The project aimed to address the financial management challenges faced by schools across Africa. Stewards sought to develop a comprehensive solution to streamline and centralize financial operations, enhancing the ability of schools to manage payments, invoicing, and overall financial stability.

Schools in Africa struggled with fragmented payment processes and inefficient fee collection, misaligned with parents' pay cycles. This led to financial instability and administrative burdens, detracting from their educational mission.

As the Senior Product Designer, I utilized Agile and Design Thinking methodologies to create a high-fidelity prototype using Figma. I managed stakeholders and conducted user research to ensure the platform met the diverse needs of educational institutions.

The solution reduced administrative processing time by 40%, increased user satisfaction by 85%, and boosted platform adoption by 70% within six months, empowering schools to focus on quality education"

Our key priority was to focus on primary user goals, such as fee collection, payroll management, and revenue tracking. We stripped the platform to its core, ensuring that it was easy to use and provided a seamless experience for users.Our research informed the design requirements for the platform. I focused on creating a simple and efficient user interface that would make it easy for schools to manage their finances. We prioritized features based on user needs, ensuring that the platform provided real value to schools.

The Account Verification page was designed with a focus on simplicity and user guidance. I structured the process into easy, step-by-step stages that gently nudge users to provide the necessary information. To enhance the user experience, I incorporated the option to skip less critical details, allowing users to complete the verification process efficiently without feeling overwhelmed. This approach ensured a smooth onboarding experience, encouraging higher completion rates.

The Steward platform includes a robust student management system that centralizes and organizes all student-related data, from personal information to academic records. By assigning unique student codes, the system ensures that schools can easily track and manage individual student details, maintaining accurate and accessible records.

The loans (Income Advance) tracking page is designed to help users keep tabs in a clear and organised manner. I incorporated a clear repayment tracking system within the platform, allowing schools to monitor their outstanding loans and manage repayments without any hassle. Important due dates highlighted, ensuring schools are reminded of upcoming payments. Repayments can easily be monitored on the payment history tab which offers a detailed past transaction and repayments logs. to manage Loan breakdowns easily Interests Accrued and any other associated fees for late repayments are properly presented giving a full size overview of their Loans

In designing Steward’s payment management system, I focused on consolidating all financial transactions—both inflows and outflows—into a single, unified flow. This included creating a comprehensive dashboard where schools could manage tuition fees, donations, operational expenses, and other financial activities, streamlining oversight and control. To ensure financial security and accountability, I implemented permission levels and approval workflows, allowing only authorized personnel to access or approve significant transactions. I also developed an income advance feature that provides schools with short-term financial support for operational costs, along with a payment rectification system to handle transaction errors and ensure accuracy.

As part of the broader Steward platform, we recognized that parents often struggled with managing school payments, leading to missed deadlines and confusion. To address this, I designed a dedicated parent portal that centralizes all payment-related information. The first version of the parent portal included a centralized dashboard and detailed payment history, providing parents with a clear overview of all upcoming, due, and past payments

Since its launch, Stewards has made a significant impact on schools across Africa. The platform has been endorsed by several schools and has helped countless establishments streamline their financial operations. Stewards has enabled schools to align fee collection with parents' pay cycles, automate payroll management, and track revenue growth. Key Metrics Over 100 schools funded Approximately $500k total funding Available in Nigeria and Uganda, with more regions coming soon