin screens
Collaboration and Handoff
To ensure effective collaboration and smooth handoff, I employed a robust design documentation system and a well-defined process (which guides other designers) for seamless transition from design to development.
Learnings
Throughout the envisioning of APil Me, I learned the importance of deeply understanding our users' needs and the significance of strategic partnerships for rapid adoption.
Gained crucial insights from user feedback and market research.
Future Iterations
Looking ahead, our vision for APil Me involves a series of strategic iterations aimed at comprehensive inclusion within the informal sector. This involves releasing carefully curated features that weren't included in the initial build.
These features will be thoughtfully designed and tailored to address specific needs, ensuring a robust platform that genuinely caters to the financial requirements of transport workers, farmers, traders, artisans, domestic workers, and entrepreneurs.
Our iterative approach will prioritize user feedback and data insights, enabling us to continually enhance APil Me for an even more impactful and user-centered experience.
Outcome
While still in development, APil Me is progressing with the envisioned objectives. Anticipated outcomes include increased financial inclusion, economic stability, reduced vulnerability, and empowering local communities.
The focus is on refining the user experience and creating a lasting positive impact on Nigeria's informal sector.
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