Loy's portfolio

Project Overview

Background

Vendy is a payment solution that empowers businesses and individuals to facilitate transactions seamlessly through integrations with platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram. With Vendy, users can create, fund, and manage wallets, process payments, and access embedded financial services such as loans and credit facilities.

‍

Problem Statement

Many users find existing payment systems on social platforms unintuitive and insecure. The challenge was to design a solution that feels both native and trustworthy within chat platforms while maintaining the flexibility to handle various payment scenarios such as wallet funding, card management, and loan processing.

Key Objectives:

Simplify payment flows while ensuring security.
Minimize cognitive load for users interacting via WhatsApp and Telegram.
Create a scalable system adaptable to new financial products.

‍

Process

Research and Discovery

User Interviews
We conducted interviews with small business owners, freelancers, and individual users. Key findings included:

70% of users prioritized transaction security.
50% wanted an interface that mirrored their chat experiences.
Most users preferred minimal steps for recurrent transactions.

Competitive Analysis
Studied leading payment systems like Paystack and Stripe to identify best practices in UI patterns, accessibility, and error handling.

Ideation

Customer Journeys
Mapped out user journeys for key scenarios:

Adding a payment method.
Making a payment.
Requesting a loan.

Pain Points Addressed:

Lack of clarity around payment statuses.
Complex wallet funding processes.
Tedious card management experiences.

‍

Design Solutions

Key Features

1. Wallet Management

Create and Fund Wallets: Users can fund wallets via bank transfer, credit, or linked payment methods.
Real-time Feedback: Dynamic balance updates and transaction histories ensure transparency.

2. Secure Payment Flows

PIN and OTP Authentication: Ensures secure transactions with minimal disruptions.
Payment Source Options: Users can choose between bank accounts, cards, and wallets.

3. Embedded Finance Services

Loan Requests: Simplified eligibility checks and document uploads within the app.
Repayment Tracking: Clear schedules and automated reminders.

4. Payment Directly on WhatsApp

Chat-based Payments: Enables users to send and receive payments without leaving WhatsApp.
Seamless Integration: Embedded payment actions appear naturally in the chat interface, enhancing convenience.
Interactive Feedback: Users receive real-time updates on payment status within the conversation thread.

UI Highlights

1. Consistency and Familiarity
Designed interfaces to blend naturally within WhatsApp and Telegram chats. Leveraged native UI components to maintain user trust.

2. Accessibility First

Large tap targets for mobile users.
Text hierarchy to distinguish key actions (e.g., “Pay Now” vs. “Cancel”).

3. Microinteractions
Subtle animations for transitions, success states, and errors create a polished experience.

‍

Prototypes and Testing

Interactive Prototypes
Built clickable prototypes for high-priority use cases:

Wallet creation.
Multi-step payment flows.
Loan application process.

Usability Testing
Conducted 15+ testing sessions with a mix of new and returning users:

Success Rate: 90% completed payments without assistance.
Feedback: Users appreciated the “Pay from” dropdown for flexibility.

‍

Impact

MockUp

Interactive prototype

Check interactive prototype here

Reflection and Takeaways

Designing for Vendy underscored the importance of empathy in financial products. The solutions crafted not only addressed user pain points but also established trust in digital transactions.

Future Focus:

Expand integrations to new messaging platforms.
Enhance personalization through payment analytics.

‍