A Bridge Between Faith and Beauty

Hijra Bank, a digital Islamic banking platform, sought to deepen its commitment to serving the daily needs of its users while staying true to its Sharia principles. With Paragon—home to leading halal beauty brands like Wardah and Emina—as a partner, an exciting opportunity emerged: to offer seamless subscription-based purchases of Paragon products directly within the Hijra Bank app.

However, this was more than just adding e-commerce functionality. It was about creating an experience that blended spiritual values, convenience, and user trust—all within a financial ecosystem.

Challenge

Designing for Trust, Relevance, and Retention

From the outset, several challenges surfaced:

User Relevance

How do we introduce beauty product subscriptions in a banking app without disrupting users’ mental model of what a banking app should do?

Trust and Transparency

As a halal-centric bank, user trust is paramount. We needed to make sure that the commercial integration felt aligned with the bank’s ethical values.

Usability

Subscription models can be complex—managing delivery schedules, payments, and preferences had to feel effortless.

Role

as the Product Designer was to own the user experience from discovery through delivery. I led user research, ideated and prototyped key flows, and collaborated cross-functionally to ensure a coherent, value-driven experience.

Process: Designing with Purpose and Precision

1. User Research & Persona Alignment

I began by identifying Hijra Bank’s core user personas and their potential interest in halal lifestyle products. Through interviews and journey mapping, we discovered that users appreciated curated, value-aligned recommendations—especially if they simplified daily routines.

Insight: Users were open to the idea of product integration if it felt like a natural extension of their lifestyle values.

2. Seamless Ecosystem Integration

To reduce cognitive dissonance, I designed the subscription feature to feel like a “Lifestyle Perks” module within the app—positioned as a member benefit rather than a commercial push. This strategic placement subtly connected the offering to the user’s sense of identity and values.

3. Subscription Flow Design

I created a step-by-step subscription flow that emphasized clarity and control:

a. Product selection with halal-certification badges

b. Flexible delivery schedules

c. Transparent payment summaries

d. Easy pause or cancel options

4. Prototyping & Usability Testing

I built interactive prototypes using Figma and conducted usability tests with 8 participants. We iterated rapidly based on feedback, especially refining the delivery scheduling interface and enhancing visibility into recurring charges.

5. Visual Language & UI Refinement

The UI followed Hijra Bank’s established visual system, enriched with Paragon’s brand cues to foster familiarity without overpowering the banking identity. Clean layout, soft tones, and micro-interactions helped build trust and engagement.

Reflection

Designing with Empathy and Integrity

This project pushed me to think beyond usability—to design an experience that was not only functional but also deeply respectful of users' values. My key takeaway: when designing in sensitive contexts like faith-based finance, success lies in aligning user needs with brand integrity through thoughtful UX strategy.