Krylo - Payments Card App
Krylo - Payments Card App
Designing trust for people
Designing trust for people
Designing trust for people
A payments card app for India's underserved cities that was built from research, grounded in empathy, and designed to make first-time digital finance users feel safe enough to actually use it.
A payments card app for India's underserved cities that was built from research, grounded in empathy, and designed to make first-time digital finance users feel safe enough to actually use it.
Industry :
Industry :
Fintech
Fintech
Tools :
Tools :
Figma, Jira, Adobe Lightroom
Figma, Jira, Adobe Lightroom
OVERVIEW
Krylo exists for the people that most financial companies ignore. Their mission was clear, but translating it into a product experience was the hard part. It was designed for tier 2 and tier 3 cities, where digital payments were growing fast, but where trust in unfamiliar apps was low, and where a confusing UI meant someone just stopped using it entirely and went back to cash. The goal was to let users apply for a card, load money, make payments, and earn rewards, without it ever feeling risky or overwhelming.
Most fintech apps are designed by people who've been banking online for years. This project was about what happens when you design for someone who hasn't. I designed a prepaid card app that had to feel safe enough to trust with your money, and simple enough to use on day one, with zero prior experience.
The prepaid debit card platform was to be designed for India's tier 2 and tier 3 cities. These are places where digital payments are growing fast, but where trust in unfamiliar apps is low, and where a confusing UI can mean someone just stops using it entirely and goes back to cash. The goal was to let users apply for a card, load money, make payments, and earn rewards, without it ever feeling risky or overwhelming.
The result was a fully prototyped, research-backed product with a complete design system, built around one central idea: trust isn't assumed, it's designed.
This work is confidential.
This work is confidential.
Certain details have been anonymised to respect that agreement. The design process, artefacts, and decisions shared here have been cleared for portfolio use.
Certain details have been anonymised to respect that agreement. The design process, artefacts, and decisions shared here have been cleared for portfolio use.
MY ROLE
I worked alongside product managers, developers, and business stakeholders, and collaborated with a small design team using Figma as our shared workspace. Specifically, I worked on user research and persona development, competitive analysis, information architecture, paper wireframing, the full design system (colors, type, components, icons), high-fidelity UI, and the Figma prototype used for investor and partner presentations.
I was one of the designers on the team and wore a few different hats over the course of the project :
I worked alongside product managers, developers, and business stakeholders, and collaborated with a small design team using Figma as our shared workspace. Specifically, I worked on user research and persona development, competitive analysis, information architecture, paper wireframing, the full design system (colors, type, components, icons), high-fidelity UI, and the Figma prototype used for investor and partner presentations.
THE CHALLENGE
Here's the uncomfortable truth about most fintech apps: they're designed by people who've been banking online for years. So they skip over things that feel obvious to them.
The people we were designing for faced a consistent set of friction points: complicated onboarding, unclear fee structures, language barriers (most apps default to English only), and a low baseline trust in anything that asks you to link a real bank account. Many users had limited financial literacy and weren't familiar with concepts like cashback limits, spending controls, or digital wallets at all.
On the business side, the challenge was equally real. Without user trust and retention, the revenue model — which depended on card transactions and partner rewards — wouldn't work. This wasn't a UX problem with a business problem adjacent to it. They were the same problem
Torani is a near-100-year-old brand known for crafting nature-inspired syrups beloved by baristas and home enthusiasts.
For their 2024 "Flavour of the Year" launch, the marketing team came to me with a deceptively simple brief: build anticipation for a top-secret new flavour before its November reveal.
A static "Coming Soon" page wouldn't be enough. The goal was to keep users returning to the site over several weeks while simultaneously collecting valuable customer data (name, email, phone) for the launch CRM. The challenge was getting users to willingly hand that over.
THE SOLUTION
Five distinct phases, each informing the next. The through-line was always the same question: does this decision make our user feel safer and more in control?
Five distinct phases, each informing the next. The through-line was always the same question: does this decision make our user feel safer and more in control?
01 • RESEARCH
Understanding the gap
Understanding the gap
I started with stakeholder interviews to understand business intent, then moved into secondary research — market data, competitor audits, and behavioral studies on payments adoption in smaller Indian cities. One pattern stood out immediately: the regions growing fastest in digital payments were the most underserved by existing apps. We mapped five competitors and found the same thing everywhere: feature richness prioritized over clarity. We went the opposite direction.
I started with stakeholder interviews to understand business intent, then moved into secondary research — market data, competitor audits, and behavioral studies on payments adoption in smaller Indian cities. One pattern stood out immediately: the regions growing fastest in digital payments were the most underserved by existing apps. We mapped five competitors and found the same thing everywhere: feature richness prioritized over clarity. We went the opposite direction.
Employment
Employment
Private & Govt. Salaried
Private & Govt. Salaried
Salary
Salary
₹25k to ₹90k
₹25k to ₹90k
Age
Age
21-30 years old.
21-30 years old.
Gender
Gender
80% Male
>20% Female.
80% Male
>20% Female.
Education
Education
Min. 12th Pass or Diploma/Graduate
Min. 12th Pass or Diploma/
Graduate
Location
Location
Coimbatore, Nagpur, Vadodara, Jaipur
Coimbatore, Nagpur, Jaipur, Vadodara
Intent
Intent
To create an easy-to-use debit card platform and transform the conventional banking experience.
Redefine financial inclusion by offering a card that is helpful and gives users rewards, making customers keep coming back for more.
To stay ahead of the game by building features customers need and making deals with other great companies.
Showcasing collaborative products to fuel the revenue model.
To create an easy-to-use debit card platform and transform the conventional banking experience.
Redefine financial inclusion by offering a card that is helpful and gives users rewards, making customers keep coming back for more.
To stay ahead of the game by building features customers need and making deals with other great companies.
Showcasing collaborative products to fuel the revenue model.
Business Model
Business Model
Offer a special prepaid debit card that works both digitally (virtual) and physically, making it simple to pay and get money.
Integration of UPI technology to ensure all your transactions are quick and run smoothly.
Act like a small lender, helping people who struggle to get loans from traditional banks.
To be backed by big banks, working closely with them to process loans and offer financial services reliably.
Offer a special prepaid debit card that works both digitally (virtual) and physically, making it simple to pay and get money.
Integration of UPI technology to ensure all your transactions are quick and run smoothly.
Act like a small lender, helping people who struggle to get loans from traditional banks.
To be backed by big banks, working closely with them to process loans and offer financial services reliably.
Competitive Analysis
Competitive Analysis
Competitive Analysis
Competitive Analysis
Competitive Analysis
Competitive Analysis
02 · DEFINE
Building a persona that was real
Building a persona that was real
Rather than a vague "millennial user," we built a grounded persona: a young professional in his late 20s, moderate income, digitally curious but cautious.
Rather than a vague "millennial user," we built a grounded persona: a young professional in his late 20s, moderate income, digitally curious but cautious.
04 · IDEATION
Paper first, pixels later
Paper first, pixels later
The focus was structure. Paper wireframing was done to move fast and stay unattached.
The focus was structure. Paper wireframing was done to move fast and stay unattached.
04 · DESIGN
System first, screens second
System first, screens second
Before a single hi-fi screen, I built the full design system: color palette, typography scale, component library, icon set, and all interaction states. Bold and warm visual language, with clean white surfaces and generous spacing. The font leaned rounded and approachable rather than sharp and corporate. Every button state, empty state, and error toast was designed and documented.
Before a single hi-fi screen, I built the full design system: color palette, typography scale, component library, icon set, and all interaction states. Bold and warm visual language, with clean white surfaces and generous spacing. The font leaned rounded and approachable rather than sharp and corporate. Every button state, empty state, and error toast was designed and documented.
Design System
Design System
Visual Design
Visual Design
WHAT I LEARNED
The importance of cross-team collaboration
Working with members of my team, product managers, developers, and stakeholders taught me how essential clear communication and documentation are - especially for a product with multiple moving parts.Balancing user needs with business goals
I learned how to justify design choices not only from a UX perspective but also in a way that supported revenue models and long-term product strategy.
Adaptability is a designer’s superpower :
Constraints, feedback, and changing requirements are inevitable - staying flexible turns them into opportunities for better solutionsDesign is never done, it evolves :
Every round of feedback, whether from users or the tech team, deepened my understanding that iteration isn’t rework, it’s refinement toward real impact.
Let’s talk projects, collaborations, or anything design!
Contact
Let’s talk projects, collaborations, or anything design!