Project Overview
Gatrify was one of those rare projects that felt both deeply local and universally relevant. The goal was ambitious: to redesign how small groups save money together from classmates saving for rent to coworkers pooling funds for business ventures. I joined the team as the Head UI/UX Designer, responsible for shaping the product from the ground up. Gatrify wasn’t trying to digitize traditional savings. It was reimagining them. At its heart was a concept familiar to many Nigerians: rotating savings groups, often informal, often cash based, and often prone to mismanagement. The platform sought to bring transparency, trust, and structure to this system through digital tools. But it had to feel just as human, just as communal, and just as motivating as the circles it aimed to replace.
The Problem
Informal savings circles (ajo, esusu, or susu, depending on the region) have long helped people reach financial goals that feel out of reach when saving alone. But these traditional systems come with a set of real-world problems: inconsistent contributions, lack of visibility, disputes, and most critically a lack of trust. People didn’t always know who had paid, who hadn’t, or when it would be their turn. Beyond that, saving money even digitally often feels like a lonely, difficult discipline. There’s very little motivation to stay consistent, and few tools that celebrate small wins or provide social accountability. Gatrify wanted to solve both — by creating a savings platform that was transparent, trackable, and community-powered.
Research & Discovery
We started by mapping out how traditional savings groups worked both in urban and rural communities. I interviewed users who had participated in these circles and heard story after story of failed contributions, misunderstandings, and mistrust. But I also heard how powerful the idea was: people genuinely wanted to save together, and when the system worked, it worked beautifully. From our research, three key insights emerged: people needed to see where their money was going, know when their turn was coming, and be reminded to stay on track without feeling policed. We also studied apps like Cowrywise, PiggyVest, and even western platforms like Venmo and Splitwise. What we found was that none of them truly served collective saving with rotational payouts. This was Gatrify’s niche.
Strategy
Every Cycle had a homepage that served as a digital dashboard showing who’s paid, who hasn’t, when payouts were due, and how much had been contributed. To avoid confusion, we designed a smart payout calendar with visual countdowns and milestone markers. We also embedded social nudges like congratulatory animations when someone paid early, or private prompts for late contributions to drive behavior without shame. The onboarding experience was crafted to educate new users without overwhelming them. We introduced the concept of a Cycle with an illustrated walkthrough, and offered templates for the most common savings goals: rent, car, school fees, travel.
In designing the group experience, we wanted transparency without surveillance. So every member could see progress bars, payment confirmations, and receive alerts but no one could change core settings without group approval. I also added friction-reducing features like smart reminders, in-app chat, and saved bank details for instant transfers. The interface leaned on warm colors, soft gradients, and friendly typography to give a sense of calm and community a counterbalance to the seriousness of money.
Impact
Conclusion
One of the biggest challenges was designing for group consensus and accountability. We had to build mechanisms for dispute resolution, admin roles, and fail-safes for when someone defaulted. I worked closely with the product and legal team to ensure our flows were not just user-friendly, but fair and fail-proof. By honoring how people already save and layering it with clarity, feedback, and emotional intelligence, we created something powerful a digital circle of trust.
Product Design
UX Design
Figma