Wedaje Neo
A full-featured neo-banking app for Ethiopians worldwide.
Overview
Wedaje Neo — branded as Novalut — is a full-featured neo-banking app commissioned by Amhara Bank, one of Ethiopia's major commercial banks. The mission: deliver a seamless, inclusive, and intelligent mobile-first banking experience for Ethiopians worldwide — from urban tech-savvy youth in Addis Ababa to rural first-time bankers, diaspora users abroad, and merchants managing growing businesses.
I joined as the sole UX Designer, responsible for the complete UX strategy — from initial research, competitive analysis, and persona development through to user flows, feature architecture, and a high-fidelity design system spanning 14 product modules across the full financial lifecycle.
14
Feature modules
4
User personas
7
User flow charts
4
Languages supported
The Problem
I ran a two-layer competitive audit — global fintech platforms (Wise, Revolut, Payoneer) and local Ethiopian apps (Dashen Bank, Telebirr, Michu). The finding was consistent: no existing product addressed the full spectrum of Ethiopian users' needs. Novalut was designed to close every gap simultaneously.
The platform needed to serve four radically different users: a digital-native university student who refuses to visit a branch; a first-time rural banker who needs Amharic UI and offline capability; a diaspora engineer sending money from Minnesota who expects Revolut-level transparency; and a boutique owner in Bahir Dar who needs QR payments, a sales dashboard, and merchant loans in one app.
“The gap wasn't just one missing feature. It was a product built to treat Ethiopians as the primary user — not an afterthought. That became the north star for every decision.”
Understanding the Users
The defining challenge was designing one coherent system for users with genuinely distinct mental models, technical capabilities, and financial needs.
The Digital Native · 22 · Addis Ababa
University student. Wants banking that feels like social media — fast, modern, rewarding. Refuses to visit a branch.
The First-Time Banker · 39 · Debre Tabor
Farmer and informal trader. Recently got her first smartphone. Motivated by secure saving and small loans for her poultry business.
The Global Connector · 35 · Minnesota, USA
Software engineer sending money monthly to family in Dire Dawa. Values transparency, efficiency, and security. Uses Wise and Revolut.
The Hustler · 29 · Bahir Dar
Boutique owner with 2 employees. Tired of juggling payment platforms. Wants payments, sales tracking, loans, and growth in one app.
Design Process
Audited global fintech platforms (Wise, Revolut, Payoneer) and local Ethiopian apps (Dashen Bank, Telebirr, Michu). Finding: no existing product served the full Ethiopian user spectrum. Novalut was designed to close every identified gap.
Built four detailed personas — each with a genuinely distinct mental model, technical capability, and financial need. Every design decision was evaluated against all four before moving forward.
Designed and iterated seven comprehensive flow charts in FigJam covering every core product journey. After the first client review, four gaps were identified and incorporated — a loan application flow, a dispute handling system, notification flows, and QR payment paths.
Mapped the full product scope: Onboarding + KYC, Core Banking, Card Service, Neo Wallet, Payments, Lending, Foreign Exchange, Merchant Tools, AI Support, Loyalty & VIP, Offline Capability, and BaaS + 3rd Party API. Each module got its own information architecture before UI design began.
Built the complete mobile UI in Figma — navy and gold palette reflecting premium banking, with Amharic and English typography considerations throughout. Delivered a full component library with annotated developer specs.
Design Decisions
Onboarding
Rather than asking users to sign up cold, the welcome screen leads with five clear benefit statements — instant credit loans, Visa card, FX account, merchant tools, and savings. Users understand what they're getting before committing.
Authentication
The login screen shows the user's profile photo and masked phone number immediately — confirming identity before asking for a PIN. A biometric fingerprint button offers a one-touch alternative, communicating personalisation and security simultaneously.
Transfer UX
The transfer screen opens with recent recipients as contact bubbles for one-tap "Send again." Four transfer destinations are clearly separated. A floating QR scan button handles the payment path added after client feedback. Every element earns its place.
Personalisation
Users can rearrange their 11 quick actions across the home screen. Personalisation as a core feature — not an afterthought. This directly addressed Yared's need for a banking app that feels like a product built for him.
Multilingual
Amharic, Oromo, Somali, and English were designed as equal-priority language options — not translations of an English-first product. This shaped text field sizing, font choices, and content-heavy screen layouts throughout.
Outcome
Novalut was delivered as a complete, developer-ready design system — 14 modules, 7 user flow charts, and a full component library with annotated specifications, covering all four persona groups.
The design demonstrated that a single platform can serve users as different as a rural first-time banker and an overseas diaspora professional — when the information architecture is built around their actual mental models rather than a Western fintech default.