Empowering entrepreneurs through technology
Grameen America is a nonprofit microfinance organization committed to advancing financial inclusion in underserved communities. By offering affordable business capital alongside financial education, asset-building, credit development, peer support and health system navigation, the organization has helped more than 249,000 members build more stable, sustainable livelihoods.
At the heart of Grameen America’s model is a high-touch approach: weekly group meetings, close staff interactions and a strong sense of peer accountability. But with a growing member base, employees were increasingly stretched – spending much of their time answering routine questions or managing manual paperwork. Meanwhile, members often lacked easy accessibility to their own loan data or the ability to take action independently.
To continue scaling impact without compromising on personal connection, Grameen America turned to Endava to create a digital solution that balances efficiency with the personal, human touch that defines its model.
Designing a member-centered experience
Research and strategy
Our design team began by conducting in-depth interviews with 20+ members, capturing their routines, challenges and attitudes toward digital tools. Many had limited experience with mobile apps, so the solution needed to be accessible, intuitive and welcoming.
The research highlighted two recurring themes:
- Members see Grameen America as more than a lender – it is a community and source of trust.
- At the same time, they experienced frustrations with limited access to information and administrative delays.
These insights shaped our key design principles: empowerment, clarity and community alignment.
From personas to prototypes
We created user personas that reflected different levels of digital confidence and community leadership, ensuring the app could support both members who are new to using mobile apps and those who are more experienced and able to guide their peers.
The app architecture prioritised:
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My Loan: a clear hub for balances, payments and attendance
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New Loan: self-service applications with real-time status tracking
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Resources: support, help and educational tools
Delivering impact at scale
The MVP was delivered across a 12-month project, combining research, wireframes, user testing and high-fidelity prototypes. The cross-functional team included product designers, developers, QA, DevOps and project management, working closely with Grameen America throughout.
We worked to empower every stakeholder, including:
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Members: Increasing independence to apply for loans, make payments and track responsibilities anytime, anywhere.
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Staff: Reducing time on repetitive admin tasks, enabling focus on meaningful engagement and community building.
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The organization: Building a scalable model that preserves the personal, trust-based approach while expanding reach.
The impact in numbers
Since launch, the My Grameen app has become a core part of the member experience. Already:
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99% of members actively use the app
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88% of all loan applications are now completed in-app
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83% of repayments are made digitally
It’s clear the app is delivering exceptional value, with a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 88 and more than 20,000 reviews, averaging 4.9 stars on the App Store and 5 stars on Google Play.
And for staff, the app has reduced time spent on administrative tasks by an estimated 3+ hours per week, freeing them to focus on outreach, enrolment and relationship building – core features of Grameen America’s high-touch model.
A platform for growth and belonging
Beyond enhanced efficiency, the mobile app reflects the values and identity of Grameen America. Members described the organization as “supportive, empowering and community-focused,” qualities that shaped our design choices from the earliest research interviews to final design reviews and user testing.
The process was deliberately end-to-end and member driven. From ideation workshops and empathy mapping, through wireframing, iterative testing and refinement, the design journey kept real member voices at the centre from start to finish.
Onboarding was crafted to emphasize warmth, clarity and reassurance – with accessible language, supportive cues and intuitive steps to help even first-time digital users navigate the app with confidence. Throughout the interface, visual and interaction design reinforced trust and belonging, echoing the supportive group dynamic that defines Grameen America’s lending model.
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