Empowering the Unbanked: Designing Dinero Express for Central America

for banco azteca, with frog design

We created mobile apps and a responsive web app for Dinero Express (DEX), a secure digital wallet that displays user balances and transaction histories alongside key actions. 

Artifacts: Google play link, App store link, Responsive web.

My role and responsibilities

As the interaction design lead, I collaborated with a small team of creatives and strategists, focusing on user research, defining product strategy, designing UI and prototypes and creating functional documentation for development.

Opportunity and problem

Dinero Express, part of Banco Azteca—one of Central America’s largest banks—struggled to attract younger users due to its traditional model. DEX aimed to enhance customer satisfaction and brand loyalty, recognizing the need to understand its primarily unbanked user base. Client’s initial hypothesis was the need to enhance long waiting lines around pay day.

User Research:

Our field research revealed users were more concerned with the speed and security of money transfers than with long wait times in the store. This insight highlighted a significant mistrust in financial institutions, leading us to emphasize the emotional and social aspects of money in our strategy.

Bringing Insights to Product Design:

Considering the findings, I proposed a digital wallet that prioritized user safety and highlighted successful money transfers. I explored various design models, from skeuomorphic wallets to more utilitarian interfaces focused on quick actions. Ultimately, we chose a familiar wallet concept: the home view prominently displayed the user’s balance, while actions like sending and withdrawing money were arranged like cards in a physical wallet. The latest transactions functioned as a link to a detailed feed. Every design choice, from structure to animations, was informed by user insights.