Tando

Overview

Tando lets anyone in Kenya pay at any M-Pesa merchant using Bitcoin: instantly, privately, and with zero fees, without merchants having to change anything. By integrating with the Lightning Network and adopting a familiar M-Pesa-like interface, Tando lowers the barrier to everyday Bitcoin usage.

The research

As part of a UX Bootcamp fellowship, I ran in-person usability testing on the live app with real attendees at the Africa Bitcoin Conference in Nairobi. I observed how first-time and returning users handled onboarding and sending money, and noted where they got stuck.

What worked: fast, no-KYC onboarding; a send-money flow users found faster than M-Pesa; clear transaction progress feedback.

Where users struggled: no clear way back to the home screen, unclear next steps around scanning a QR code, no visible transaction history or multi-currency clarity, and failed transactions on certain phone number formats.

Goals

• Simplify navigation, with a clear way back to home from anywhere in the app
• Guide first-time actions like scanning a QR code
• Show amounts in KES, sats, and BTC, with a visible transaction history
• Handle edge cases (like failed transactions) with clear, user-friendly errors
• Preserve the speed and simplicity that made Tando fast to begin with

Approach

I mapped every pain point from testing to a concrete design change: "no clear way back to home" became a persistent back button on every core action. From there: low-fidelity wireframes and flow diagrams to nail navigation before pixels, then high-fidelity screens. Given Kenya's variable connectivity, I optimized for quick loading, readable type, and high-contrast visuals that hold up outdoors.

Before & after

Onboarding: a more robust flow that explains, in plain terms, what Tando does and what to expect.

Homepage: reduced four CTAs down to three, each with a short description so it's clear what each one does.

Transaction history: a dedicated tab with status and timestamps, a details page per transaction, and subtle animation to confirm successful payments.

Lessons

• Familiarity accelerates adoption: mirroring M-Pesa's interface helped users understand Tando's flows instantly
• Small details build trust: transaction history and clear error states go a long way
• Guided onboarding matters even in a simple app: setting expectations early reduces confusion later

Testing in a real, live environment, not a lab, surfaced edge cases and authentic behavior a moderated session likely would have missed.