FINTECH

Digitizing MBAG Microfinance Bank

COMPANY

MBAG

ROLE

Product Designer, Branding Expert

EXPERTISE

Design

YEAR

2024

Project Description-

As part of its mission to increase financial inclusion and serve underserved communities across Nigeria, MBAG Microfinance Bank embarked on a digital transformation journey—modernizing its banking operations and services to meet the demands of an increasingly mobile-first customer base.

This project aimed to transition MBAG from a primarily manual, paper-based banking system to a robust digital ecosystem that offers customers access to financial services through intuitive, secure, and scalable platforms.

Timeline

From explorations to final designs in 5 weeks while working with multiple projects at the same time

Background

MBAG Microfinance Bank has long provided financial services to underserved Nigerians—especially market traders, artisans, and low-income earners—through physical branches and field agents. However, as customer needs evolved and smartphone adoption increased, its manual, in-person processes became a barrier to growth and accessibility.

To meet the rising demand for convenient, digital financial services, MBAG initiated a full digital transformation. The goal was to design and launch a mobile banking platform and agent dashboard that would simplify access to savings, loans, and account management—empowering users to take control of their finances anytime, anywhere.

Process

This category details the step-by-step approach taken during the project, Discovery & Research, Strategy & Planning, Wireframing & Prototyping, Visual Design & System Building, Handoff & Development Support, Testing & Launch

Discovery & Research

  • Conducted user interviews with customers, agents, and staff to uncover pain points

  • Aligned with stakeholders on business goals and digital vision

  • Audited existing banking processes and platforms

Strategy & Planning

  • Mapped user flows and prioritized features using a value-effort matrix

  • Defined core features: account creation, loan access, savings, transaction tracking, etc.

Wireframing & Prototyping

  • Sketched low-fidelity wireframes for key flows (onboarding, loans, transactions)

  • Developed clickable prototypes for usability testing

  • Gathered early feedback and iterated based on user insights



Visual Design & System Building

  • Designed high-fidelity screens for the customer app and agent dashboard

  • Built a scalable, accessible design system (components, colors, type, grids)

  • Balanced modern aesthetics with simplicity for low-literacy users



Handoff & Development Support

  • Provided developer-ready assets and interaction specs

  • Worked closely with engineers to ensure pixel-perfect implementation


Testing & Launch

  • Ran usability tests with real users pre-launch

  • Supported a soft launch to a select group of customers and agents

Solution

🎨 Visual Identity

Goal: Modernize MBAG's look while preserving trust and familiarity.

Deliverables:

  • Logo Evolution: Simplified, responsive logo suitable for mobile and digital use

  • Color Palette:

    • Primary: Golden Yellow (trust, wealth, uniqueness, stability)

    • Accent: Dark golden brown (support, growth, solid foundation, accessibility)

    • Neutral tones for readability

  • Typography: Clean sans-serif fonts optimized for readability on screens

  • Iconography: Friendly, simple icons for navigation, financial actions, and onboarding

  • Illustration Style: Warm, minimal line illustrations


📱 User-Centered Product Design

Goal: Build intuitive, inclusive experiences for mobile-first, low-tech-savvy users.

Design Features:

  • Mobile Banking App

    • Easy onboarding

    • Simple dashboard

    • Visual cues, icon-based navigation, and minimal text

  • Online Banking Platform

    • Optimized to suite high-bandwidth areas

    • Bulk customer onboarding, simple data capture flows

    • Role-based dashboard access (manager, agent, admin)

  • Design System

    • Scalable, reusable UI components

    • Accessibility-first (color contrast, tap targets, typography)

    • Built-in localization and responsiveness

Achieved Goals

Here, the outcomes and achievements of the project are highlighted;

  1. Streamlined Brand Identity

  2. User-Centric Mobile App

  3. Developed a Scalable Design System

  4. Simplified Onboarding & User Flows

  5. Validated Designs with Real Users

  6. Improved Accessibility & Inclusion

Check out MBAG website

Brand Collaterals





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