Experience the MTN Nigerian vibe
MTN is a South African multinational mobile telecommunications company, operating in many African and Asian countries. As of December 2020, recorded 280 million subscribers, making it the 8th largest mobile network operator in the world, and the largest in Africa.
Active in over 20 countries, one-third of the company's revenue comes from Nigeria, where it holds about 35% market share.
MTN Nigeria is undergoing a Digital transformation as part of which they wish to improve the experience of their digital products. We began by overhauling their mobile and web experiences.
Lagos, Nigeria
Telecommunications
2,000+
Role
As the Lead UX Designer at Tech Mahindra for MTN Nigeria, I led the redesign of the myMTN App and website, focusing on design and information architecture. I managed a team of UX/UI designers, conducted knowledge-sharing sessions, and provided estimates during agile sprints. I collaborated closely with stakeholders to translate business objectives into effective UX solutions.
Challenge
MTN Nigeria is undergoing a critical digital transformation with the goal of significantly increasing new user acquisition from 1.2 million to 20 million. However, the current user experience on the MTN e-commerce website and mobile app is not meeting the expectations of young Nigerians, who are the target demographic.
These potential customers are increasingly turning to competitors like Airtel, 9mobile, and Glo Telecom due to their dissatisfaction with the existing digital experience. This not only jeopardizes MTN’s ability to attract new users but also risks losing current customers to competitors offering more compelling digital experiences.
To address this, MTN must reimagine its e-commerce website and mobile app to deliver a seamless, intuitive, and engaging experience that resonates with young Nigerians. By doing so, MTN can enhance user retention, drive new user acquisition, and establish itself as the preferred telecom provider in a highly competitive market.
Results
Through a comprehensive redesign of MTN Nigeria's e-commerce website and mobile app, we successfully transformed the digital experience for young Nigerians, leading to a significant increase in user engagement and satisfaction. Our efforts contributed to a rapid growth in new user acquisition, with MTN Nigeria surpassing its initial goal, scaling from 1.2 million to over 20 million users. This project not only strengthened MTN’s market position but also set a new standard for digital experiences within the competitive telecom industry in Nigeria.
35%
Improved onboarding process
25%
Increase in user retention
84%
Increase in time spent on web & mobile app
Process
Discover: Understand the UX challenges that MTN users faced while using the app and website. To gain insights, I conducted an exploratory study focusing on several key areas: Nigerian digital adoption, internet usage patterns, competitor app feedback, user habits, and privacy concerns.
Research & Analysis: We conducted user interviews, surveys, and analyzed in-app analytics to understand the pain points and user needs. We also studied competitor apps and industry trends to gather insightsre updates.
Define: I synthesized the insights gathered during the Discover phase to pinpoint the core UX challenges and user needs for MTN Nigeria's e-commerce website and mobile app. The analysis revealed critical pain points, such as user frustration with navigation, dissatisfaction with the overall user interface, concerns about data privacy, and a preference for more streamlined and personalized experiences.
Based on these findings, I developed clear problem statements and user personas that reflected the needs of young Nigerians—the primary target audience. This phase also involved defining specific design objectives, such as improving user flow, enhancing visual appeal, and addressing privacy concerns, all aimed at creating a more engaging and competitive digital experience.
These defined goals laid the foundation for the ideation and design processes, ensuring that the solutions would directly address user pain points and align with MTN’s business objectives of increasing user acquisition and retention.
Information Architecture: Based on the research findings, we restructured the web & app's navigation and content to better align with user needs and expectations. By prioritizing key features and essential information, we simplified the user journey and made it easier for users to find what they need quickly. The new information architecture was designed to be intuitive, reducing friction and enhancing the overall user experience.
This restructuring ensured that the most critical functions and content were easily accessible, supporting MTN’s goal of improving user engagement and satisfaction.
Wireframing & Prototyping: We began by designing low-fidelity wireframes to visualize the new layout and navigation, ensuring that the structure aligned with the insights gathered in previous phases. These wireframes allowed us to focus on the overall flow and functionality without being distracted by visual details. We iteratively refined the wireframes based on user feedback, making adjustments to better meet user expectations and needs.
Once the wireframes were solidified, we developed a high-fidelity, interactive prototype. This prototype closely resembled the final product and allowed us to test the design in a more realistic context. Through usability testing with target users, we identified areas for further improvement and ensured that the final design would deliver a seamless and intuitive user experience on both the website and mobile app.
Usability Testing: We conducted comprehensive usability tests with a diverse group of users to validate the design and uncover areas for improvement. The testing process involved 7 users from different backgrounds, ensuring a broad range of perspectives and experiences were considered.
We focused on key user journeys, including the Dashboard, Recharge, Buy Bundles, and Share & Borrow flows. Moderated usability testing sessions were conducted using Microsoft Teams and InVision, allowing us to observe user interactions in real-time and gather valuable feedback.
Based on the insights from these sessions, we made necessary adjustments to the design, fine-tuning the user interface and experience to better meet the needs of MTN’s target audience. This iterative process ensured that the final product was user-centered, intuitive, and effective in achieving MTN’s business goals.
Visual Design and Solution Phase: We crafted a cohesive visual language for the MTN mobile app, focusing on color schemes, typography, and iconography that ensured consistency across all app screens. A style guide was also developed to maintain this consistency in future updates.
The MTN app serves as a bridge, connecting Nigerian users with the world and each other. It has become a top choice for lifestyle experiences, offering personalized content and services. The app includes key features such as an easy top-up experience, curated plans and offers, OTT integration for content streaming, and a rewards program for loyal customers. Special attention was given to providing a seamless user experience, from sign-in and onboarding to navigation across different content platforms.
“ With new visual branding and design, the redesigned MTN Nigeria web and mobile app is crafted to provide users with a seamless experience in managing their mobile services, while clearly capturing the essence of our diverse customer base and core values.”