BezoSusu : save together - Princess Oviawe

Role

Lead product designer

Year

2021 - 2022

Platform

Responsive web app

Overview

Bezosusu is a savings platform that enables its users to create goal-oriented savings. Users can create, deposit and withdraw from their saving goals.

After the successful launch of the personal savings, The team began to think of how to encourage users to save more by saving in together in groups.

Traditionally, group saving also known as “SUSU” in Ghana was already a popular form of saving especially amongst traders. Where traders form groups to save, with one person as a group leader, who secures the monies saved.

The challenge

The traditional method of group saving had a lot of problems especially with keeping the funds secure.

Other problems peculiar to group savings include:

Delay in payment from group members.

Lack of contribution/withdrawal records.

Theft from group leaders and members.

Lack of transparency in most group transactions.

The Goal

The goal was to create a (SUSU) group savings Platform that would flow seamlessly with the personal savings.

Brainstorming and Research

By studying traditional SUSU saving methods we found ways group saving goals work.

Split and Share.

Members save an amount and at the end of a saving period, they split the saved amount equally.

Rotational saving.

Members contribute money weekly or monthly and give the money to one person, this cycle is repeated every week until all the members of the rotational goal receive their cut.

Save to Buy

Members have a target goal to save. Every member has an equal amount to pay, when saving is done they use the money to purchase something of common interest.

Proposed solutions.

Create a group savings experience within the BezoSusu dashboard to enable users to create group savings. The dashboard would have the following features:

Admins can create a group and create the three types of saving goals and invite members.

Create multiple saving goals within the groups.

Group members can deposit into saving groups from their mobile wallets or their personal savings.

Design Principles

Transparency

Members can clearly see who contributes and withdraws from the group.

Encourage prompt saving.

Members can set their saving frequency (daily, monthly).

Trust

Group admins can give a signatory role to selected group members to verify withdrawals.

Designs

Users can create saving groups.

Saving goals: users can select a saving goal type.

Saving goal details

User testings and focus groups.

I worked closely with product managers and the research team to create surveys and organise virtual focus group sessions with the group users.

Design handoff and documentation

I worked closely with product managers and engineers to validate design implementation. Along with daily stand-ups, sprints and retrospectives to cross-check final designs.

I also documented features and revisions.

Business Impacts

The group savings launched beta usage in January 2022 and is currently being used by selected SUSU groups in Ghana, with plans to expand to the general public in the coming months.

Thank you.

If you've scrolled this far, thank you for taking the time to read about my design decisions and solutions in response. If you'd like to talk more about the project, or just chat, please reach out!

BezoSusu: save together with friends.