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Paayre — Group Savings for Shared Expenses.
A Fintech App that helps groups plan, contribute towards, and manage shared expenses together before a bill is due.
Role
Product Designer
Industry
Fintech
Project Timeline
3 Weeks
Image 1
Paayre cover
The Problem
Young adults living together in cities like Lagos frequently share financial responsibilities such as rent, utilities, groceries, and social activities. Despite these predictable expenses, they lack a structured way to collectively plan and manage contributions.
Instead, they rely on:
WhatsApp conversations
Manual bank transfers
Memory and informal agreements
Individual tracking methods
This creates a fragile system that regularly breaks down.
Why it Matters?
Managing money within friendships introduces emotional complexity.
Asking people to contribute feels confrontational.
Sending reminders can feel accusatory.
Organisers absorb most of the administrative burden.
Lack of transparency leads to confusion and tension.
The challenge is not simply late payments; it is the social discomfort and coordination friction surrounding shared money.
Who is it For?
Contributors: Young professionals and students participating in shared expenses who need visibility and transparency.
Organizers: Individuals responsible for collecting contributions, following up with members, and coordinating group finances.
Image 2
Shared savings setup
Business and Real-World Context
Nigeria has strong cultural norms around collective financial participation.
Examples include:
Group savings practices like ajo
Shared rent arrangements
Informal contribution systems among friends and families
Digital payment products can move money efficiently, but they provide little support for coordinating group financial behaviour before payments occur.
Problem Statement
Young adults managing shared expenses lack a structured and socially comfortable way to coordinate contributions. Existing solutions facilitate payments but fail to address the planning, accountability, and transparency needed to manage shared finances collectively.
Project Goals
Design a platform that enables groups to:
Create and manage shared funds
Coordinate contributions transparently
Reduce social friction around reminders and follow-ups
Complete contribution cycles without relying on external tools like WhatsApp
Image 3
Contribution planning screens
Research Objectives
I wanted to understand:
How people currently manage shared expenses.
Why existing systems fail.
The emotional and behavioural factors influencing group finances.
Research Methods
I did a whole lot of Secondary Research. I Explored existing studies and articles around:
Financial collaboration
Shared expenses
Informal saving systems in Nigeria
I also carried out Observational Research by examining how people currently coordinate expenses through:
Group chats
Manual transfers
Informal contribution practices like "ajo" (Traditional Savings)
Image 4
Group fund dashboard
Competitive Analysis
I Compared products such as: Splitwise, Venmo, and Cash App
Key Findings
Existing solutions are reactive. They tell users who owes money after expenses occur. Coordination happens outside the product. The users are still dependent on:
Messaging apps
Manual reminders
Personal tracking systems
Social friction is a major barrier. People avoid asking for money because they fear:
Appearing confrontational
Damaging relationships
Being perceived as demanding
Opportunity Areas
Structure collective financial planning before payments occur
Reduce emotional burden on organisers
Increase transparency around contributions
Create accountability mechanisms without making the experience feel transactional
Image 5
Research and money-flow mapping
Insight 1: Shared expenses are coordination problems.
Payments are rarely the difficult part. Coordinating multiple people with different financial habits is.
Insight 2: Social relationships complicate money management.
Financial tasks become emotionally charged when they occur between friends and housemates.
Insight 3: Visibility reduces anxiety.
Users want to know:
Who has contributed
How much has been raised
What remains outstanding
without repeatedly asking others.
Key Insight
Shared expenses are fundamentally coordination problems rather than payment problems.
This became the strategic foundation of the product.
User Needs
I identified the users needs as:
Transparency
Accountability
Reduced administrative effort
Socially comfortable reminders
A shared understanding of progress
Opportunity Statement
How might we help groups coordinate and manage collective contributions in a way that feels as natural as participating in a group conversation while being as reliable as a financial tool?
Design Principles
Reduce Social Friction
Minimise uncomfortable payment requests.
Increase Transparency
Make contribution status visible to everyone.
Encourage Accountability
Create shared awareness without blame.
Mirror Existing Behaviours
Build on contribution patterns that already exist within Nigerian financial culture.
Image 6
Contribution status and reminders
Product Structure
The product was organised into four primary sections:
Home: Overview of active funds and recent activity.
Groups: Create and manage contribution groups.
Wallet: Track contributions and fund balances.
Profile: Manage account settings and personal preferences.
Core Features
Fund creation
Group management
Contribution tracking
Smart reminders
Progress visualisation
Activity history
Primary User Flows
Create Fund Flow
Create Group → Define Contribution Goal → Invite Members → Launch Fund
Contribute to Fund Flow
Open Group → View Progress → Make Contribution → Receive Confirmation
Send Reminder Flow
Open Group → View Outstanding Contributions → Send Reminder → Receive Confirmation
Key Design Decisions
Smart Reminders: Research revealed that chasing contributions was the most socially uncomfortable task. These Automated reminders reduced:
Administrative burden
Emotional discomfort
Manual follow-ups
Fund-Based Contributions: Rather than traditional expense splitting, the product adopted a collective fund model. This approach aligned more closely with:
Ajo-like contribution behaviours
Group saving practices
Mental models already familiar to Nigerian users
Image 7
Fund activity views
Key Design Decisions
Smart Reminders: Research revealed that chasing contributions was the most socially uncomfortable task. These Automated reminders reduced:
Administrative burden
Emotional discomfort
Manual follow-ups
Fund-Based Contributions: Rather than traditional expense splitting, the product adopted a collective fund model. This approach aligned more closely with:
Ajo-like contribution behaviours
Group saving practices
Mental models already familiar to Nigerian users
Image 8
Wallet and group flows
Design Approach
The design process began by creating a foundational design system:
Typography
Colour system
Spacing rules
Border radii
Reusable components
This ensured consistency across the product.
Prototyping Process
The process moved from:
Sketches → Wireframes → High-Fidelity Screens → Interactive Prototypes
Validation
Informal feedback sessions were conducted with participants who matched the target audience.
Participants walked through key flows while explaining their understanding of each screen.
Findings
Finding 1: Contribution progress indicators needed greater prominence.
Iteration: Increased visibility of progress states within group views.
Finding 2: Reminder actions lacked sufficient feedback.
Iteration: Added clearer confirmation states after reminders were sent.
Success Metrics
Success would be measured by users being able to:
Create and manage shared funds efficiently
Track contributions without confusion
Reduce manual follow-ups
Complete contribution cycles without relying on external communication tools
Image 9
Prototype screens
Image 10
Outcome screens
The outcome of this project was a fully defined and designed social fintech product called Paayre, built from the ground up to solve a problem that existing tools had consistently failed to address.
The outcome was a fully structured application with four core navigation sections - Homepage, Groups, Wallet, and Profile. Every feature in the product was intentional and traceable back to a specific user need, which meant nothing was added arbitrarily and nothing important was left out.
Beyond the screens and the system, the deeper outcome was a product that had the potential to change behavior. Paayre was not designed to digitize the existing way people manage shared expenses. It was designed to replace it entirely with something more structured, more transparent, and more considerate of the social dynamics that make money in group settings so complicated. In a context like Lagos, where informal financial collaboration is already deeply embedded in everyday life but poorly supported by digital tools, that represents a meaningful and timely intervention.
Image 11
Final Paayre interface set
Beyond the screens and the system, the deeper outcome was a product that had the potential to change behavior. Paayre was not designed to digitize the existing way people manage shared expenses. It was designed to replace it entirely with something more structured, more transparent, and more considerate of the social dynamics that make money in group settings so complicated. In a context like Lagos, where informal financial collaboration is already deeply embedded in everyday life but poorly supported by digital tools, that represents a meaningful and timely intervention.
Back
Paayre — Group Savings for Shared Expenses.
A Fintech App that helps groups plan, contribute towards, and manage shared expenses together before a bill is due.
Role
Product Designer
Industry
Fintech
Project Timeline
3 Weeks
Image 1
Paayre cover
The Problem
Young adults living together in cities like Lagos frequently share financial responsibilities such as rent, utilities, groceries, and social activities. Despite these predictable expenses, they lack a structured way to collectively plan and manage contributions.
Instead, they rely on:
WhatsApp conversations
Manual bank transfers
Memory and informal agreements
Individual tracking methods
This creates a fragile system that regularly breaks down.
Why it Matters?
Managing money within friendships introduces emotional complexity.
Asking people to contribute feels confrontational.
Sending reminders can feel accusatory.
Organisers absorb most of the administrative burden.
Lack of transparency leads to confusion and tension.
The challenge is not simply late payments; it is the social discomfort and coordination friction surrounding shared money.
Who is it For?
Contributors: Young professionals and students participating in shared expenses who need visibility and transparency.
Organizers: Individuals responsible for collecting contributions, following up with members, and coordinating group finances.
Image 2
Shared savings setup
Business and Real-World Context
Nigeria has strong cultural norms around collective financial participation.
Examples include:
Group savings practices like ajo
Shared rent arrangements
Informal contribution systems among friends and families
Digital payment products can move money efficiently, but they provide little support for coordinating group financial behaviour before payments occur.
Problem Statement
Young adults managing shared expenses lack a structured and socially comfortable way to coordinate contributions. Existing solutions facilitate payments but fail to address the planning, accountability, and transparency needed to manage shared finances collectively.
Project Goals
Design a platform that enables groups to:
Create and manage shared funds
Coordinate contributions transparently
Reduce social friction around reminders and follow-ups
Complete contribution cycles without relying on external tools like WhatsApp
Image 3
Contribution planning screens
Research Objectives
I wanted to understand:
How people currently manage shared expenses.
Why existing systems fail.
The emotional and behavioural factors influencing group finances.
Research Methods
I did a whole lot of Secondary Research. I Explored existing studies and articles around:
Financial collaboration
Shared expenses
Informal saving systems in Nigeria
I also carried out Observational Research by examining how people currently coordinate expenses through:
Group chats
Manual transfers
Informal contribution practices like "ajo" (Traditional Savings)
Image 4
Group fund dashboard
Competitive Analysis
I Compared products such as: Splitwise, Venmo, and Cash App
Key Findings
Existing solutions are reactive. They tell users who owes money after expenses occur. Coordination happens outside the product. The users are still dependent on:
Messaging apps
Manual reminders
Personal tracking systems
Social friction is a major barrier. People avoid asking for money because they fear:
Appearing confrontational
Damaging relationships
Being perceived as demanding
Opportunity Areas
Structure collective financial planning before payments occur
Reduce emotional burden on organisers
Increase transparency around contributions
Create accountability mechanisms without making the experience feel transactional
Image 5
Research and money-flow mapping
Insight 1: Shared expenses are coordination problems.
Payments are rarely the difficult part. Coordinating multiple people with different financial habits is.
Insight 2: Social relationships complicate money management.
Financial tasks become emotionally charged when they occur between friends and housemates.
Insight 3: Visibility reduces anxiety.
Users want to know:
Who has contributed
How much has been raised
What remains outstanding
without repeatedly asking others.
Key Insight
Shared expenses are fundamentally coordination problems rather than payment problems.
This became the strategic foundation of the product.
User Needs
I identified the users needs as:
Transparency
Accountability
Reduced administrative effort
Socially comfortable reminders
A shared understanding of progress
Opportunity Statement
How might we help groups coordinate and manage collective contributions in a way that feels as natural as participating in a group conversation while being as reliable as a financial tool?
Design Principles
Reduce Social Friction
Minimise uncomfortable payment requests.
Increase Transparency
Make contribution status visible to everyone.
Encourage Accountability
Create shared awareness without blame.
Mirror Existing Behaviours
Build on contribution patterns that already exist within Nigerian financial culture.
Image 6
Contribution status and reminders
Product Structure
The product was organised into four primary sections:
Home: Overview of active funds and recent activity.
Groups: Create and manage contribution groups.
Wallet: Track contributions and fund balances.
Profile: Manage account settings and personal preferences.
Core Features
Fund creation
Group management
Contribution tracking
Smart reminders
Progress visualisation
Activity history
Primary User Flows
Create Fund Flow
Create Group → Define Contribution Goal → Invite Members → Launch Fund
Contribute to Fund Flow
Open Group → View Progress → Make Contribution → Receive Confirmation
Send Reminder Flow
Open Group → View Outstanding Contributions → Send Reminder → Receive Confirmation
Key Design Decisions
Smart Reminders: Research revealed that chasing contributions was the most socially uncomfortable task. These Automated reminders reduced:
Administrative burden
Emotional discomfort
Manual follow-ups
Fund-Based Contributions: Rather than traditional expense splitting, the product adopted a collective fund model. This approach aligned more closely with:
Ajo-like contribution behaviours
Group saving practices
Mental models already familiar to Nigerian users
Image 7
Fund activity views
Key Design Decisions
Smart Reminders: Research revealed that chasing contributions was the most socially uncomfortable task. These Automated reminders reduced:
Administrative burden
Emotional discomfort
Manual follow-ups
Fund-Based Contributions: Rather than traditional expense splitting, the product adopted a collective fund model. This approach aligned more closely with:
Ajo-like contribution behaviours
Group saving practices
Mental models already familiar to Nigerian users
Image 8
Wallet and group flows
Design Approach
The design process began by creating a foundational design system:
Typography
Colour system
Spacing rules
Border radii
Reusable components
This ensured consistency across the product.
Prototyping Process
The process moved from:
Sketches → Wireframes → High-Fidelity Screens → Interactive Prototypes
Validation
Informal feedback sessions were conducted with participants who matched the target audience.
Participants walked through key flows while explaining their understanding of each screen.
Findings
Finding 1: Contribution progress indicators needed greater prominence.
Iteration: Increased visibility of progress states within group views.
Finding 2: Reminder actions lacked sufficient feedback.
Iteration: Added clearer confirmation states after reminders were sent.
Success Metrics
Success would be measured by users being able to:
Create and manage shared funds efficiently
Track contributions without confusion
Reduce manual follow-ups
Complete contribution cycles without relying on external communication tools
Image 9
Prototype screens
Image 10
Outcome screens
The outcome of this project was a fully defined and designed social fintech product called Paayre, built from the ground up to solve a problem that existing tools had consistently failed to address.
The outcome was a fully structured application with four core navigation sections - Homepage, Groups, Wallet, and Profile. Every feature in the product was intentional and traceable back to a specific user need, which meant nothing was added arbitrarily and nothing important was left out.
Beyond the screens and the system, the deeper outcome was a product that had the potential to change behavior. Paayre was not designed to digitize the existing way people manage shared expenses. It was designed to replace it entirely with something more structured, more transparent, and more considerate of the social dynamics that make money in group settings so complicated. In a context like Lagos, where informal financial collaboration is already deeply embedded in everyday life but poorly supported by digital tools, that represents a meaningful and timely intervention.
Image 11
Final Paayre interface set
Beyond the screens and the system, the deeper outcome was a product that had the potential to change behavior. Paayre was not designed to digitize the existing way people manage shared expenses. It was designed to replace it entirely with something more structured, more transparent, and more considerate of the social dynamics that make money in group settings so complicated. In a context like Lagos, where informal financial collaboration is already deeply embedded in everyday life but poorly supported by digital tools, that represents a meaningful and timely intervention.