Case study · MTN Nigeria · Telecom · 2023–26

MTN Mobile App.

An end-to-end redesign of MTN Nigeria’s app, built around how people recharge, buy data, manage family numbers and find something to watch.

Three MTN app screens: Zigi onboarding saying “Y’ello there! I’m Zigi”, the home screen with data balance, Prestige Gold card and quick links, and the family-number switcher with a plan migration banner

At a glance

The project in two minutes.

The challenge

MTN Nigeria wanted to grow new users from 1.2 million to 20 million while Airtel, 9mobile and Glo took market share. Young Nigerians, the customers MTN most wanted, were unhappy with the app, and every survey participant called it slow and hard to use.

What I led

Role: Senior UX/UI Designer at Tech Mahindra, working with a cross-functional product team for MTN Nigeria.
UX definition: desk research, the user survey, competitor analysis, interview synthesis and the persona.
Design: user flows, wireframes, UI, prototypes, motion and interaction for the app and website.
Quality: UX governance and validation of the final build, plus a share of the usability testing.

The outcome

Recharge, balance checks, data usage and in-app support were redesigned, which reduced drop-offs and raised task completion.
Family numbers, usage-based plan recommendations and streaming now sit in one app.
The app was designed to WCAG accessibility standards.

Methods Desk researchUser surveyCompetitive analysisInterview synthesisPersonaSketchingUser flowsLow-fi prototypeWireframesUsability testingUX governance

MTN Mobile App

My role: Senior UX/UI Designer, Tech Mahindra
Client: MTN Nigeria
Team: Cross-functional product team
Platform: iOS and Android app, website
Scope: Research, UX definition, wireframes, UI, prototyping, motion, usability testing, UX governance

Recharge, buy data, manage family numbers and find something to watch, in one simple app.

Context

Africa’s largest mobile operator, and a growth target that needed a better app.

280M

MTN subscribers, December 2020

~35%

MTN’s market share in Nigeria

1.2M → 20M

Target for new users

MTN is a South African multinational and the eighth-largest mobile network operator in the world. It operates in more than 20 countries, and about a third of its revenue comes from Nigeria. MTN Nigeria started a digital transformation to improve its digital products, beginning with the mobile app and website.

The problem

Young Nigerians were unhappy with the app, and competitors were taking market share.

Airtel, 9mobile and Glo were competing for the same customers. Young Nigerians, a key group of prospective customers, were dissatisfied with the whole app and online experience. Every participant in our survey said the existing app was slow and difficult to use.

Slow and hard to use

The existing app was the most common complaint, from every survey participant.

Confusing offers

Plans and offers were hard to understand, so people searched Google to find the best one.

Family numbers

Many users manage numbers for parents, partners and children, with no easy way to do it in the app.

Strong competition

Airtel, 9mobile and Glo were taking market share.

Business goal

Grow new user acquisition from 1.2 million to 20 million by giving people the most competitive digital experience in the market.

A young man in glasses and a white T-shirt smiling at his phone, on a light lilac background

My role

I defined the UX and owned the design from wireframes to validation.

Define UX

Desk research, a user survey, competitor analysis and the persona.

Wireframes & flows

User flows for login, recharge, bundles, help and profile, then wireframes.

UI & prototyping

High-fidelity UI and prototypes for the app and website.

Motion & interaction

Interaction design and motion across key flows.

Usability testing

Tested the low-fidelity prototype with users (partial involvement).

Governance

UX governance and validation of the final experience.

What I owned. As Senior UX/UI Designer at Tech Mahindra, I owned the UX definition and the design itself: the research and its synthesis, the persona, the user flows, wireframes, UI and prototypes, and the motion and interaction work. I also led UX governance, checking the build against the design.

Who I worked with. I worked inside a cross-functional product team for MTN Nigeria. Usability testing was a shared effort, and my part in it was partial.

Process

Discover, define, ideate, design.

Discover

Desk researchSurveyCompetitive analysis

Define

Interview synthesisPersona

Ideate

SketchesUser flowsLow-fi prototype

Design

WireframesUI designPrototypingValidation

01 · Discover

Desk research and a short survey to learn how Nigerians use mobile and data.

I wanted to know which UX problems MTN users ran into on the app and website. I started with desk research on Nigerian digital adoption, internet use, competitor app feedback, habits and privacy, using data from Statista and DataReportal.

Questions the research had to answer

What are current purchase trends in Nigeria?

What do people buy most from telcos: prepaid or postpaid?

Which payment methods are used most?

Who leads Nigerian e-commerce, and why?

What is the best NPS among Nigerian telcos?

What is the age and gender of people who buy online?

Which lifestyle apps are used most in Nigeria?

What words do people use for data bundles, recharge and value-added subscriptions such as BBC Minute and Ayoba?

Survey results

A survey asked which MTN products and features people use today, to find gaps and new features worth building.

100%

said the existing MTN app was slow and difficult to use

15/16

recharge their phone through digital channels

14/16

liked and took part in MTN’s short video contests

11/16

browse less because internet plans are expensive

9/16

search Google to find the best plan to buy

58%

manage accounts for family members such as parents, partners and children

Competitive analysis

I reviewed app store feedback for Glo Cafe, My Airtel and 9mobile, MTNOnline.com keyword rankings, operator market share and DataReportal’s Nigeria data to find each competitor’s strengths and weaknesses. This shaped MTN’s feature set and information structure.

Research boards: MTNOnline keyword research and rankings, research notes, DataReportal Nigeria digital statistics slides and competitor app-store review screenshots

Keyword rankings, DataReportal statistics and competitor app-store reviews.

02 · Define

Interview synthesis, captured in one persona.

I synthesised the interview responses into themes, opportunities and features MTN could improve on. The persona sums up the key tasks, priorities and pain points.

Dora Adeosun

25 · Lagos, Nigeria · Digital marketer · Existing MTN user

“App needs be improved, sometimes I have to wait for hours to receive OTP.”

Goals

See the latest and trending apps
Get offers made for her
Recharge any number without saving it as a contact
Access streaming (OTT) apps

Frustrations

Hard to manage family and friends’ numbers on her account
Most offers and features are too complex to understand
Slow performance on her phone

Personality

FriendlyOpen-mindedGo-getterDisciplinedOrganisedPassionate

Tech

100% mobile

Environment

Home, out and about, social settings

Insights

What the research and the persona pointed to.

Put together, the survey, the competitor review and Dora’s goals and frustrations gave four clear problems to design for.

Speed and simplicity come first

Every survey participant called the app slow and hard to use, and Dora waits for OTPs and finds her phone slow.

Offers need to be easy to understand

9 of 16 people search Google for the best plan, and 11 of 16 browse less because plans are expensive.

One account, many numbers

58% manage accounts for parents, partners and children, and Dora wants to recharge numbers she hasn’t saved.

Entertainment is a reason to open the app

14 of 16 people took part in MTN’s short video contests, and Dora wants streaming apps.

Design principles

Simple and fast firstClutter-free and curatedUse the words people useColourful Nigerian feel

03 · Ideate

Sketches first, then user flows and a low-fidelity prototype for testing.

Quick sketches helped decide which elements each screen needed. I then mapped the main user flows and built a low-fidelity prototype for the first round of user testing.

LoginRechargeBuy a bundleHelp & chatFAQProfile & subscriptions

User flows for Help, Help MVP and Profile. Help starts with a chatbot and hands over to an agent if the issue is not resolved.

Grey-box user flow diagrams for logging in with a number or email, buying a bundle and recharging: OTP verification, choose number, choose bundle or amount, card payment, then done or do another recharge

User flows for Login, Purchase bundle and Recharge. Both purchase flows end with the option to do another recharge.

Low-fidelity wireframes used for the first round of testing.

Key decisions

Five decisions, each traced back to the research.

Family accounts in one app

58% of people manage accounts for family members. The home screen lets users switch between their own number and family numbers, and add new ones.

Plans recommended from usage

Expensive plans and confusing offers sent people to Google. The app recommends plans based on how each person uses data, such as a plan for someone who spends most of their data on Netflix.

Recharge for anyone

15 of 16 people recharge digitally, and Dora wants to top up numbers she hasn’t saved. Recharge works for yourself, saved family numbers or any number, with recent recharges one tap away.

Entertainment inside the app

14 of 16 people enjoyed MTN’s short video contests, and Dora wants streaming apps. A Play tab brings OTT platforms into the app, and non-MTN users can sign in to watch.

Simple and fast first

Every survey participant called the old app slow and hard to use. The UI keeps screens uncluttered, with quick links for the most common tasks.

04 · Design

A simple, uncluttered UI with a colourful Nigerian feel.

The visual direction drew on bright, friendly Nigerian colour while keeping each screen minimal and functional, because users asked for a clutter-free, curated experience.

Home screen with data and bonus balance, stories, MTN Prestige Gold card and a quick links grid

Migrate plan screen with the usage insight “You are a Netflix Freak” and a recommended XtraSpecial Postpaid plan

Recharge screen: enter mobile number, recharge for Myself, Your buddies or Linked numbers, recents list and voucher recharge

Play tab with a Netflix Avengers banner, continue watching row and channels such as Netflix and Prime Video

01 — Onboarding and home

Zigi says hello, and the home screen does the rest

Zigi, a virtual MTN buddy, welcomes new users. The home screen shows data and bonus balances, Prestige rewards, stories, and quick links for Recharge, Pay bill, Bundles, Borrow, Share, Submit NIN and Subscription.

Users can switch between their own number and family numbers from the top of the screen.

Home screen with data and bonus balance, stories, MTN Prestige Gold card and quick links grid

02 — Plans and offers

Only the plans that fit

Only plans that fit a person’s usage are shown. A user who spends most of their data on Netflix is offered a matching plan, and streaming subscriptions can be bundled with daily data.

Migrate plan screen with the usage insight “You are a Netflix Freak” and a recommended plan

03 — Recharge

Recharge for anyone

Recharge for yourself, your saved numbers or any number, with recent recharges listed and voucher recharge at the bottom.

Recharge screen with Myself, Your buddies and Linked numbers options and a recents list

04 — Play

Something to watch

The Play tab brings Netflix, Prime Video and other platforms into the app, so people can find content without leaving it. Non-MTN users can sign in to watch too.

Play tab with Netflix banner, continue watching row and channels

Beyond the core

Rewards, content and feedback.

Loyal customers get rewards such as a 20% discount voucher for BON Hotel Abuja, redeemed with a QR code, and BBC content such as Football Daily and The Comb plays inside the app.

Three screens: a BON Hotel Abuja 20% discount voucher with QR code and Redeem button, a BBC Football Daily audio player, and the BBC World Service podcast The Comb with an episode list

Rewards and BBC audio content for loyal customers.

Feedback takes four short steps with an emoji slider, and ends by inviting users to share MTN with friends and family to earn vouchers.

Three feedback screens: “Thanks, John! Let’s begin” with the statement “Airtime recharge is very easy” and an emoji slider, the last step “I’d like to refer MTN to my friends” with Submit, and a thank-you sheet offering Share and earn vouchers

The in-app feedback flow, from first question to the share prompt.

All screens

Onboarding screen: “Y’ello there! I’m Zigi, your virtual MTN buddy” with an illustration and a Let’s get started button — Onboarding with Zigi

Family switcher with John, Maria, Hynetlfex and Son above plan details and a “migrate to new plan?” banner — Switch between family numbers

mPulse plan details sheet on yellow with a Confirm migration button — Plan details

Migrate plan screen: “You are a Netflix Freak” usage insight and recommended XtraSpecial Postpaid plan — Plan recommended from usage

Recharge screen: enter mobile, recharge for Myself, Your buddies or Linked numbers, recents list and voucher recharge — Recharge for anyone

Cart checkout: recharging for Maria, a bundle for John Mayer, promo code, pay using card and Proceed to pay — One cart for several numbers

Play tab: Avengers Netflix banner, continue watching row and explore channels such as Netflix and Prime Video — Play tab

Reward voucher: BON Hotel Abuja 20% discount with voucher code, QR code and Redeem button — Rewards for loyal customers

Feedback screen: “Thanks, John! Let’s begin”, the quote “Airtime recharge is very easy” and an emoji slider reading “I’m feeling great” — In-app feedback

Validate

Tested at low fidelity, then validated in the build.

The low-fidelity prototype went to users for the first round of testing, and I was part of the usability testing that followed. I also led UX governance, checking the final experience against the design.

Low-fi prototype

First round of user testing on the main flows.

Usability testing

Testing that followed, with my partial involvement.

UX governance

The final experience checked against the design.

Outcomes

What changed for MTN users.

Core flows for recharge, balance checks, data usage and in-app support were redesigned, which reduced drop-offs and raised task completion.
The app was designed to WCAG accessibility standards for users of all ages and abilities.
Family numbers, plan recommendations and streaming now sit in one app.

Learnings

What I took away from designing for a new market.

Learn the local words

How people name data bundles, recharge and subscriptions was one of the first research questions, because labels decide whether people find a feature.

Design for shared phones

Many users look after numbers for their family, so the account model had to handle more than one person.

Data cost shapes behaviour

When plans feel expensive, people browse less. Recommending the right plan matters as much as the plan screen itself.

Next case study

SalesHub+

MTN Mobile App.

The project in two minutes.

Africa’s largest mobile operator, and a growth target that needed a better app.

Young Nigerians were unhappy with the app, and competitors were taking market share.

Slow and hard to use

Confusing offers

Family numbers

Strong competition

I defined the UX and owned the design from wireframes to validation.

Define UX

Wireframes & flows

UI & prototyping

Motion & interaction

Usability testing

Governance

Discover, define, ideate, design.

Discover

Define

Ideate

Design

Desk research and a short survey to learn how Nigerians use mobile and data.

Interview synthesis, captured in one persona.

Dora Adeosun

What the research and the persona pointed to.

Speed and simplicity come first

Offers need to be easy to understand

One account, many numbers

Entertainment is a reason to open the app

Sketches first, then user flows and a low-fidelity prototype for testing.

Five decisions, each traced back to the research.

Family accounts in one app

Plans recommended from usage

Recharge for anyone

Entertainment inside the app

Simple and fast first

A simple, uncluttered UI with a colourful Nigerian feel.

Zigi says hello, and the home screen does the rest

Only the plans that fit

Recharge for anyone

Something to watch

Rewards, content and feedback.

Tested at low fidelity, then validated in the build.

Low-fi prototype

Usability testing

UX governance

What changed for MTN users.

What I took away from designing for a new market.

Learn the local words

Design for shared phones

Data cost shapes behaviour

Let's build something people love to use.