Dubai is a fast-growing financial hub with a strong push toward digital banking.
Yet, many users still face slow, paper-heavy processes when applying for credit cards or loans.
APPRO fills this gap by offering a paperless, 5-minute application with instant comparisons across banks—making it an essential tool for today’s fast-paced, tech-savvy consumers in the UAE.
Iftekhar Salim
Chief Executive Officer, Appro
The Process
Following a Double Diamond approach:
Discover – User interviews & market research on pain points in UAE digital onboarding
Define – “Users need fast, transparent access to tailored credit offers”
Develop – Heuristic evaluation, ideation, wireframes & interactive prototypes
Deliver – Usability testing, iteration, and refinement
Auditing the Current Platform
During the evaluation of the existing Appro app, several usability issues were identified based on Jakob Nielsen’s 10 usability heuristics.
The main issues highlighted were—for example, visibility of system status was limited—users lacked clear indicators of their progress during the multi-step application process, which can cause uncertainty; user control and freedom; help and documentation.
Based on insights from the heuristics evaluation, the user flow was redesigned to improve visibility, feedback, and error handling. It creates a clear, step-by-step journey that simplifies offer comparison and application, providing real-time guidance and reducing user confusion throughout the process.
In the new prototype, the focus were on:
Clear “Apply in 5 minutes” user affordance
Step-by-step visual progress bar
Comparison screens with easy filter toggles (interest | cashback | travel benefits)
Right from the get-go, users can pick their options from onboarding.
Users will be able to compare the cards and offers once any bank reverts.
There is the convenience provided to look into the details of the offers including its terms and conditions - all with one tap.
Users can compare credit and loan offers from multiple banks in one go—snap decision-making aided by clear filters.
Appro represents a modern, UX-centric digital finance tool tailored for the UAE. By reducing onboarding complexity, embedding trust-building UI patterns, and giving users precise control over their options, the app delivers fast, confident financial decisions—all backed by rigorous UX process.