ImagineLenders – Easy way to lend and borrow money
Fintech / Lending
ImagineLenders – Easy way to lend and borrow money
A platform aiming to eradicate poverty through microlending, an easy way to lend and borrow money for projects with a guaranteed interest.
Work
User Research, User Personas, Userflows, Afinnity Diagram, Information Architecture, Wireframing, Usability Testing
01
CONTEXT
Foundation
Project Overview & Context
🌱 About ImagineLenders
ImagineLenders is a purpose-driven microlending platform with a mission to eradicate poverty by democratising access to financial capital. It enables community members to fund each other's projects with transparent, guaranteed interest returns for lenders and accessible, low-barrier loans for borrowers. Operating at the intersection of social impact and fintech, the platform must build trust, simplify financial complexity, and serve users with varying levels of digital literacy across emerging markets.
Microlending
P2P Finance
Social Impact
Emerging Markets
Mobile-First
Financial Inclusion
Community Lending
Guaranteed Returns
⚡ Design Challenges
Trust in a Trust DeficitFinancial scams are rampant. Users are deeply sceptical of any money platform, especially one promising "guaranteed" returns.
Financial Literacy GapMany target users have never formally borrowed money or invested. Concepts like interest, collateral, and repayment schedules are unfamiliar.
Low-Bandwidth RealityUsers in Lagos, Nairobi, and rural areas rely on 2G/3G and low-spec Android devices. Performance cannot be an afterthought.
Dual-Sided PlatformThe UX must simultaneously serve borrowers (need simplicity, dignity) and lenders (need transparency, control, ROI visibility).
52
Participants across all research phases
12
Weeks of end-to-end research
22
Key insights distilled from raw data
4
User segments identified & validated
02
12 WEEKS
Methodology
Research Plan & Methods
Phase 01
Discovery
Wk 1–2
Desk research
Competitor audit
Stakeholder interviews
Analytics review
Phase 02
Qualitative Depth
Wk 3–6
In-depth interviews (n=16)
Diary study (n=8)
Contextual enquiry
Focus groups (2×)
Phase 03
Quantitative
Wk 6–8
Online survey (n=24)
Card sorting (n=18)
Tree testing
Funnel drop-off analysis
Phase 04
Prototype & Test
Wk 8–11
Mid-fi wireframes
Moderated UT (n=8)
Unmoderated UT (n=6)
Think-aloud sessions
Phase 05
Synthesis
Wk 11–12
Affinity mapping
Insight clustering
Opportunity mapping
Design principles
In-Depth Interviews (IDIs)
60-min 1-on-1 sessions exploring attitudes to debt, lending, trust, and financial vulnerability. Conducted in English, Yoruba, and Swahili.
n=16 · 8 borrowers, 8 potential lenders
Remote (Zoom) + in-person Lagos & Nairobi
Semi-structured discussion guide (6 topics)
Recorded, transcribed, thematically coded
Online Survey
Structured survey validating qualitative themes at scale — distributed through community networks, churches, and market WhatsApp groups.
n=24 screened responses (of 68 total)
Likert scales on trust, risk, digital comfort
NPS + platform familiarity questions
Distributed via Typeform + Google Forms
Card Sorting & Tree Testing
Open card sort to understand users' mental models around financial categories, followed by tree test on proposed IA.
n=18 participants · Optimal Workshop
28 cards covering features and labels
Validated navigation hierarchy
Identified "Lend Now" vs "Fund a Project" labelling
Diary Study
10-day longitudinal study capturing participants' real financial decision moments, anxieties, and daily money management behaviours.
n=8 participants over 10 days
Daily prompts via WhatsApp voice notes
Captured emotional responses to money stress
Screenshots of financial apps used daily
Moderated Usability Testing
Task-based sessions on mid-fi prototype with think-aloud protocol — revealing where the interface breaks the mental model.
n=8 moderated · 45 min per session
6 tasks: onboard, browse, apply, lend, repay, withdraw
SUS score + task completion metrics
Lookback.io recording + eye-tracking
Contextual Enquiry
Field sessions observing participants managing finances in their natural environment — markets, mobile kiosks, homes — on real devices.
n=6 field sessions Lagos + Nairobi
Observed loan applications on competitor apps
Noted device conditions, signal, interruptions
Revealed real-world literacy and support needs
03
4 SEGMENTS
User Understanding
User Personas
👩🏾
Adaeze Okafor
The Aspiring Borrower
"I have big dreams for my business — I just need a fair chance to grow it."
31
Age
Lagos
Location
Trader
Occupation
About
Adaeze runs a small fabric stall in Balogun market. She earns enough to survive but struggles to scale — she needs ₦150,000 to buy stock in bulk. Bank loans are inaccessible (no collateral) and informal moneylenders charge 30%+ interest. She's tech-comfortable but intimidated by financial jargon.
Goals
Access a fair-rate loan quickly without collateral or bank history
Understand exactly what she'll repay before committing
Build a credit history to access larger amounts over time
Pain Points
Fears hidden fees and interest that spirals out of control
Confused by financial terms — "APR," "tenor," "collateral"
Worried that asking to borrow is shameful or will be rejected
"I just need someone to believe in me. A small loan, fair price. I'll pay it back — I always do."
👨🏿
Emeka Nwosu
The Impact Lender
"I want my money to do good and still grow. Is that too much to ask?"
38
Age
Abuja
Location
Engineer
Occupation
About
Emeka is a civil engineer with disposable income he wants to invest meaningfully. He's disillusioned with low-yield savings accounts and sceptical of get-rich-quick schemes. He wants to invest in people — but needs transparency, risk information, and a proven repayment track record before he commits.
Goals
Earn a guaranteed, transparent return on his lending portfolio
See the real borrowers and projects he's funding
Diversify risk across multiple small loans automatically
Pain Points
Deeply sceptical — worried ImagineLenders is another Ponzi
Wants total clarity on what happens if a borrower defaults
Frustrated when dashboards obscure actual ROI with vanity metrics
"Show me the numbers. Show me the people. If both check out — I'm in."
👩🏽
Fatima Al-Hassan
The Diaspora Supporter
"I want to invest in my community back home, not just send remittances."
34
Age
London
Location
NHS Nurse
Occupation
About
Fatima sends £300/month to Nigeria. She's passionate about sustainable development and wants to multiply her impact by lending, not just giving. She's highly digital but cautious — previous experience with a dodgy investment app left her £800 out of pocket and wary of any fintech promising returns.
Goals
Lend in GBP and have it deployed in Nigeria seamlessly
See real stories and updates from borrowers she's funded
Know her capital is protected by a credible guarantee mechanism
Pain Points
FX conversion fees erode the returns she was promised
Needs UK-compliant T&Cs and FCA framing to trust the platform
Onboarding that feels designed only for Nigerians puts her off
"I want to invest in Adaeze's fabric stall, not just read about people like her."
04
22 INSIGHTS
Findings
Key Research Insights
INSIGHT 01 · TRUST
"Guaranteed" Triggers Scam Alarm Bells
The word "guaranteed" — central to ImagineLenders' value proposition — reads as a red flag to 9 of 16 IDI participants. Users have been burned by platforms making identical promises. The guarantee needs radical transparency: who backs it, how it works, and what happens if someone defaults.
PARTICIPANT QUOTE
"Anytime I see 'guaranteed returns' I close the app. That's what the scam platforms all say."
INSIGHT 02 · DIGNITY
Borrowing Carries Social Shame
Across all focus groups, borrowers expressed anxiety about being judged for needing a loan. The application flow must feel empowering — not like a credit assessment that exposes vulnerability. Language, framing, and visual design all contribute to psychological safety.
FOCUS GROUP OBSERVATION
"I don't want a form asking why I need the money. That's my business."
INSIGHT 03 · LITERACY
Interest Rate Formats Cause Confusion
82% of survey respondents could not correctly interpret "12% p.a." as a monthly repayment amount. Users understood "pay back ₦175,000 for a ₦150,000 loan over 6 months" clearly. Plain-number formats dramatically outperform percentage-based ones.
SURVEY FINDING
"Just tell me: how much will I pay each week? That's all I need to know."
INSIGHT 04 · LENDER CONFIDENCE
Lenders Want to See the Human, Not the Number
Lenders consistently responded more to borrower stories, photos, and project context than to credit scores or financial data. A borrower with a photo, purpose statement, and repayment track record received 3× more engagement in prototype testing than an anonymised listing.
PROTOTYPE TEST OBSERVATION
"When I can see who I'm lending to — what they're building — I feel connected. It doesn't feel like gambling."
INSIGHT 05 · REPAYMENT
Repayment Reminders Must Be Gentle, Not Punitive
Diary study revealed extreme stress responses to "threatening" payment reminder language. Words like "overdue," "penalty," and "warning" caused users to avoid the app entirely. Empathetic, solution-oriented nudges ("Your next repayment is in 3 days — tap to pay or reschedule") kept users engaged.
DIARY STUDY ENTRY
"When it said 'URGENT: overdue payment' I felt sick. I closed the app and didn't open it for a week."
INSIGHT 06 · ONBOARDING
KYC Abandonment Peaks at Document Upload
Funnel analytics showed a 61% drop-off at the document upload step — the highest in the entire flow. Contextual enquiry revealed why: users' phones were old, cameras poor, IDs worn. The platform needs multi-format ID acceptance and a "try again later" graceful exit that saves progress.
CONTEXTUAL ENQUIRY FIELD NOTE
"My National ID is old and torn. The camera keeps rejecting it. I gave up after 4 tries."
INSIGHT 07 · COMMUNITY
Social Proof Drives First Lending Decision
100% of lender IDI participants said they would only try the platform if a trusted peer vouched for it. A visible community counter ("4,200 loans funded this month"), testimonials, and referral mechanics are essential acquisition tools — not nice-to-haves.
IDI — LENDER PARTICIPANT
"If my friend has used it and got paid back, that's more convincing than any advert."
INSIGHT 08 · PERFORMANCE
App Speed = Platform Credibility
In field sessions, a 4-second load time was repeatedly described as the app "not working." Users attributed slowness to the platform being unreliable — not to their network. Skeleton screens and offline-first design are non-negotiable for user trust in low-bandwidth markets.
FIELD SESSION OBSERVATION
"If it takes this long to load, how will I trust it with my money?"
INSIGHT 09 · IMPACT
Users Want to Witness Their Impact
Both lenders and borrowers expressed a desire for a "progress" moment — borrowers wanted to share their funded status, lenders wanted to track project outcomes. A simple impact feed ("Your loan helped Adaeze restock her stall — she's now repaid 60%") transforms transactional UX into emotional engagement.
IDI — DIASPORA LENDER
"If I could see her shop growing because of my loan — that would make me lend again immediately."
05
CLUSTERED THEMES
Synthesis
Affinity Diagram
Research Data → Theme Clusters
Trust & Credibility
24 notes
"Guaranteed = scam flag"
Needs visible legal backing
Peer referral = strongest trust signal
Press coverage increases credibility
Default protection must be explicit
Transaction history = proof of legitimacy
Clarity & Literacy
20 notes
"Show me total to pay, not %"
Jargon creates anxiety & exit
Weekly breakdown beats annual rate
Plain language = dignity signifier
Visual repayment timeline loved
Glossary tooltips reduce anxiety
Dignity & Empowerment
18 notes
Borrowing feels shameful
"Fund my project" not "get a loan"
No humiliating rejection messages
Profile = identity, not just data
Celebrating repayment milestones
"Graduate" language for repeat borrowers
Impact & Community
16 notes
Lenders want borrower story updates
Community counter = social proof
WhatsApp sharing of milestones
Diaspora wants country-level impact
Impact dashboard = retention driver
"My portfolio" feeds pride + loyalty
06
3 FLOWS
Experience Design
User Flows
🌱 Borrower — Loan Application Flow
BORROWER
🏠
Home / Browse
See available loan types
→
📝
Project Setup
Name, purpose, amount
→
💰
Loan Calculator
See exact repayments
→
KYC Done?
Verified?
→
✅
Submit & Publish
Listing goes live
→
⏳
Funding Period
Lenders fund project
→
🎉
Funds Disbursed
To borrower wallet
Key UX principle: The repayment amount in plain numbers is shown before the borrower commits. KYC is triggered contextually — not as a first step. Progress is saved at every stage.
💚 Lender — Fund a Project Flow
LENDER
🏠
Home Feed
Browse projects
→
👤
Borrower Profile
Story, history, track record
→
📊
Returns Preview
Exact interest & timeline
→
💵
Enter Amount
Min ₦5,000 / £5
→
🔐
Confirm & Pay
PIN or biometric
→
🌱
Impact Dashboard
Portfolio + progress
Key UX principle: The borrower's human story is shown before any financial detail. The returns are presented as a concrete timeline, not a percentage. The "Fund" CTA is never shown before the lender has seen the guarantee mechanism.
🔄 Borrower — Repayment Flow
REPAYMENT
🔔
Gentle Reminder
"3 days to repayment"
→
💳
Repayment Screen
Amount + options
→
Funds Available?
Wallet check
→
📅
Pay or Reschedule
No shame, clear options
→
🎊
Confirmation
Celebration moment
→
📈
Credit Score Up
Unlock larger loans
Key UX principle: Every repayment is celebrated — never punished. If the borrower can't pay, rescheduling is equally prominent as paying. Completed repayments update the borrower's credit profile visibly and immediately.
07
VALIDATED IA
Structure
Information Architecture
🌱 ImagineLenders App
🏠 Home
Impact Feed
Featured Projects
Upcoming Repayments
Community Stats
💚 Lend / Fund
Browse Projects
Filter by Category
Borrower Profile
Returns Calculator
Fund a Project
My Portfolio
🌱 Borrow
Apply for Loan
Loan Calculator
My Active Loans
Repayment Schedule
Make a Payment
Credit Profile
💼 Wallet
Balance Overview
Add Funds
Withdraw
Transaction History
Send / Request
👤 Profile
Personal Details
KYC Status
Impact Stats
Referrals
Settings
Help & Support
Card sort finding: Users strongly preferred "Lend / Fund" over "Invest" (73% in card sort). "Borrow" tested better than "Loans" — removes the stigma of debt. "Impact Feed" surfaced as a desired home screen destination, not a secondary section. IA validated across 18 card sort + 12 tree test participants.
08
5 KEY SCREENS
Design
Mobile Wireframes
9:41●●●
🌱
Start Lending
I need a Loan
Onboarding
Screen 01
9:41●●●
🌍
78% funded
Fund This Project
+
Home Feed
Screen 02
9:41●●●
LOAN CALCULATOR
₦5k₦150,000₦500k
YOU WILL REPAY
Over 6 months
₦25,833/mo
PROJECT NAME
WHAT IS THIS FOR?
Review My Application
Loan Apply
Screen 03
9:41●●●
✓ Verified
★ 4.9 Rating
100% repaid
HER STORY
YOUR RETURN
Lend
Get back
Fund This Project
Borrower Profile
Screen 04
9:41●●●
ACTIVE LOANS
+8.4%
68% repaid
+6.2%
35% repaid
+
Impact Dashboard
Screen 05
09
14 PARTICIPANTS
Evaluation
Usability Testing
71.8
/ 100
Good · Grade B
SUS Score
Above 68 avg
Above 68 avg
79%
Avg task completion rate across 6 tasks
14
Issues found across all sessions
4
Critical severity issues requiring fix
+38
Net Promoter Score post-test
📋 Task Performance
| Task | Success | Progress | Errors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Create Account Sign up + choose role |
100% | 0.1 | Pass | |
Browse & Find Project Filter by category |
93% | 0.4 | Pass | |
Apply for Loan Complete application form |
71% | 1.8 | Review | |
Fund a Project Select & confirm lending |
86% | 0.7 | Pass | |
Make a Repayment Find schedule & pay |
64% | 2.2 | Review | |
View Impact Portfolio Find lender dashboard |
50% | 3.1 | Fix |
⚠️ Issues Found
Impact Portfolio Not Findable
7/8 lenders couldn't locate their portfolio. Buried in Profile > tab 3. Needs prominent bottom nav entry or home dashboard widget.
Repayment Screen Not Surfaced
Borrowers couldn't find where to make a payment. "Repay" tab was labelled "My Loans" — caused confusion with loan browsing.
Application Drop-off at "Purpose" Field
Users felt "why do you need this money?" was judgemental. 4 borrowers abandoned here. Replace with category selector + optional story.
"Guaranteed" Wording Triggers Scepticism
3 lender participants paused and questioned the guarantee before proceeding. Add a one-tap "How does this work?" explainer on first encounter.
KYC Camera Failure on Low-Spec Devices
2 participants on Android Go devices couldn't upload ID photos. Add manual text entry fallback and "continue with basic access" route.
💬 Participant Quotes
"When I saw the repayment amount in Naira — not a percentage — I finally understood what I was agreeing to. That made me feel good about it."
"I loved seeing Adaeze's story — her photo, her stall, why she needed the money. It felt like I was helping a real person, not just clicking a button."
"I couldn't find where to make my payment. I kept going into Browse Projects by mistake. The labels are confusing for someone like me."
"'Guaranteed returns' — I'll be honest, I hesitated. But when I tapped the question mark and it explained the guarantee fund, I relaxed. That button saved me."
"The app is beautiful but 'Why do you need this money?' — that made me feel like I was asking a bank for a favour. I almost stopped there."
"The impact tracker after funding was incredible. I could see my money growing and also see that Adaeze had repaid 3 instalments. I funded two more projects the same day."
10
8 PRINCIPLES
Strategy
Design Recommendations & Principles
Trust by Default
Every screen must earn trust before asking for action. Transparency, social proof, and explainers precede any financial commitment.
Plain Money Language
Replace percentages with plain Naira/GBP amounts. Show total repayment first, breakdown second. Never assume financial literacy.
Dignity by Design
Borrowing is an act of ambition, not shame. Every copy choice, form label, and notification must reinforce this. No punitive language.
Human-Centred Impact
Lenders fund people, not numbers. Borrower stories, photos, and progress updates are core product features — not marketing content.
Speed as Trust Signal
Load time = credibility in low-bandwidth markets. Skeleton screens, offline-first architecture, and sub-2s targets are non-negotiable.
Progressive Commitment
Never demand everything upfront. KYC, profile completion, and lending unlock progressively — each step rewarded, never forced.
Mobile-First, Always
Design for a cracked Android screen, 3G signal, and intermittent attention. Everything that works well on this baseline works everywhere.
Celebrate Every Step
A funded loan, a repayment made, a project completed — each is a milestone worth marking. Delight moments build loyalty at zero extra cost.
🔴 PRIORITY 1 · IMMEDIATE
Redesign Repayment Navigation
Rename "My Loans" to "Repay" and surface it as a prominent bottom nav item. Add a home screen repayment nudge card 3 days before due date.
Separate "My Loans" (borrower) from "Browse Loans" (lender) at nav level
Add repayment card to home screen — persistent until paid
Gentle nudge language: "₦25,000 due in 3 days — tap to pay or reschedule"
🔴 PRIORITY 1 · IMMEDIATE
Rebuild Loan Application Flow
Replace open text "Why do you need this money?" with a category selector. Add optional story field. Show plain-number repayment before KYC is triggered.
Category chips: "Restock business", "Education", "Medical", "Home improvement"
Repayment calculator shown BEFORE the application form begins
KYC triggered contextually at submission, not at entry
🟡 PRIORITY 2 · NEXT SPRINT
Elevate Impact Dashboard
Promote the impact portfolio from buried profile tab to a prominent home widget and dedicated bottom nav tab. This is the #1 lender retention driver.
Portfolio widget on home screen: total lent, total returned, active loans
Borrower update cards: "Adaeze repaid instalment 3 of 6 ✓"
Shareable "impact card" for WhatsApp: "I've funded 4 businesses this year"
🟡 PRIORITY 2 · NEXT SPRINT
Demystify the Guarantee
Add a persistent "How does the guarantee work?" tap target on any screen that mentions "guaranteed." A 3-slide explainer removes the biggest lender trust barrier.
Guarantee explainer: Reserve Fund → Covers defaults → Your capital protected
Show Reserve Fund size as a live counter on the lender homepage
Link to full guarantee T&Cs with plain language summary
🟢 PRIORITY 3 · ROADMAP
Resilient KYC for Low-Spec Devices
Build a progressive KYC flow that works on Android Go devices with poor cameras and slow connections. Never let a bad camera end a user journey.
Multiple ID format acceptance (NIN, driver's licence, voter's card)
"Continue with limited access" — basic profile, save progress
In-person KYC option via partner agents in Lagos and Nairobi
🟢 PRIORITY 3 · ROADMAP
Diaspora Lending Mode (GBP)
Create a GBP-first entry experience for diaspora lenders — showing impact in familiar currency and framing the platform as an investment in community, not crypto or speculation.
GBP → NGN live rate displayed throughout lender journey
"Send Impact Home" framing — not "invest in emerging markets"
UK regulatory compliance badge + FCA-aligned T&Cs
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