The challenge was clear: people in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar were tired of boring surveys and worried about their online privacy. Market research companies were struggling to get good data, and users felt like their opinions weren't valued (and their data wasn't safe).
We wanted to build BLAPP, a mobile app to change all that, to make sharing opinions fun, rewarding, and respectful of user privacy.
But how?

My role was to lead the UX design and figure that out.

This wasn't about just designing a pretty app; it was about understanding why people were turned off by existing survey apps and creating something completely different.

We started by diving deep into research. We talked to potential users... lots of them. We ran online surveys, reaching over 300 people across our target countries. We also peeked under the hood of competing apps, seeing what worked (and what definitely didn't).

The message from users was loud and clear: "We hate giving out personal information upfront!" They were skeptical, suspicious, and frankly, bored with the typical survey experience. Rewards were a big draw, especially cash, but privacy was a major roadblock. We also learned they didn't know what Zero-Party Data was.

This research led us to create four key "personas"; fictional users representing our main audience segments.
There was Omar, the reward-hungry student; Fatima, the privacy-conscious professional; Khaled, the casual user just looking for something easy; and Noura, who loved sharing her opinions. These personas became our guiding stars.

Our initial plan, based on some (incorrect!) assumptions, was to have a quick onboarding survey asking for basic info like age and location. We thought, "Hey, it's just a few questions, right?"

Wrong.

When we tested our first high-fidelity prototypes (built with a super-simple design system to keep everyone focused on functionality, not fancy visuals), almost everyone skipped the onboarding survey!
They wanted to get straight to the app, see what it was all about, before handing over any data. And even those few who did answer the survey? Some admitted they just clicked random answers to get the reward! Ouch.

That was a huge "aha!" moment. We had to throw out our assumptions and rethink the entire onboarding experience.

So, we flipped the script. We decided to make signup lightning fast: just an email, or one-click signup with Google, Apple, or Microsoft. No prying questions upfront. Instead, we made the very first thing users did was choose a few topics they were interested in – that was mandatory (but fun!). Then, boom, they were in the main feed, ready to answer questions and earn coins.

The feed itself was designed like a social media feed, but with a twist. We mixed in different types of questions – some multiple-choice, some ratings, some even with images. We kept it varied and engaging. And, yes, there were ads (we need to keep the lights on!), but we made them skippable, and users could even earn coins for watching them.

We also knew we needed a way to make sure the data we were getting was good data. So, we developed a "Credibility Score": a behind-the-scenes system that tracked how consistent people's answers were over time. This helped us identify users who were just clicking randomly (or, you know, bots trying to game the system).

We tested, iterated, and tested again. Each round of user feedback helped us refine the design, making it simpler, clearer, and more engaging. We added features like a progress bar for surveys, clear explanations of how coins and levels worked, and a super easy way to redeem rewards (with PayPal cash being the top choice!).

We also tackled the location tracking issue head-on. We knew people were wary, so we made it completely optional and emphasized that the data would be anonymous. We even designed cool, location-based "challenges" (think treasure hunts!) to make it worthwhile.

The result?
A BLAPP MVP that's ready to launch. It's an app built on respect for users, a commitment to data privacy, and a focus on making market research actually enjoyable. We're excited to see how it performs in the real world, and we'll be tracking key metrics like user downloads, engagement, and survey completion rates to keep making it even better. This project really drove home the point: listen to your users, be willing to change your plans, and always, always put the user experience first.

areeba, a big name in Middle Eastern finance, wanted to build VERTO, a full-fledged digital banking system. They'd tried before, but it didn't work out. After working on areeba's Fintech design for a while, I got the chance to lead VERTO's design from the start.

The problem wasn't just the tech. areeba had lost some key people, and the different departments weren't really talking to each other. My first job? Build a team and get everyone working together.

I met with the CEO and managers to get their vision for VERTO, and the feedback on version 1. Then I got to work. The initial steps were simple: talk to all the departments, map out how things worked (it was complicated), and get everyone on the same page. Our first big meeting brought together department heads and the core VERTO team to do just that: build the team, assign roles, and agree on the goals.

Next up: deep dives with each department. I learned how they worked, who did what, the tools they used (including the old, not so great VERTO), the problems they had, and what the testing banks had said.

With all that info, I ran a workshop to review what we'd found, assigned people to dig deeper, and adjust the plan. I did that a lot, really. We were always updating the plan.

Our first team meeting was all about making sure everyone understood the goals. We had people learn about departments other than their own – a great way to break down walls. We set deadlines, and then another workshop to review findings, fix the process maps, and define requirements.

My UX research was all about getting into the details. For each process, I looked at:
• How it works now (and why).
• Who's involved (and their roles).
• Tools & communication.
• How long it takes.
• The impact on customers.

That gave us a clear picture of what was needed and what was broken. I presented this at a stakeholder meeting, helped with project planning, figured out what other software we needed, and decided to bring in a UI design agency to speed up the process.

We prioritized features to build a roadmap, and then brainstormed: user roles, a VERTO ID, the system's structure, and user profiles (following all the rules, of course!).

I ran a workshop to get the design agency up to speed. We split into teams, assigned tasks, started a design system, and maintained a comprehensive journal.

The design teams then:
• Watched users and improved the process maps.
• Found pain points (at areeba and the banks).
• Sketched out how to improve key tasks.

We had regular workshops to analyze what we found, come up with solutions, figure out how to onboard banks and customers, and keep improving the design system. I always updated the stakeholders after each workshop.

I was in charge of driving the project, sharing knowledge, and building areeba's design team. My contract ended when we finished the first version of the onboarding process. I documented everything and helped hire the new design lead.

The new VERTO fixes the old version's problems. It's built on tons of user research, fits perfectly with areeba's other services, and follows all the regulations. It's set to be a leader, giving customers a secure and easy way to bank digitally.