Work
Blue
Industry: FinTech
Deliverables: Product Strategy, Design & Launch
Year: 2024
Snapshot of BluePersonal Home Screen
Fostering financial convenience for all
Fostering financial convenience for all
Despite Africa's evolving P2P landscape, Nigeria's market faced key challenges: limited digital payment options for small businesses, fragmented individual-to-business payment flows, and a scarcity of convenient methods like QR/Barcode. Recognising these gaps, Blue Fintech differentiated itself by offering versatile payment options for individuals and enabling businesses to collect via QR/Barcode, fostering a comprehensive and convenient financial ecosystem.
Despite Africa's evolving P2P landscape, Nigeria's market faced key challenges: limited digital payment options for small businesses, fragmented individual-to-business payment flows, and a scarcity of convenient methods like QR/Barcode. Recognising these gaps, Blue Fintech differentiated itself by offering versatile payment options for individuals and enabling businesses to collect via QR/Barcode, fostering a comprehensive and convenient financial ecosystem.
My Role
My Role
I led a cross-functional team of developers and a designer to conceptualise and implement Blue's core products, BluePersonal and BlueBusiness, steering the project from ideation to successful beta launch.
My responsibilities included driving strategic conceptualisation and feature prioritisation, overseeing the design of key features, developing a robust design system for subsequent iterations, and fostering agile workflows across the team.
I led a cross-functional team of developers and a designer to conceptualise and implement Blue's core products, BluePersonal and BlueBusiness, steering the project from ideation to successful beta launch.
My responsibilities included driving strategic conceptualisation and feature prioritisation, overseeing the design of key features, developing a robust design system for subsequent iterations, and fostering agile workflows across the team.
Blue: Redefining P2P payment in Nigeria
Blue is a swift peer-to-peer (P2P) payment platform that empowers individuals and businesses to effortlessly send, collect, and request money. With versatile payment options such as QR codes, barcodes, phone numbers, USSD, and direct transfers between Blue accounts, Blue provides a seamless payment experience for all users.
My Role
Conceptualised and designed its two core products, BluePersonal and BlueBusiness, overseeing the entire process from ideation to successful implementation.
Snapshot of some BluePersonal Screens
Redefining P2P payment in Nigeria
Redefining P2P payment in Nigeria
Blue is a swift peer-to-peer (P2P) payment platform that enables individuals (BluePersonal) and businesses (BlueBusiness) to easily send, collect, and request money via versatile payment options including QR codes, Bar codes, Phone number, USSD, and direct transfers between Blue accounts.
Blue is a swift peer-to-peer (P2P) payment platform that enables individuals (BluePersonal) and businesses (BlueBusiness) to easily send, collect, and request money via versatile payment options including QR codes, Bar codes, Phone number, USSD, and direct transfers between Blue accounts.
BluePersonal screens displaying it multiple payment option
Direct transfers: Convenience at Zero Cost
Direct transfers: Convenience at Zero Cost
One of Blue's standout features is Blue-to-Blue direct transfers, which I designed to allow users to send and receive payments seamlessly. Recognising the importance of efficiency in frequent transactions, I implemented two intuitive features to enhance this experience:
Transfer to Recently Paid Users: Users can effortlessly view and select from their list of recently paid Blue users, significantly reducing friction for recurring payments.
Transfer to Beneficiaries: Users can easily search for and transfer funds to their beneficiaries, streamlining the process for managing regular contacts.
One of Blue's standout features is Blue-to-Blue direct transfers, which I designed to allow users to send and receive payments seamlessly. Recognising the importance of efficiency in frequent transactions, I implemented two intuitive features to enhance this experience:
Transfer to Recently Paid Users: Users can effortlessly view and select from their list of recently paid Blue users, significantly reducing friction for recurring payments.
Transfer to Beneficiaries: Users can easily search for and transfer funds to their beneficiaries, streamlining the process for managing regular contacts.
BluePersonal screens displaying direct transfer flow
Making payment via phone numbers
Making payment via phone numbers
Building on our commitment to seamless transfers within the Blue ecosystem, we also recognized the imperative to facilitate broader accessibility. Thus, Blue offers the flexibility of sending money using phone numbers. This feature, which I designed with paramount user convenience in mind, allows users to seamlessly sync their phone contacts and select the desired contact for payment. Importantly, recipients gain versatility with the option to either download Blue to receive the payment or direct the funds instantly to their preferred bank account, significantly broadening our reach and facilitating wider adoption.
Building on our commitment to seamless transfers within the Blue ecosystem, we also recognized the imperative to facilitate broader accessibility. Thus, Blue offers the flexibility of sending money using phone numbers. This feature, which I designed with paramount user convenience in mind, allows users to seamlessly sync their phone contacts and select the desired contact for payment. Importantly, recipients gain versatility with the option to either download Blue to receive the payment or direct the funds instantly to their preferred bank account, significantly broadening our reach and facilitating wider adoption.
BluePersonal screens displaying making payment via phone number flow
Building a financial ecosystem for individuals & businesses
Building a financial ecosystem for individuals & businesses
Building a financial ecosystem for individuals & businesses
Beyond its versatile payment options, Blue has strategically built a financial ecosystem centered around QR and Bar codes. This ecosystem enables businesses to collect payments from individuals by scanning their allocated Blue barcodes and QR codes. Additionally, individuals can make payments by scanning the BlueBusiness QR code.
Beyond its versatile payment options, Blue has strategically built a financial ecosystem centered around QR and Bar codes. This ecosystem enables businesses to collect payments from individuals by scanning their allocated Blue barcodes and QR codes. Additionally, individuals can make payments by scanning the BlueBusiness QR code.
Beyond its versatile payment options, Blue has strategically built a financial ecosystem centered around QR and Bar codes. This ecosystem enables businesses to collect payments from individuals by scanning their allocated Blue barcodes and QR codes. Additionally, individuals can make payments by scanning the BlueBusiness QR code.
Snapshot of BlueBusiness Desktop View for Receiving Payments
Make payment via Bar / QR code scan
Make payment via Bar / QR code scan
To facilitate payments via Bar/QR Code scan, a BlueBusiness user simply scans the barcode or QR code of a BluePersonal user. The recipient then receives a payment request detailing the due date, BlueBusiness information, and the requested amount, enhancing transparency and trust.
To facilitate payments via Bar/QR Code scan, a BlueBusiness user simply scans the barcode or QR code of a BluePersonal user. The recipient then receives a payment request detailing the due date, BlueBusiness information, and the requested amount, enhancing transparency and trust.
To facilitate payments via Bar/QR Code scan, a BlueBusiness user simply scans the barcode or QR code of a BluePersonal user. The recipient then receives a payment request detailing the due date, BlueBusiness information, and the requested amount, enhancing transparency and trust.
Snapshot of Make Payment via Bar/QR code Scan Flow
The power of user testing
The power of user testing
During the initial design phase, the home screen featured buttons for Send, Receive, Top-up, and Withdraw. However, user testing revealed that these buttons didn't effectively highlight the convenience of our QR and Barcode-based financial ecosystem. This insight led me to refine the buttons to Scan, Pay, Receive, and Wallet.
I retained the 'Receive' button among the top four buttons to emphasise the P2P concept, ensuring a steady inflow of funds within the Blue ecosystem. Users also appreciated the convenience of easily accessing their wallet ID or QR code for sharing and receiving payments.
During the initial design phase, the home screen featured buttons for Send, Receive, Top-up, and Withdraw. However, user testing revealed that these buttons didn't effectively highlight the convenience of our QR and Barcode-based financial ecosystem. This insight led me to refine the buttons to Scan, Pay, Receive, and Wallet.
I retained the 'Receive' button among the top four buttons to emphasise the P2P concept, ensuring a steady inflow of funds within the Blue ecosystem. Users also appreciated the convenience of easily accessing their wallet ID or QR code for sharing and receiving payments.
Snapshot showing the difference between initial and final iteration
The Result
The Result
The Result
As Product Lead, I successfully led a cross-functional team to develop and launch Blue's core products on schedule within six months, implementing all tested iterations. This effort culminated in a successful beta phase, marked by positive user adoption and feedback. My instrumental leadership also drove significant business outcomes, including securing a strategic partnership with a big-scale business operating 4 retail locations and serving over 50,000 customers (directly contributing to our platform expansion), and sourcing cost-effective vendors through strategic networking that reduced technology costs by 50%. Our success significantly bolstered investor confidence, with management now pursuing Series A funding to propel growth.
As Product Lead, I successfully led a cross-functional team to develop and launch Blue's core products on schedule within six months, implementing all tested iterations. This effort culminated in a successful beta phase, marked by positive user adoption and feedback. My instrumental leadership also drove significant business outcomes, including securing a strategic partnership with a big-scale business operating 4 retail locations and serving over 50,000 customers (directly contributing to our platform expansion), and sourcing cost-effective vendors through strategic networking that reduced technology costs by 50%. Our success significantly bolstered investor confidence, with management now pursuing Series A funding to propel growth.
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© Semira Yesufu 2025
© Semira Yesufu 2025
© Semira Yesufu 2025