Sama
Designing a community-powered savings system for 40+ women in India
Overview
Role
Product Strategy & Product Design
Timeline
4 Weeks
Team
3 Designers
Synthesized research across 15+ users to uncover cultural trust barriers in finance
Designed and tested 5 scalable user flows grounded in local financial behaviors
The Problem
In India, financial literacy is not an educational gap - it is a cultural gap
Women over 40
- Rarely manage household finances independently
- Avoid conversations about money
- Feel intimidated by western-style financial tools
- Lack motivation to save alone
it's not just them, market research reveals that
516 million women, or 80% of the female population in India navigate through issues of financial literacy.
Source: Estimated from World Bank
So how did we simplify this massive problem into one compact digital solution?
Existing fintech tools are:
- Individualistic
- Western-centric
- Intimidating
- Detached from social behaviors
Financial tools fail not because women don't want independence — but because the tools ignore existing cultural systems of trust.
Research Patterns
From Research to Product Direction
My focus was translating cultural behavior into product mechanics and designing trust directly into financial interactions.
The Breakthrough
Instead of introducing a new financial model, we digitized an existing one.
Research Patterns
Finance is socially sensitive
Women avoided direct money conversations — even with partners.
Trust is interpersonal
Women trusted friends more than institutions.
Motivation is social
Saving alone felt isolating. Saving in groups created accountability.
According to a forecast report by Industryarc,
The India P2P lending market is forecast to reach 10.5 billion by 2026
Barriers to traditional banking systems make the peer-to-peer model an optimum alternative for women in India
Kitty Parties already:
- Pool money
- Rotate payouts
- Operate on social trust
- Normalize money conversations
What if we built a financial product that felt like something they already do?
That's where SAMA comes in
We provide Goal-oriented product features that utilize "community" to foster long-term financial education and growth.
Join local groups with common saving goals.
View group members and set common goals.
Send invites to close friends and family.
Members are rated based on their trust, validity, and saving performance.
Set your goal intentions and preferences.
What are you saving up for?
Which month would you like to save up?
Engage with the customization options to personalize your experience.
Turn on Lender Protection for extra security
Toggling lender protection on ensures that your pooled-in money is safe; your ROI is guaranteed.
2% of the savings you pool in is collected as an additional service fee if enabled.
Track your common goal Share accountability
Look at your group progress and the time remaining to reach the set goal.
Increases accountability due to transparency.
Celebrate your success!
Groups can celebrate their success after a completed savings goal.
From this point onwards, you can explore your choices or withdraw your money to invest in alternate sources.
Use your savings wisely
Exploring your choices reveals options to:
Buy Gold
Invest in Safe Stocks
Create a future Safety Net
Or Treat Yourself through affiliate marketing brands.
Outcomes
SAMA's pitch landed loud. The panel responded with enthusiasm, and a lively debate on its future direction. We were urged to actually build and ship it for its potential.
"A good service either gives value or entertains, here I'm getting value."
— concept validation from a user
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