Problem
Older adults hesitate to pay digitally — not because it's hard, but because they fear making a mistake.
Existing apps optimise for speed. They rarely account for anxiety, low tech confidence, or fear of an irreversible error.
01 — Case Study
PayNORA — A confidence-first mobile payments case study
A confidence-first mobile payments app that helps older adults pay digitally on their own — without fear, hesitation, or dependence on family.
ResearchStrategyAccessibilityAI AssistedVoice GuidanceFinTech
- Project
- PayNORA
- Role
- Product Designer
- Duration
- 90 Days
- Team
- 9-member multidisciplinary team
- Platform
- Mobile · iOS & Android
- Contribution
- Research · Strategy · UX · UI · Testing
02 — Project Overview
Why PayNORA exists.
Why PayNORA exists
To make independent digital payment feel calm — not risky.
Millions of older adults still rely on family for every transaction. PayNORA exists to close that gap by designing for confidence — the missing ingredient in existing payment apps.
Design Process — Double Diamond
4 stages · 6 weeks
01 · Discover
Divergent- · Interviews
- · Field shadowing
- · Market scan
02 · Define
Convergent- · Insight synthesis
- · Problem framing
03 · Develop
Divergent- · Ideation
- · Wireframes
- · Prototypes
04 · Deliver
Convergent- · Usability tests
- · Iteration
- · Handoff
03 — Research
Four observations that shaped the product.
Field interviews and shadowing with 20+ older adults across households, shops and community spaces. Every insight was tied to a design decision.
Insight 01
Observation
Users rechecked every screen twice before tapping Pay.
Insight
Confirmation isn't a step — it's a source of anxiety.
Decision
Introduced a calm, plain-language confirmation screen.
Insight 02
Observation
Many handed the phone to a family member at UPI PIN.
Insight
Dependence protects them from a mistake they can't undo.
Decision
Practice Mode lets users rehearse safely with zero risk.
Insight 03
Observation
Font sizes and dense UI caused visible strain.
Insight
Accessibility isn't a toggle — it's the default state.
Decision
Senior Mode with larger type, higher contrast, calmer layout.
Insight 04
Observation
Fraud calls were the #1 topic in interviews.
Insight
Trust is broken outside the app, not inside it.
Decision
In-flow fraud awareness prompts before sensitive actions.
Research Artifact — Affinity Board
20+ interviews clustered across four lenses, surfacing the hesitation patterns behind every design decision.
04 — Product Strategy
A confidence-first product bet.
Product Vision
Enable every older adult to pay digitally — independently and without fear.
North Star
Independent transactions completed with high confidence, per active user, per week.
Success Metrics
40%
Faster task completion
75%
Independent success
0 → 3.6
Confidence score (of 5)
AA
WCAG 2.1 compliance
Design Principles
Confidence over speed
Optimise for how safe users feel, not seconds saved.
Recognition over recall
Show, don't ask users to remember.
Reassurance in-flow
Explain what will happen — before it happens.
Accessibility by default
Legible type, contrast and touch targets baseline.
How Might We
- 01
How might we make users feel safe before, during and after payment?
- 02
How might we let users practise without financial risk?
- 03
How might we design for the widest range of ability by default?
05 — Feature Strategy
Every feature earned its place.
Each feature ties a real user problem to a design decision and its measurable impact.
Practice Mode
Signature
Problem
Users feared making a real mistake with real money.
Decision
A sandbox that mirrors real payment flows without transacting.
Impact
Users tried features 3× more often before real use.
Voice Guidance
02
Problem
Small type and silent screens left users unsure at each step.
Decision
Calm, plain-language voice cues woven into every critical action.
Impact
Users self-corrected mid-flow instead of stopping.
Fraud Awareness
03
Problem
External scam calls broke user trust in the app.
Decision
Contextual prompts before sensitive actions.
Impact
Users paused, verified, and reported suspicious cases.
Mistake Recovery
04
Problem
Near-misses left users afraid to try again.
Decision
Named scenarios and a calm path back to safety.
Impact
Recovery reframed as learning, not failure.
06 — Experience Design
Structure and flow, in one view.
End-to-End Payment Journey
01
Open App
02
Select Contact
03
Enter Amount
04
Review Summary
05
Voice Confirm
06
Enter PIN
07
Success + Recap
Supporting Artifact — Information Architecture
Four top-level hubs keep the surface area calm and the mental model predictable.
07 — Wireframes & Iterations
From baseline to confidence-first.
Four iterations — each pass responded to a real user reaction.
Wireframe 01
Baseline
Standard payment flow — dense UI and small confirmation states.
Wireframe 02
Calm & Guided
Plain-language confirmation, larger targets, in-flow reassurance.
Wireframe 03
Practice-first
Sandbox mode surfaced as a first-class entry to the app.
Final Direction
Confidence-First
Senior Mode, Practice Mode, and voice woven into the core journey.
08 — Final Solution
Four journeys. One product.
Grouped by user intent — not by screen count.
Journey 01
1 screen
Home Dashboard
Calm entry into the app.
Journey 02
1 screen
Practice Mode
Rehearse without risk.
Journey 03
1 screen
Fraud Protection
In-flow awareness before sensitive actions.
Journey 04
1 screen
Caregiver Approval
A trusted second pair of eyes on larger payments.
09 — Interactive Prototype
Experience the Product.
Best viewed on desktop · takes 20–40 seconds to load
10 — Validation & Impact
What changed for users.
Moderated usability testing with older adults across three cities. Refined across six iteration cycles.
40%
Faster task completion
75%
Independent completion (from 0%)
3.6 / 5
Post-test confidence score
AA
WCAG 2.1 compliance
Usability Testing — Iteration Artifact
Before vs. after the confidence-first pass.
Task success rose across every mode. The largest lifts came from Practice and Senior Mode — the two flows built directly from testing feedback.
11 — Recognition
Recognised at Design for Change.
Hackathon Recognition
Best Team Project — Design for Change Hackathon.
PayNORA was developed during the Design for Change Hackathon and was recognised as one of the Best Team Projects during the final showcase. The project received on-stage recognition for its confidence-first approach to helping older adults perform digital payments independently.
View Hackathon Showcase↗
11 — Reflection
Three questions. Honest answers.
What worked
Framing the problem as confidence, not usability, unlocked clearer design decisions.
What I'd improve
Longer longitudinal testing to see how confidence holds across weeks of real use.
What comes next
Extending the confidence framework to insurance, investments and healthcare payments.
Closing
Designing confidence into every payment.
PayNORA was never about making payments faster. It was about helping people feel confident enough to complete them on their own.
— Contact
LET'S DESIGN
MEANINGFUL
PRODUCTS
TOGETHER.
— Get in touch
Open to Product Designer roles
Hi, I'm Nitya — a Product Designer focused on Fintech, HealthTech, and Enterprise SaaS. If you're hiring or want to talk about a project, the fastest way is email.
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