Cashaam Platform
Cashaam Platform
Democratizing E-Commerce for Small Businesses
Built dual-app ecosystem enabling affordable online stores - sole UX engineer handling research, design, and frontend development.
Project Summary
I designed and developed a complete e-commerce ecosystem empowering Black business owners to create professional online stores without technical resources, while creating authentic shopping experiences for customers seeking to support Black-owned businesses.
Timeline
10 Months
Market
Global: Digital Payments, Fintech
Role
Lead Product Designer
Team
- Otobong Okoko (UX Engineer - Solo Designer + Frontend Developer)
- 2 Startup Founders
- 1 Backend Engineer
- 1 Business Development Lead
Target Market
2.6M Black-Owned Businesses
Strategic Objectives
Empower Black entrepreneurship through accessible e-commerce platform and community-centered discovery.
Democratize E-Commerce Access
Enable Black business owners without technical resources or large budgets to create professional online stores, eliminating barriers that kept them locked into exploitative social media commerce or expensive platform fees.
Build Community-Centered Discovery
Create shopping experiences that celebrate Black entrepreneurship and facilitate authentic connections between customers seeking to support Black-owned businesses and the entrepreneurs behind them.
Achieve Sustainable Growth
Onboard 500+ businesses within 6 months while maintaining 80% business owner satisfaction and 60% month-over-month transaction growth through superior user experience.
My research within Black business communities revealed that existing e-commerce platforms failed not just on usability, but on cultural understanding. Business owners valued community connection over features, while customers wanted authentic stories behind products—not just transactions.
Research Insights
Simplicity as Empowerment
89% of business owners managed their businesses primarily through mobile devices and overwhelmingly preferred easy setup over extensive customization. They needed to get online fast, not become web developers.
Story-Driven Shopping
78% of customers discovered Black-owned businesses through social recommendations and preferred businesses with authentic personal narratives. The platform needed to celebrate entrepreneurial stories, not just display products.
Community Over Competition
Business owners wanted to support each other's success rather than just compete. The platform should feel like a tool for collective economic empowerment, not individual survival.
The Cultural Authenticity Challenge
Unlike generic e-commerce platforms, Cashamm needed visual design and language that genuinely reflected Black entrepreneurship—celebrating achievement and cultural pride without falling into exploitative "diversity marketing" patterns. Every design decision was validated through community feedback ensuring authentic representation.
Mobile-First for Economic Reality
With 91% of interactions occurring on mobile devices and target users often managing businesses between day jobs or childcare, I architected a mobile-native experience where store management could happen in spare moments throughout the day, not requiring dedicated desktop time.
Dual Experience Architecture
Rather than choosing between serving businesses or customers, I designed two complementary products:
- ShopFront (Customer Marketplace): Community-focused discovery enabling customers to browse businesses by story, support local entrepreneurs, and share discoveries within social networks.
- StoreFront Manager (Business Dashboard): Simplified store creation and management requiring minimal technical knowledge, with intuitive product listing, order processing, and accessible business analytics.
Platform Growth
Business onboarding and transaction metrics
Businesses onboarded (exceeded 500-business target by month 8)
Community transactions in first year
Business owner satisfaction rate
Month-over-month transaction growth
Community Impact
Qualitative feedback and strategic achievements
Cashamm made it possible for me to have a professional online store without hiring a web designer. The setup was so simple, and I love being part of a community that supports each other.
I've discovered so many amazing Black-owned businesses through Cashamm that I never would have found otherwise. It feels good to support the community while finding unique products.
The platform celebrates our stories and achievements rather than just focusing on products. It feels authentic to our community values.
The Biggest Learning
Community-centered product design requires deep cultural immersion, not just user research. The difference between exploitation and empowerment lies in authentic partnership with communities from research through launch, ensuring design decisions reflect genuine values rather than designer assumptions.
What I Would Do Differently
Build stronger business owner networking features from day one. While we focused on customer-business connections, business owners consistently expressed desire for peer support and resource sharing. Earlier implementation of business-to-business networking would have strengthened community bonds and platform stickiness.
Design Innovation Highlights
- Story-Driven Business Profiles: Created profiles helping owners share authentic entrepreneurial narratives beyond product listings
- Community Discovery Features: Developed social integration and curated showcases celebrating Black entrepreneurship
- Simplified Store Creation: Built step-by-step setup flow and mobile-optimized management requiring minimal technical knowledge
- Cultural Design System: Implemented design emphasizing celebration over charity with professional quality and authentic representation