Most of us view technology as something that makes things easier. For many people however, technology makes things possible. This is my story of designing ‘Chikoo Wallet’—a business wallet integrated in Chikoo business management software that empowers business owners and their employees to have a separate business account and salary accounts for employees.
To comply with my confidentiality agreement I have omitted and appropriated confidential information. These designs are a reinterpretation of the original.
In Pakistan, business owners face challenges in managing and separating their business finances from their personal expenses. you can get a separate personal account but banks don't support any benefits to the business. Often times business owners don't even register their business to save on taxes and pay their employees in cash or checks. Cash became a serious problem cause it leads to mismanagement of the funds and inconsistencies in accounting. Currently banking sector is working n their solutions but its a long time before they can launch something substantial. The objective is to create an app that is integrated inside the business managing software, that meets the changing needs of bussines owners and provides a seamless banking experience.
Qualifying your company as a bank and fulfilling the requirements takes time and effort that we wanted to cut down. Our goal was to cut though the red tape and get a MVP out for our test business owners group to check out and get their feedback. we came with the idea of working with a leading bank that would be interested in solving this problem like us and we can us their systems and APIs for our benefit as a partnerships. Hence: Chikoo Wallet powered by JS bank.
In favor of speed to market, we were tasked to design and build Chikoo Wallet within the existing digital wallets exciting in the country architecture. This tactic was perceived to be advantageous and the least riskiest.
The assumption was simple—millions of customers use financial wallets like sada pay, easy paisa and naya pay everyday. Extend the acquire, manage conceptual model that bussiness owners were familiar with and leverage the existing infrastructure to get to market sooner and cheaper.
This early architectural decision had a major impact on the quality of the customer experience we could both create and reconcile.
Using strong and simple geometry and confident typography, we created quick and effective digital brand guidelines. We used rounded forms to represent the seriousness yet easy to visualize approach about money.
When rolling out all the screens, careful attention was paid so that the colour hierarchies were respected. White space was used generously to keep the layouts uncluttered and to balance out the vibrancy of the Chikoo Financial filter.
We conducted business and market research to drive our planning phase.These are the key insights that defined the launch version of the product:
The companies goal was to keep the money inside their eco syestem after the purchase been made.
Integration with Workflows: Seamlessly integrate with procurement, invoicing, and reimbursement processes.
Real-Time Notifications: Receive instant alerts for important financial activities.
Vendor Management: Manage suppliers, invoices, and payment terms easily.
User-Friendly Interface: Provide an intuitive, easy-to-use design.
Expense Tracking and Management: Efficiently categorize and monitor business spending.
The integrated Chikoo Business Wallet has received positive feedback from users, including young entrepreneurs like Emaan. It simplifies expense tracking, invoice management, and financial insights. Real-time syncing reduces manual data entry and errors.
Through a user-centered design approach, we've successfully created a business wallet tailored for Pakistani startups. By understanding local context and user needs, we empower entrepreneurs to focus on business growth confidently. This case study highlights the importance of creating impactful digital solutions by addressing specific challenges.
