Hideway
Web Design
2022
Terraswitch
Terraswitch is a payment infrastructure for Africa. They enable payment processing needs using the most secure, user friendly and emerging technologies.
It is passionate about simplifying payments and empowering businesses and building a frictionless future of financial services, making payments easier, faster, and accessible for all.
PROBLEM
As TerraSwitch scaled as a fintech platform, users struggled with trust, clarity, and efficiency when managing payments and settlements. Early user research and internal feedback revealed that users found it difficult to understand how their money moved through the platform, when payouts would occur, and how secure their accounts were during onboarding and daily usage.
Key issues identified included:
• Low visibility into settlements and payouts, causing uncertainty around revenue, next payout dates, and transaction status.
• Fragmented financial information, which forced users to navigate multiple screens to track balances, revenue, and expenses.
• Security-heavy onboarding that felt complex, increasing drop-off rates among first-time users who were unfamiliar with fintech compliance processes.
• Limited guidance during payment link creation, leading to confusion around settlement timelines and payout expectations.
These challenges created friction for users who needed a fast, transparent, and secure way to manage payments, especially businesses relying on predictable cash flow. The goal was to redesign the experience to make financial information clear, trustworthy, and actionable, while maintaining the high security standards required for a regulated fintech product.
PROJECT GOALS
Based on the insights from user research and stakeholder alignment sessions, I defined the following goals to guide the redesign and ensure design decisions were tied to both user needs and business outcomes.
RESEARCH
To better understand user pain points and validate assumptions, I led a mixed-method research approach focused on behavior, perception, and financial clarity.
Research activities included:
• User interviews with existing customers, primarily small business owners and frequent payment link users, to understand trust concerns and payout expectations.
• Analysis of customer support tickets to identify recurring issues related to settlements, payouts, and onboarding.
• Usability testing on existing wallet and payment flows to observe friction points, drop-offs, and misinterpretations.
• Stakeholder sessions with product, compliance, and engineering teams to align regulatory requirements with user needs.
• Users cared more about knowing when they would get paid than how many features were available.• Analysis of customer support tickets to identify recurring issues related to settlements, payouts, and onboarding.
• Security steps were accepted when clearly explained, but overwhelming when shown all at once.
• Users expected financial data to be centralized, not scattered across multiple screens.
These insights directly informed the structure, hierarchy, and flow of the redesigned experience.
SOLUTIONS
The solution focused on creating a transparent, predictable, and confidence-building experience across the platform.
1. Launching the TerraSwitch App
• Streamlined Onboarding: The app launches with a clear onboarding flow that introduces users to TerraSwitch’s core value without overwhelming them.
• Guided Account Setup: Step-by-step prompts help users complete KYC, link business details, and activate wallets with minimal confusion.
• Progress Feedback: Visual indicators communicate setup progress, reducing uncertainty and early drop-off.
2. The App Home Page
• At-a-Glance Overview: The home page provides instant visibility into wallet balances, recent transactions, and account status. value without overwhelming them.
• Primary Action Focus: Key actions such as make payment, create payment link, and view settlements are prioritized for quick access.d activate wallets with minimal confusion.
• Reduced Cognitive Load: Content hierarchy and spacing were optimized to help users scan information quickly, especially during high-frequency usage.
3. The Wallet Page
• Clear Balance Representation: Users can easily distinguish between available balance, pending funds, and settled amounts.
• Multi-Wallet Support: Businesses managing multiple accounts can switch wallets seamlessly without losing context.
• Transaction Transparency: Each transaction includes clear labels, timestamps, and status indicators to build trust and confidence.
4. Making Payments on the App
• Simplified Payment Flow: The payment process was reduced to essential steps, minimizing friction and errors.
• Multiple Payment Methods: Users can pay via bank transfer, cards, or other supported channels from a single flow.
• Real-Time Confirmation: Immediate success or failure feedback reassures users and prevents duplicate transactions.
5. Creating a Payment Link
• Fast Link Generation: Users can create payment links in seconds by entering basic transaction details.
• Customizable Links: Amounts, descriptions, and expiration options give businesses flexibility for different use cases.
• Easy Sharing: Payment links can be shared across messaging apps, email, or embedded on external platforms.
6. Settlement Page
• Settlement Visibility: The settlement page clearly shows pending, processed, and completed settlements.
• Timeline Clarity: Users can track when funds are expected to arrive, reducing support inquiries.
• Downloadable Records: Settlement history can be exported for accounting and reconciliation purposes.
7. Adding a Product on the App
• Simple Product Setup: Businesses can add products with names, prices, and descriptions in a few steps.
• Product Reusability: Saved products can be reused when creating payment links or invoices, saving time.
• Error Prevention: Inline validation ensures accurate pricing and product details before submission.
USABILITY TESTING
Usability testing was conducted throughout the design process to validate assumptions, identify friction points, and ensure the experience supported users’ mental models around payments and settlements.
Approach
I ran a series of moderated usability testing sessions with existing and prospective users, primarily small business owners and frequent payment link users. Testing focused on high-impact flows including onboarding, wallet overview, payment link creation, and settlement tracking.
Participants were asked to complete real-world tasks such as checking their next payout, creating a payment link, and tracking transaction status. Sessions were recorded and followed by synthesis sessions to identify recurring patterns and usability issues.
Key Findings
• Users struggled to understand payout timelines when settlement information was buried within transaction lists.
• Financial data felt overwhelming when balances, revenue, and expenses were not visually separated.
• Users responded positively to time-based views that helped them understand trends rather than isolated numbers.
• Clear status indicators significantly reduced anxiety around pending and completed settlements.
• Security steps were better received when introduced progressively instead of all at once.
ITERATIONS BASED ON TESTING
Insights from testing directly informed several design changes: mental models around payments and settlements.
• Introducing a dedicated settlement page with clear payout amounts, dates, and statuses.
• Refining visual hierarchy on the wallet screen to prioritize key financial metrics.
• Simplifying payment link creation by clarifying settlement behavior upfront.
• Improving feedback states and labels to reduce ambiguity across transactions.
Outcome
By validating designs through usability testing, the final experience felt more predictable, transparent, and easier to use. Users were able to complete key tasks faster and with greater confidence, reinforcing trust in the platform’s financial workflows.
IMPACT
The redesigned experience delivered clear improvements:
• Reduced confusion around settlements and payouts, reflected in fewer support requests.
• Faster task completion for core actions such as checking balances, tracking revenue, and creating payment links.
• Higher onboarding completion rates due to clearer guidance and reduced cognitive load.
• Increased user confidence, particularly among business users who rely on predictable cash flow.
The platform evolved from feeling operationally complex to financially transparent and dependable.
LEARNINGS
This project reinforced key principles of fintech product design:
• Transparency is foundational to trust.
• Predictability matters more than speed when money is involved.
• Clear mental models reduce support costs and user anxiety.
• Security can feel seamless when explained at the right moments.
• Strong UX aligns user confidence with business outcomes.
Designing TerraSwitch deepened my approach to building fintech products that balance regulation, usability, and scale.
