Amplify is on a mission to empower small, local businesses while providing financial flexibility to those in need. As a subsidiary of the Islamic Family & Social Services Association (IFSSA), Amplify seeks to scale its innovative solution beyond its initial launch.

Tested in Edmonton, Canada, Amplify introduced the Local Frequency Model, a system designed to keep money circulating within the local economy. Through this model, customers earn "Local Dollars" (a virtual currency with 3% cashback) by scanning a unique QR code at participating businesses. These credits can then be redeemed at other registered merchants, creating a sustainable cycle of community support.

For business owners, the benefits extend beyond increased customer engagement. By joining the program, they gain visibility as a certified participant, strengthening their ties to the local economy and fostering a sense of collective growth.

From the outset, accessibility was a top priority. Amplify aimed to serve diverse communities, including individuals with disabilities, low literacy levels, and those facing financial hardship. To achieve this, we needed to incorporate intuitive visual and verbal cues, simplify the checkout process, and create an experience that resonated with young users eager to discover new local hotspots.

To drive customer engagement, we integrated features that let merchants offer discounts and promote their unique products directly within the app. This not only incentivized repeat visits but also positioned Amplify as a platform for increased business visibility and community engagement.

In terms of accessibility, we implemented video tutorials for non-English speakers and carefully applied Amplify’s color scheme to ensure readability for users with visual impairments. The interface was designed to be intuitive yet concise, allowing business owners of all ability levels to navigate the app with minimal assistance.

By prioritizing both function and inclusivity, we created a solution that empowered local businesses while ensuring broad accessibility across diverse communities.

To set the stage for a successful collaboration, I organized an introductory meeting with my fellow designers. This allowed us to get acquainted, align on project goals, and dive into the client’s requirements and user flows.

Given that a previous design team had worked on an earlier phase of the project, we dedicated time to reviewing their materials and decisions. Our objective was to build upon their foundation while making any necessary adjustments to the overall sitemap and user experience to ensure a seamless integration of the new merchant-facing application.

Once the Project Manager distributed the briefing documents, I guided the design team in drafting key questions for the client. As they reviewed the materials, they identified gaps in information and areas that required further clarification. Our goal was to gain a deeper understanding of the business problem and align on the vision for a successful launch, both for the company and its users. By gathering these insights, we ensured our design approach was tailored to both user needs and business goals, setting a strong foundation for the next phase of development.

I took the lead on User Flow #1, which mapped out the merchant login process, differentiating it from the customer experience. By structuring our workflows this way, we ensured a cohesive, intuitive journey for both merchants and customers within the Amplify ecosystem.

However, merchant onboarding had distinct requirements. To map out these differences, I turned to pen and paper, sketching out potential flows to address key new features. These included a verification code for business owners and public-facing business identification details. Through these early iterations, I explored how to balance security, efficiency, and ease of use in the onboarding process.

Next, I translated my sketches into gray-scale wireframes in Figma, refining the user flow while ensuring alignment with the customer login experience. Although the merchant login followed a similar structure, I made several key adjustments to streamline the process, reduce unnecessary clicks, and improve overall usability. Through these refinements, the merchant login experience became more intuitive, efficient, and accessible, ensuring a seamless onboarding process for business owners.

Unlike starting from scratch, developing the style guide for this project required us to build upon an existing foundation. The customer-facing app had already established fundamental design elements, including typography, primary colors, and button sizing. Our task was to expand and refine the system with new additions and improvements tailored for the merchant experience.

To ensure an efficient workflow, I assigned each team member a specific aspect of the style guide. My contributions included:

Reconfiguring Buttons – Adjusting sizing, states, and interactions for improved usability.

Introducing a Secondary Color – Adding a light green accent to complement the existing palette.

Updating General Layout – Refining spacing, alignment, and visual hierarchy for consistency.

The style guide remained a living document throughout the project, continuously evolving as we refined our designs. It served as the central reference for maintaining consistency across all new screens and ensuring alignment with Amplify’s visual identity.

Although the core UI framework was established before our team joined the project, we still needed to explore layout variations during the upcoming UI iterations. To inform my design decisions, I conducted competitive research, gathering inspiration from apps with similar financial functionalities.

I specifically looked for examples that showcased:

Transaction Displays – How amounts, dates, and details were presented.

Daily Totals & Spending Categories – Effective ways to summarize financial data.

Card Positioning & Color Usage – How other apps balanced hierarchy, readability, and visual appeal.

By analyzing these patterns, I gained insights into best practices for structuring financial information, ensuring that our designs were both functional and visually engaging for merchants.

To explore different layouts and stylistic variations, we selected the home screen wireframe, the most functionality-rich screen, as our baseline for iteration. I challenged the team to push their creativity by designing one to two alternative versions while also reconsidering the information architecture to ensure that key details were easily accessible in the default view.

Once the iterations were completed, our Senior Designer narrowed the options down to the top three designs. I then presented these to Amplify, gathering their feedback on their preferred direction and any refinements they wanted for the final design. This process allowed us to balance functionality, usability, and visual appeal while aligning with the client’s vision.

With Option #2 selected as the final direction, we transitioned from grayscale wireframes to fully styled high-fidelity designs. Our goal was to refine the visual details, interactions, and consistency across the app while adhering to the established design system.

A key piece of feedback from our Senior Designer was to use the dark green accent sparingly, reserving it for strategic highlights to avoid overwhelming the interface and distracting from key call-to-action elements. For my assigned flow, I opted for a primarily off-white background, allowing the limited-use colors to stand out effectively.

To ensure precision and scalability, I converted wireframe elements such as buttons, input fields, and swipe-up modals into pixel-perfect components using auto-layout for consistency. Once the team finalized their high-fidelity screens, I conducted a final review to ensure UI uniformity across the board, maintaining a cohesive and polished user experience.

With my flow finalized, I shifted my focus to supporting the team, assisting with other designers' flows, updating the Style Guide to reflect the latest design decisions, and conducting a final check-in with the client to address any last-minute requests. This ensured a polished, cohesive final product that aligned with both user needs and client expectations.

Since a prototype was not within scope for this phase, these notes were especially crucial in guiding developers through interaction behaviors, transitions, and intended user flows. Our goal was to make the handoff process seamless, equipping the team with everything needed to bring the design to life with clarity and precision.

This project was my first experience designing a secondary app that needed to seamlessly complement an existing product. Working within those constraints was a unique challenge, we had to maintain design continuity while introducing new features without making them feel like a departure from the original experience. It was a bit like being on a media team at a live event, if everything runs smoothly and no one notices the transition, you’ve done your job well.

One of the most rewarding aspects of this project was Amplify’s deep commitment to accessibility. From my direct interactions with the client to their branding across platforms, it was clear that inclusivity wasn’t an afterthought, it was a core value. Contributing to a product that prioritizes better design for all was both a privilege and an inspiring experience for our team.