Borome Mobile - 2020
Streamlining friction in a loan app’s KYC process.
Role:
Lead Product Designer
Duration:
4 Weeks
Output:
User flow, wireframes, UI design, prototypes
Background
BoroMe began as a loan app for low-income earners in Nigeria, but a customer survey revealed something interesting - about 27% of their users borrowed money just to pay everyday bills. Airtime, electricity, water, and internet topped the list.
To meet this need, the business decided to evolve BoroMe into more than a loan platform by adding bill payment features. The challenge was to integrate these seamlessly alongside loans, keeping the experience fast and simple for users who value convenience above all.
What we wanted to solve
BoroMe set out to attract new customers and increase revenue by expanding its loan app to include bill payment services.
In my UX audit of BoroMe, I discovered that 62% of users dropped off during registration. The business viewed this as a way to filter out potential defaulters, but it also meant losing many qualified customers. At the same time, BoroMe was pivoting from being a pure payday loan app to offering bill payments, yet registration was still tied to the same lengthy KYC process. While KYC was critical for loan applications, it created unnecessary friction for users who only wanted to pay bills. The challenge was clear: reduce registration drop-offs by streamlining the experience and tailoring it to different user needs.
Gathering Insights
Looking under the hood
We analyzed data from Hotjar, Zoho CRM, Intercom, and app store reviews, then had research sessions with the customer success team to identify top pain points. The main questions I wanted answers to were:
What points had the highest friction during the customer acquisition journey?
How do we improve customer acquisition without compromising on the loan application process
What we discovered
The loan application journey broke down at two critical friction points.
Applicants had no way of getting help during the loan application process.
On average, three customers a day did not understand key loan information.
Applicants felt certain policies and charges were not transparent.
What we wanted to solve
Unclogging the funnels
Hotjar data showed applicants struggled with the loan amount slider, especially when trying to enter specific amounts. We replaced it with a simple text field and added a clear indicator of the maximum loan limit.
Key loan application screens were redesigned to give applicants clearer information on loan repayment policies and verification charges.
Streamlining processes
We split the process into two steps—signup and loan application—so users became customers earlier, giving them to access support and ability use other app features even before they apply for loans. This redesign cut down the number of steps customers had to complete loan applications,
Educating customers
We also added onboarding screens to educate prospects about key features like BoroScore and available payment channels.
The notification centre was redesigned to include blog-style articles, allowing the company to educate customers about new releases, features, and important account updates.
Outcome
Results and vanity metrics
1.8k
New customers were added within the first 90 days of deploying the new update.
63%
Increase in customer satisfaction regarding signup and loan application processes
57%
Increase in loan application completion rate as customers can now get help when they are stuck
Key takeaways
Interesting insights from this project
The business goal was to drive revenue by expanding the app with additional services. To support this, we first had to build the right infrastructure, which led us to address long-standing issues in customer acquisition and onboarding.
Along the way, we also improved transparency and strengthened customer trust. Sometimes it’s not just about shipping a new feature, it’s about aligning with long-term business objectives while solving short-term challenges and keeping customers happy.
Next steps
For the next version of the app, we’ll be looking at areas of friction around the loan repayment process. I’ll be sure to share more about this and the bill payment processes in the near future.