Paytm x Grad Thesis
January 2025 - May 2025
Product Thinking, System Level Design, User Interface Design, Financial Inclusion, Product Design
What if small merchants could invest their daily earnings as effortlessly as they accept digital payments?
That question became the foundation of my Bachelor’s Design thesis — a live project conducted under Paytm for Business (P4B) in collaboration with One Communications Ltd (OCL). As part of the Product Design and Research Team, I explored how we could extend Paytm’s ecosystem beyond payments and into digital investments — starting with one of India’s most trusted assets: Digital Gold.
My Role
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Lead UX Research & Interaction Design
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Visual Design & Prototyping (Figma, Illustrator)
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Collaboration with Paytm Product Managers & Growth Team
Duration: Jan – May 2025
Mentor: Mr. Anoop V (Design Manager, Paytm)
Guide: Dr. Ravindra Singh, DTU
Problem Space
Despite India’s fintech revolution, micro and small merchants — the heart of our economy — remain underrepresented in the world of digital investments.
1
These users are highly active in digital payments yet rarely engage beyond transactions.
Our research revealed a paradox:
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Trust in gold was high.
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Trust in digital gold was low.
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The challenge was not creating a product, but designing belief.
How might we empower India’s small merchants to confidently discover, learn, and invest in digital gold — independently, without external assistance?
Research Journey
We adopted a mixed-method research approach — blending empathy-driven field studies with data-backed surveys.
🔍 Field Visits
We conducted on-ground research in Sector 104 and 18, Noida, interacting with over 10 merchants: from tea stall owners and fruit sellers to electronics shopkeepers.
We observed how they used Paytm daily, where they hesitated, and what made them skeptical.
🗣️ Informal Interviews
Merchants spoke freely in their natural environments, helping us understand not just behavior but emotion: pride in earning, fear of scams, and curiosity about “investment like the rich.”a Title
📋 Survey
- (150 Merchants, Pan India)
- 93% use Paytm daily
- Only 18% had invested digitally
- 78% were willing to invest ₹10–₹20/day if guided
- 70% trusted gold as an asset, not apps
KEY
BARRIERS
identified
56%
Merchants feel that there is lack of understanding
43%
Merchants suffer fear of fraudulent activities
37%
Merchants feel that the apps have complicated user flows
18%
merchants feel skeptical because of the language barriers
Ravi Kumar – The Reluctant Optimist
This persona anchored our design philosophy — build confidence first, conversion later.
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Age: 34 | Occupation: Kirana Shop Owner
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Location: Tier-2 City
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Digital Experience: Paytm, WhatsApp
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Pain Points: Fear of making wrong clicks, doesn’t read English
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Motivation: “If I can save ₹10 a day without worrying, I’ll do it.”
“Ravi is not afraid of digital. He is afraid of making a mistake."
Design Ideation
With insights in hand, the design phase focused on making investment feel familiar — not intimidating.
Simplicity
Reduce decision fatigue with guided, linear flows.
Localization
Support for regional languages and voice assistance
Trust
Use visual cues (vault icons, gold coins, real user counts).
Gamification
Encourage saving through engagement, not pressure.
We restructured the P4B app flow to bring “Digital Gold” from hidden corners to the home dashboard — visible, contextual, and inviting.
Merchants shouldn’t have to search for opportunity; opportunity should greet them.
STEP 1:
DISCOVERY
A 1x1 Gold Widget was placed on the P4B home screen — animated, voice-tagged, and regionally adaptable.
Two clear choices:
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One-time: Simple, direct investment.
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SIP: Auto-save small daily amounts.
The landing page introduced what is digital gold using visuals, microcopy, and relatable language (“Save gold like you save chai money.”)
Step 3 :
Invest
Step 2 :
Learn & Explore
Step 4 :
Confirm & Track
The Gold Dashboard showed live gold prices, portfolio value, and social proof:
“Join 2,45,000 merchants already growing with gold.”
Step 5 :
Engage
Gamification layers like Lucky Spin Wheel, Savings Streaks, and Milestone Badges turned a financial tool into an everyday ritual.
Engagement Strategies
To sustain user excitement, we introduced multiple levers of engagement:
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Cross-Sell Integration: Discounts on loans for consistent investors.
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Refer & Earn: Rewarded merchants for onboarding peers.
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Localized Campaigns: “Apna Gold Locker Shuru Karein” across Hindi belts.
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FOMO Triggers: Live banners showing “12,540 new investors today.”
Each design intervention had a single purpose — make investment feel human, not transactional.
Impact Metrics
Within two months of launch, the results were compelling
₹3.03 Lakhs
Gold Locker GMV
10,000+
DIY Adoptions in 2 Weeks
8 Million+
Merchant Reach
+23% increase