Designing a simple core revenue flow @ExpandoAI
ExpandoAI is a HKSTP startup creating a platform that connects SaaS startups and SMEs to their dream clients through a network of business partners.
Role
UIUX Designer
Product Designer
Product Manager
Team
Xavier Roso - CEO
Sachin Arachige Kodagoda - CTO
Mattia Ferreira - Freelance Designer
Duration
9 months (March - Dec 2024)
Tools
Samsung Notes
Concepts
Figma
Outcomes
Shipped
ExpandoAI finished testing and launched in Q2 2025.
Key features retained
Most of my design was retained despite pivot, with minor adjustments.
Faster development
Reusable patterns enabled pages to serve multiple purposes, cutting development time.
Team synergy
Through constant communication, handover notes and rapid prototyping, we all stayed on the same page.
Designing the money-making flow @ExpandoAI
ExpandoAI is a SaaS platform that connects businesses to potential clients through a network of connectors (partners) who use their network to identify relevant potential clients.
When I returned as the Product design lead, I was responsible for the end-to-end design of some flows and updating some others. One of the most important flows I worked on was the referral-deal flow where I sought to design a flow that is flexible enough to support different program structures, while maintaining a simple user experience. All while reducing development time, since we have a small team.
I was also responsible for playing many other roles from defining product strategy, roadmap, features, and specifications, along with being highly involved in collaborating with the development team for implementation.
Identifying the customer
We sought to launch of Expando AI to cross over the chasm from the early market into the mainstream market. I used the the Roger’s S-innovation adoption curve and user research to create user personas for our two different user roles so we could target Expando at their pain points.
Melissa Chen
Head of Partnerships
Partner Relationship Managers in medium to large companies
Innovation curve behaviour: Pragmatists
Characteristics: prioritise practical solutions to their pain points, risk averse, security conscious
Pain Points:
Finding, recruiting and onboarding new partners
Engaging and retaining partners
Jobs
Running partnership programs
Onboarding new partners
Engaging, supporting and retaining existing partners
Coordinating with partners & the sales team
Gains
Meeting KPIs due to good partner performance
Reduced admin and increased partner productivity
Lower partner turnover
Tariro Moyo
Partner
Individual and small scale partners
Innovation curve behaviour: Visionaries
Characteristics: prioritise new tech that align with their vision, adventurous
Pain Points:
Keeping track on partner program updates and progress (lack of transparency)
Payment takes a while (lack of transparency)
Managing multiple programs and their differing portals, specifications and tracking methods
Identifying relevant introductions
Jobs
Introducing relevant potential clients
Providing sufficient information to program owner for referral success
Coordinating between program owner and potential client
Gains
Increasing earnings due to successful deals
Improved reputation within one’s network as a valuable connector
Important concepts to understand
Referrals
An introduction of a potential client made by a partner to the program owner.
Referrals stages: pending, rejected, accepted and referred.
Deals
The final agreement made between the program owner and introduced client. 1 referral: many deals.
Deals stages: negotiating, lost and won.
Collaboration models
The models for compensating partners on referrals and deals.
Models offered: introduction fees, meeting fees and success fees.
Billing
Fees charged to the partner based on the collaboration model and deal structure.
Billing can be recurring, upfront payments or hybrid.
User roles
Rights and abilities available to the user based on the role they played.
Users are either program owners or partners.
Collaborating for data structure
Defined referral-to-deal relationships, who can edit what, features per stage and the backend structure with the CTO. Had frequent planning and feedback syncs.
What I designed and updated
I updated the initial suggest-a-referral flow, referral list and referral page based on team feedback.
I did the end-to-end design of the edit referral page, deal modal flow, reusable deal summary, along with shorter flows like the invite-partner-to-meeting, the introduction template and stage change flows.
Documentation
Annotated specs, sections and prototypes aligned engineering and reduced back-and-forth.
Process
Some of my brainstorming process for designing the referral flow.
Final Designs
Make a referral
Designed the "Make Referral" form to allow partners to submit a minimum of the company and connection name, to make quick submissions, while still giving sufficient information for program owner evaluation and for easy recognition of who they desired to introduce. This allows them to add more information when free, while giving partners flexibility to make multiple entries quickly in one sitting.
The form is designed to start with the connection’s information, followed by the company's to match the partner's mental model, which would likely remember potential referrals as people first, and then by their company. This is the inverse of the referral page since program owners’ evaluation criteria will consider the company and its pain points first before the person.
I also made the “Make Referral” flow a single page, as opposed to a multiple step process to reduce technical debt while increasing reusability for editing the referral.
Referral flow
After a referral is made, the partner can choose to first await program owner approval and feedback before making the actual introduction, or proceed to immediately marking it as introduced, if approval is not required. This gives partners the flexibility to await confirmation on relevance before making an introduction, allowing for better communication, and therefore higher quality introductions.
When introduced, the deal tab will be enabled and become the default tab. This reflects the goal shift from evaluating relevance to managing and tracking deals and provides users with the most relevant information at their stage.
The update log provides a space for asking questions and tracking changes made to the referral, increasing trust and transparency between partners and program owners. Through fostering communication and ease of finding information, it becomes possible for more of referral and deal management to be done through Expando.
Adding a deal
The deal form allows users to submit a potential deal by only filling in the "Deal overview" section, or provide information on a signed deal through filling the whole form. By requesting the contract or terms of sales, we allow for fraud-resistant deal tracking by making deal details verifiable and transparent to all parties.
The form reduces input mistakes by showing program owners the partner fees due based on the program terms and deal value, while also warning them if they enter an amount higher or lower than what is required. This makes the deal form more usable by reducing the amount of calculation or otherwise relying on memory program owners have to do. This provides an overall, more intuitive and fast user experience.
The form also allows the program owner to structure partner payment based on the deal payment terms through the partner fees section. Program owners can break the deal down into one-time payments and recurring payments based on their contract and therefore have payment terms that reflect the deal they signed. This allows them to automate and manage payment through Expando, along with providing more transparency and better earning/fees tracking.
Reflection
What did I learn?
Any and as much analytical data available is incredibly helpful for designing well.
Understood more about the real product and design trade-offs made in industry and how my designs translate to development time and effort.
Applying my business understanding and background for end-to-end product design, management and ownership.
Learnt how to write user stories and what level of detail is needed for them.
Gained a more holistic view of product through working closely with developers and understanding their perspective.
Learnt more advanced Figma hacks for faster design and increased consistency.
What would I improve?
Paying closer attention to how both user types meet and complement each others needs and pain points for greater synergy and product fit.
Exploring further ways to simplify the deal creation form for an easier, more straightforward experience with less cognitive load (perhaps AI).
Would have designed the flow for program owners confirming receipt of an introduction.
Impact@ Expando
↑6%
in scroll depth (86% → 92%)
↓ 80%
in rage clicks
Working with Vimbai has been an absolute pleasure. His ability to stay calm under pressure is truly remarkable, making him a steady and reliable force in any project. He has an incredible eye for detail when it comes to design, ensuring every element is polished and purposeful. A fast learner and deeply dedicated to delivering quality work, Vimbai consistently exceeds expectations. His professionalism and commitment make collaboration smooth and enjoyable. I highly recommend him!
Sachintha Kodagoda Arachchige
CTO & Co-Founder @Expando
Vimbai Mushayikwa It was a great satisfaction to see your growth and fast learning contribute during your time interning at Expando. Wishing you the best in your new projects and keep us updated!
Xavier Roso
CEO & Co-Founder @Expando
↓ 67%
in dead clicks
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