casha

the ajo feature

DESIGNING THE AJO FEATURE

An Ajo is a trust-filled savings pact where members each contribute fixed amounts regularly to a shared pot. Then someone gets the whole pot until the next round – it could happen daily, weekly, or even monthly. Our users demanded a safe and accountable space to run an ajo community without the fear of admins or members absconding with the contributed money.

2.0 Frustrated cry from a user

How were ajo groups managed before casha?

Whatsapp or telegram groups - members were added to a group by the ajo admin. In this group communication about whose turn it was to get paid and how contributions are to be made are communicated.

But there's a flaw in this process...

2.1 The issues with the traditional ajo process

the plan

Working backward from the ideal

Before starting any design work, we had to define what success looked like for both the admins and the members when setting up, running, and participating in an ajo group. We meticulously outlined the goals of the ajo feature, identified key indicators signaling goal achievement or potential setbacks, and established appropriate metrics for tracking progress.

3.0 Goals, Signals and Metrics of the ideal Ajo system

FROM CHALLENGES TO SOLUTIONING

With a comprehensive understanding of our users' pain points, we embarked on determining the most user-friendly method for customers to create an Ajo, invite members, and oversee group activities. Figure 2.2 illustrates the user flow, crafted through iterative refinement after several rounds of discussions.

3.1 First draft of the ajo user flow

iterating the flow even further

We proceeded to validate the user flow by presenting it to a select group of experienced users involved in managing and participating in Ajo groups. The goal was to ensure that the experience not only met customer expectations but also retained essential features that contribute to the flexibility of Ajo groups during the setup process.

3.2 Extra functionalities (marked in green) are added to the flow

the visual design

It’s all in the pixels chico

For this feature, I stuck with the Casha design system I created for the project. There was definitely a bit of wiggle room to sprinkle in some creativity, especially when rethinking the visuals for certain UI components.

4.0 Casha button specifications and variants

4.1 Anatomy of a casha modal

4.2 Specifications of the member info bottom sheet

An effortless experience

With the design elements created, it was time to piece them together into one smooth UX. The goal was for admins to be able to easily set up and manage their ajo groups, while members enjoy transparent interactions and contributions. Admins get simplicity, members get clarity.

4.3 The disclaimer before creating an ajo group

4.4 The ajo setup screens from the admin's perspective

4.5 Screens showing how much each member of the ajo group pays

4.6 Inviting members to the group

4.7 Members get an invite and pick a payout slot

4.8 The admin starts the group by confirming the payout order

4.9 the ajo group showing member activitiesa and payout order

Retrospective

The journey never really ends, does it?

Since launching the Ajo feature, we've seen an impressive turnout – 600 Ajo groups formed, 2000 members actively engaged, and over 10 million naira smoothly processed and paid out. It's more than numbers; it's about making a lot of people genuinely happy with this feature.

My Key takeaways from this

5.0 The four key takeaways from the ajo feature design