JUMO case study

Context and challenge

When I joined JUMO, there was no formal design function. The company relied on USSD and spreadsheets, with limited need for interfaces or user experience design. As JUMO shifted toward building consumer apps, partner consoles, and internal tools, I was brought in to establish product design as a core capability. I defined the design process, introduced systems for consistency, and worked cross-functionally to integrate design across teams and platforms.

General approach across initiatives

Across consumer, B2B, and internal tools, I established a practical design approach focused on clarity, speed, and collaboration. Each project began with defining the problem and understanding user and business goals. Given the technical complexity of our ecosystem, we started in low fidelity, using whiteboarding to align with engineering on core flows and system logic. From there, we moved into wireframes and interactive prototypes to validate ideas early with stakeholders before building out the final UI.

Below is a sample of UX foundation work across various initiatives.

Key initiatives

STAC

As JUMO entered the Indian market with its first direct-to-customer product, there was a need to design an Android app that delivered the full capabilities of its core banking infrastructure. The product had to support a flexible architecture that could adapt to local partners, scale across new markets, and enable a data-driven eligibility model to broaden customer reach and financial access.

Approach

In the foundational phase, I developed a design strategy from the ground up, collaborating closely with engineering and product to ensure technical feasibility and timeline alignment. We conducted competitor mapping, architecture, and wireframe development, along with extensive research. By engaging with DevOps engineers and the community, we addressed key pain points and set the foundation for a successful Beta version.

JUMO Portal

JUMO needed to evolve its business model to provide greater control and visibility into the partner portfolios of both Digital Container Partners (DCPs) and Financial Service Providers (FSPs). This shift aimed to create a clearer understanding of JUMO’s value, while building trust and cooperation around shared goals across the ecosystem. As the business scaled, a number of operational challenges surfaced, including the need for improved partner relationship management, standardized reporting, stronger data security, and automation of manual processes. The JUMO Portal was developed to address these needs and support long-term scalability.

JUMO Drive was created to solve a fundamental challenge for ride-hailing Drivers in emerging markets: access to vehicle ownership. Traditional financial systems often excluded these Drivers due to limited credit data, forcing them into rental models that reduced income and personal freedom. We designed a dual-facing product experience for Drivers and Dealers, mapping their interactions across a shared journey. With insights from customer intelligence teams, we identified the core motivations; speed and clarity for Drivers, and simplicity for Dealers.

We built a six-step application process that provided Drivers with personalized, data-driven offers, and clear expectations at every stage. Real-time visibility into Dealer-side actions helped build trust and eliminate friction. For Dealers, we preloaded Driver information, reduced manual input, and designed cues that highlighted deals in progress and completed sales to drive engagement. The result was a seamless ecosystem where Drivers could work toward ownership faster with less road time, and Dealers could support more deals efficiently with minimal overhead.

Impact

Increased the percentage of disbursements occurring in under one minute from 64% to 48%, by redesigning and optimizing disbursement journeys.
Tripled the speed of partner onboarding by developing and implementing a comprehensive Partner Portal and Portfolio Management tool.
Contributed to disbursing over $1 billion to African SMEs by accelerating microservice deployment and improving speed to market.
Enhanced collection rates through the design of more effective customer journeys and targeted content, leading to better engagement and repayment performance.