Islamic Zakat Saving Experience for Bank Syariah Indonesia

Role

Product Designer, UI/UX Consultant

Role

Product Designer, UI/UX Consultant

Teams

UX Writer, UX Researcher, Business Analyst, Product Owner

Teams

UX Writer, UX Researcher, Business Analyst, Product Owner

Platform

Mobile App

Platform

Mobile App

Timeframe

2024

Timeframe

2024

Category

FinTech, Mobile Banking

Category

FinTech, Mobile Banking

Role

Product Designer, UI/UX Consultant

Teams

UX Writer, UX Researcher, Business Analyst, Product Owner

Platform

Mobile App

Timeframe

2024

Category

FinTech, Mobile Banking

Role

Product Designer, UI/UX Consultant

Teams

UX Writer, UX Researcher, Business Analyst, Product Owner

Platform

Mobile App

Timeframe

2024

Category

FinTech, Mobile Banking

Many Indonesians often forget or delay zakat Al-Mal. A zakat saving app can make it easier to set aside funds gradually and stay committed throughout the year.

Islamic Zakat Saving Experience for Bank Syariah Indonesia

Role

Product Designer, UI/UX Consultant

Teams

UX Writer, UX Researcher, Business Analyst, Product Owner

Platform

Mobile App

Timeframe

2024

Category

FinTech, Mobile Banking

Role

Product Designer, UI/UX Consultant

Teams

UX Writer, UX Researcher, Business Analyst, Product Owner

Platform

Mobile App

Timeframe

2024

Category

FinTech, Mobile Banking

Role

Product Designer, UI/UX Consultant

Teams

UX Writer, UX Researcher, Business Analyst, Product Owner

Platform

Mobile App

Timeframe

2024

Category

FinTech, Mobile Banking

Many Indonesians often forget or delay zakat Al-Mal. A zakat saving app can make it easier to set aside funds gradually and stay committed throughout the year.

What is Zakat?

“Zakat is a mandatory charitable contribution in Islam, considered one of the Five Pillars of Faith, requiring Muslims who meet the criteria to donate a specific percentage of their wealth to those in need."

There are two types of zakat:

What is Zakat?

“Zakat is a mandatory charitable contribution in Islam, considered one of the Five Pillars of Faith, requiring Muslims who meet the criteria to donate a specific percentage of their wealth to those in need."

There are two types of zakat:

Design Framework

Design Framework

Design Framework

Design Framework

Why Zakat Al-Mal is The Focus?

I usually have a weekly brainstorming session with cross-functional teams, including developers, fellow designers, our lead designer, the product manager, and data analysts. The goal was to align on what we’d tackle in the upcoming sprint and explore ideas for future development.

The topic of zakat naturally came up in the discussion. As we unpacked user behaviors and pain points, we noticed a clear pattern:

This revealed a deeper gap in awareness, planning, and tools, one that sparked ideas on how we could design a solution to make zakat Al-Mal more approachable, consistent, and accessible.

The Challenge

The Problems

Many Indonesians struggle with consistently paying zakat Al-Mal, unlike zakat Al-Fitr. Our findings highlight two key issues:

  1. Lack of Ongoing Planning: Since zakat Al-Mal isn’t tied to a specific moment like Ramadan, people often forget or delay it.

  2. Low Visibility and Reminders: Many don’t regularly set aside money for zakat, so when it’s time to pay, they’re not financially ready.

Design Framework

Why Zakat Al-Mal is The Focus?

I usually have a weekly brainstorming session with cross-functional teams, including developers, fellow designers, our lead designer, the product manager, and data analysts. The goal was to align on what we’d tackle in the upcoming sprint and explore ideas for future development.

The topic of zakat naturally came up in the discussion. As we unpacked user behaviors and pain points, we noticed a clear pattern:

This revealed a deeper gap in awareness, planning, and tools, one that sparked ideas on how we could design a solution to make zakat Al-Mal more approachable, consistent, and accessible.

The Challenge

Validate The Problems

The Problems

Many Indonesians struggle with consistently paying zakat Al-Mal, unlike zakat Al-Fitr. Our findings highlight two key issues:

  1. Lack of Ongoing Planning: Since zakat Al-Mal isn’t tied to a specific moment like Ramadan, people often forget or delay it.

  2. Low Visibility and Reminders: Many don’t regularly set aside money for zakat, so when it’s time to pay, they’re not financially ready.

I came across a striking data point while reviewing the Zakat Outlook 2024 report published by Indonesia’s National Amil Zakat Agency (BAZNAS). According to the report, Indonesia has the potential to collect over 330 trillion IDR in zakat annually, that’s about 26 billion SGD.

But what actually gets paid is a fraction of that: just 33 trillion IDR, or around 2.6 billion SGD. That’s only 10% of the potential.

This gap isn’t just about numbers, it reveals a deeper issue. Many people want to fulfill their zakat Al-Mal, but without the right knowledge, habits, or tools, it often gets overlooked. It’s a missed opportunity, not just for individuals to complete their religious duty, but for society to benefit from the full impact of zakat..

Research

🗣️ Qualitative Interview

I wanted to hear directly from BSI’s target audience to make sure the final product truly reflects their needs and everyday experiences. So, I spoke with 15 users (aged 25–55) for 30 minutes each, across different backgrounds to better understand their perspectives.

Objectives:

  • Map out users’ flow and thought process for overall zakat handling, both offline and online.

  • Learn what really matters to them when it comes to bringing zakat payments into BSI’s ecosystem.

  • Gather their pain points to help us build smoother, so we can design something that feels easier and more helpful than their current zakat experience.

Some question samples that I asked out to participants:

📋 User Survey

Some question samples that I asked out to participants:

To get broader insights and a stronger grasp of user behavior, I also ran a survey that reached 100 BSI users. This helped complement the interviews and gave a clearer view of common patterns and challenges.

Before diving into design, I wanted to really understand how people think and feel about paying zakat, especially zakat Al-Mal. So I started by gathering insights through:

📊 Competitive Analysis

I conducted a competitive analysis to see how other platforms approach zakat related features and to spot gaps we could improve on or do differently. Some competitors that also offer zakat related features include:

Based on the competitor analysis, most existing competitors, such as BCA Mobile, Muamalat Bank, and Maybank Indonesia, focus solely on direct one time zakat payments, with limited user flexibility.

Insights & Analysis

💡 We Obtained a Few Insights Which Would Shape The Design

After speaking with 15 BSI target users, I uncovered key insights that deeply informed the direction of the solution. These conversations gave me a closer look into their day-to-day financial habits, their understanding of zakat, especially zakat Al-Mal, and the emotional & practical barriers they face when trying to fulfill it.

One insight stood out: users were far more likely to commit to zakat Al-Mal when they approached it as a long-term goal rather than a one time payment. When they saw it as something they could plan and save for over time, it felt more manageable and meaningful, opening up an opportunity to design a solution that supports intentional, goal based giving.

Validate The Insights

To validate the insights I gathered from user interviews, I looked into behavioral research around how people approach long-term goals.

One study from the Judgment and Decision Making journal (Cambridge, Vol. 8, Issue 1, January 2013) stood out. It explored how willing people are to reduce their spending in order to save.

The findings revealed a clear pattern: individuals were 20–30% more likely to save when a large goal was broken down into smaller, specific subgoals. In other words, people find it much easier to take action when a big objective feels more manageable and measurable.

This really clicked with what I heard during the interviews, people were much more willing to commit to paying zakat Al-Mal when they saw it as something they could work toward over time, instead of a sudden one time payment.

📢 Turning Insights into Action

"How might we enable Bank Syariah Indonesia users to easily save and pay their zakat on time?

Validate The Problems

I came across a striking data point while reviewing the Zakat Outlook 2024 report published by Indonesia’s National Amil Zakat Agency (BAZNAS). According to the report, Indonesia has the potential to collect over 330 trillion IDR in zakat annually, that’s about 26 billion SGD.

But what actually gets paid is a fraction of that: just 33 trillion IDR, or around 2.6 billion SGD. That’s only 10% of the potential.

This gap isn’t just about numbers, it reveals a deeper issue. Many people want to fulfill their zakat Al-Mal, but without the right knowledge, habits, or tools, it often gets overlooked. It’s a missed opportunity, not just for individuals to complete their religious duty, but for society to benefit from the full impact of zakat..

Research

Before diving into design, I wanted to really understand how people think and feel about paying zakat, especially zakat Al-Mal. So I started by gathering insights through:

🗣️ Qualitative Interview

I wanted to hear directly from BSI’s target audience to make sure the final product truly reflects their needs and everyday experiences. So, I spoke with 15 users (aged 25–55) for 30 minutes each, across different backgrounds to better understand their perspectives.

Objectives:

  • Map out users’ flow and thought process for overall zakat handling, both offline and online.

  • Learn what really matters to them when it comes to bringing zakat payments into BSI’s ecosystem.

  • Gather their pain points to help us build smoother, so we can design something that feels easier and more helpful than their current zakat experience.

Some question samples that I asked out to participants:

📋 User Survey

To get broader insights and a stronger grasp of user behavior, I also ran a survey that reached 100 BSI users. This helped complement the interviews and gave a clearer view of common patterns and challenges.

Some question samples that I asked out to participants:

📊 Competitive Analysis

I conducted a competitive analysis to see how other platforms approach zakat related features and to spot gaps we could improve on or do differently. Some competitors that also offer zakat related features include:

Based on the competitor analysis, most existing competitors, such as BCA Mobile, Muamalat Bank, and Maybank Indonesia, focus solely on direct one time zakat payments, with limited user flexibility.

Insights & Analysis

💡 We Obtained a Few Insights Which Would Shape The Design

After speaking with 15 BSI target users, I uncovered key insights that deeply informed the direction of the solution. These conversations gave me a closer look into their day-to-day financial habits, their understanding of zakat, especially zakat Al-Mal, and the emotional & practical barriers they face when trying to fulfill it.

One insight stood out: users were far more likely to commit to zakat Al-Mal when they approached it as a long-term goal rather than a one time payment. When they saw it as something they could plan and save for over time, it felt more manageable and meaningful, opening up an opportunity to design a solution that supports intentional, goal based giving.

Validate The Insights

To validate the insights I gathered from user interviews, I looked into behavioral research around how people approach long-term goals.

One study from the Judgment and Decision Making journal (Cambridge, Vol. 8, Issue 1, January 2013) stood out. It explored how willing people are to reduce their spending in order to save.

The findings revealed a clear pattern: individuals were 20–30% more likely to save when a large goal was broken down into smaller, specific subgoals. In other words, people find it much easier to take action when a big objective feels more manageable and measurable.

This really clicked with what I heard during the interviews, people were much more willing to commit to paying zakat Al-Mal when they saw it as something they could work toward over time, instead of a sudden one time payment.

📢 Turning Insights into Action

"How might we enable Bank Syariah Indonesia users to easily save and pay their zakat on time?

Understanding The Users

👥 User Persona

From the interviews, I identified two key personas: one is a younger, tech-savvy user who’s comfortable with digital tools, and the other is an older user who’s moderately familiar with technology but prefers simpler, more guided experiences.

👥 User Persona

📍 User Journey

From the interviews, I identified two key personas: one is a younger, tech-savvy user who’s comfortable with digital tools, and the other is an older user who’s moderately familiar with technology but prefers simpler, more guided experiences.

To better understand the user’s mindset and pain points, I mapped out a user journey for Raka Pratama, a persona who’s motivated to fulfill his zakat obligations but often realizes it's too late, that he’s overlooked zakat Al-Mal. This journey captures his moments of intent, confusion, and missed action, helping us spot where a more guided and supportive experience could truly help.

📍 User Journey

To better understand the user’s mindset and pain points, I mapped out a user journey for Raka Pratama, a persona who’s motivated to fulfill his zakat obligations but often realizes it's too late, that he’s overlooked zakat Al-Mal. This journey captures his moments of intent, confusion, and missed action, helping us spot where a more guided and supportive experience could truly help.

User Flow

I then mapped out the user flow based on key user goals and behaviors. This helped me visualize how users move through the product.

Opening Zakat Saving Account

Managing Zakat Payment

Final Design

1. Opening Zakat Saving Account

▶️ The Prototype

2. Top Up Through Zakat Dashboard

▶️ The Prototype

3. Nisab Met, Zakat Saving Fully Reached

▶️ The Prototype

4. Nisab Met, Zakat Saving Below Threshold

▶️ The Prototype

5. Not Eligible for Nisab

▶️ The Prototype

If user selects "cairkan dana," the amount will be automatically transferred to the source account

If user selects "sedekahkan dana" the amount will be automatically donated to the chosen zakat institution.

If I Have More Time & Takeaways

👀 If I Have More Time

1. Explore Different Ways to Integrate Net Worth Data

Linking with stocks portfolio, savings accounts outside BSI.

2. Streamline Some of The Flows Better

Unified the remittance and infaq flow for cases of nisab not met.

3. Expand The Feature Use to Achieve Other Saving Goals

Reuse the zakat savings flow to save up for Hajj pilgrimage funds.

📖 Key Takeaways

This project taught me the importance of validating solution through research, both from users insights as well as established studies.

User Flow

I then mapped out the user flow based on key user goals and behaviors. This helped me visualize how users move through the product.

Opening Zakat Saving Account

Managing Zakat Payment

Final Design

1. Opening Zakat Saving Account

▶️ The Prototype

2. Top Up Through Zakat Dashboard

▶️ The Prototype

3. Nisab Met, Zakat Saving Fully Reached

▶️ The Prototype

4. Nisab Met, Zakat Saving Below Threshold

▶️ The Prototype

5. Not Eligible for Nisab

▶️ The Prototype

If user selects "cairkan dana," the amount will be automatically transferred to the source account

If user selects "sedekahkan dana" the amount will be automatically donated to the chosen zakat institution.

User Flow

I then mapped out the user flow based on key user goals and behaviors. This helped me visualize how users move through the product.

Opening Zakat Saving Account

Managing Zakat Payment

Final Design

1. Opening Zakat Saving Account

▶️ The Prototype

2. Top Up Through Zakat Dashboard

▶️ The Prototype

3. Nisab Met, Zakat Saving Fully Reached

▶️ The Prototype

4. Nisab Met, Zakat Saving Below Threshold

▶️ The Prototype

5. Not Eligible for Nisab

▶️ The Prototype

If user selects "cairkan dana," the amount will be automatically transferred to the source account

If user selects "sedekahkan dana" the amount will be automatically donated to the chosen zakat institution.

If I Have More Time & Takeaways

👀 If I Have More Time

1. Explore Different Ways to Integrate Net Worth Data

Linking with stocks portfolio, savings accounts outside BSI.

2. Streamline Some of The Flows Better

Unified the remittance and infaq flow for cases of nisab not met.

3. Expand The Feature Use to Achieve Other Saving Goals

Reuse the zakat savings flow to save up for Hajj pilgrimage funds.

📖 Key Takeaways

This project taught me the importance of validating solution through research, both from users insights as well as established studies.

If I Have More Time & Takeaways

👀 If I Have More Time

3. Expand The Feature Use to ….Achieve Other Saving Goals

Reuse the zakat savings flow to save up for Hajj pilgrimage funds.

2. Streamline Some of The Flows …..Better

Unified the remittance and infaq flow for cases of nisab not met.

1. Explore Different Ways to Integrate Net Worth

Linking with stocks portfolio, savings accounts outside BSI.

📖 Key Takeaways

This project taught me the importance of validating solution through research, both from users insights as well as established studies.

Next

Cardless Withdrawal for Bank Syariah Indonesia