ACCION
Design of user-centred digital platform for MSMEs to improve their business
In collaboration with Small Surfaces, we were working with a global nonprofit with a pioneering legacy in microfinance and fintech impact investing. They helped them build a digital product for base of the pyramid population built on the principles of gamification to help them solve their business challenges and teach ways to improve their business.
We worked with diverse team of content developers, designers and researchers to be able to run the 3 design sprints over a period for 5 months to turn the concept into a finished MVP that could be handed over for development.
Approach
In each sprint we had very defined goals for research and design workflows. We worked with user insights that the client had gained from previous research to flesh out the concept of the digital product. With each sprint we tested the prototype of the product with specific goals in mind for usability and relevance. We were able to incorporate the feedback received from the research into the next design sprint and improve the product incrementally over 5 months.
"It will be good to learn from how others are using the app or what are they doing and how is it helping them to learn from others' experiences"
MSME business owner
Remote Research
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Deliverable
In the end, we identified patterns around usability, understanding and relevance through each research round and were able to build a repository of user insights that helped the client gain an in-depth understanding of their target user segment. With each design sprint, we could evolved the design based on user insights and in the end, were able to deliver a user-centred MVP that would fit the user’s needs and would be effective in helping them solve their business challenges and thus ensure adoption. The final design was delivered for development for the MVP to be launched in India & Latin America
Impact
With the strong collaboration between Accion and FedEx this platform was launched in Columbia in 2019 and then scaled to other parts of Latin America. The platform was also introduced to India and Mexico in 2023 to expand the reach and impact to MSMEs in these countries who are financially excluded like Angelica Maria Castro Gomez who owns an auto repair shop in Columbia (seen in the photo on the right above). In partnership with Udhyam Shiksha, Accion has now made this platform available in India to young and budding entrepreneurs like Jyoti (seen above in the photo on the left) who aspire to set up their own business. The ultimate vision is for this platform to be able to improve the creditworthiness of financially excluded entrepreneurs so they have access to more pathways for success.
Project Team
Project Manager
Research Lead
UX Researcher
UX/UI Designer
