PNM Mekaar
Designing Growth for Women Entrepreneurs
Client.
Student Project
Tools.
Figma, Miro, Adobe Ai, Ps
Year.
2024
Role.
Product Developer, Designer
Empowering loyalty, literacy, and local impact
PNM Mekaar has supported millions of underprivileged women across Indonesia with microloans, but many still struggle to grow their businesses with confidence. In a university project, under the eyes of our educator, Wilkie T, our team set out to design a loyalty-driven growth program that goes beyond financing: one that rewards responsible behaviour, builds financial literacy, and creates space for women to thrive. This project was a deep dive into community needs, strategic design, and storytelling. It challenged us to think beyond numbers and build something that feels personal, practical, and empowering.
👋 Meet the Team
We were a small but mighty crew:
𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗮 - Product Developer: Bridging research and reality, I translated insights into intuitive features and experiences.
𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗮 - Product Manager: Led strategy and structure, always asking the right questions to keep us aligned.
𝗥𝗮𝗺𝘀𝘆 – Marketing Manager: Crafted narratives and outreach to connect with our audience meaningfully.
𝗣𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝘆 - Finance Manager: Balanced sustainability with accessibility, ensuring our program could scale.
🔍 The Challenge
Since its 2015 launch under PNM Holding, Mekaar has empowered over 14 million women through collateral-free, Sharia-compliant loans. Yet four core challenges persisted: • Financial literacy content was limited and hard to apply. • Clients struggled to scale beyond subsistence-level businesses. • Technology access and training were minimal • Outreach channels weren’t reaching growth-ready entrepreneurs. 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? Our research, comprising social-media audits, competitor benchmarking (BMT Mandiri, Bank Mandiri, BNI), and PESTEL analysis, surfaced deep insights into both market gaps and local aspirations.
Our Audience & Persona
We focused on PNM Mekaar clients who consistently repay their loans and are ready to grow. Women who’ve shown reliability and drive but still lack access to financial literacy, tailored support, and recognition aim to unlock their potential. This group is poised to scale, inspire others, and strengthen their communities, and designing for them means designing for impact.
💡 Our Response
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗡𝗠 𝗠𝗲𝗸𝗮𝗮𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆? This “HMW” question guided our journey from ideation to prototype: • We mapped user needs via a detailed persona, Rina—a 35-year-old mother running a snack stall in Dramaga. • We assessed partner ecosystems to craft a scalable, community-centric model. • We sketched a multi-year roadmap balancing consolidation, expansion, community building, and tech integration. 🌱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗡𝗠 𝗠𝗲𝗸𝗮𝗮𝗿 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 & 𝗟𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹𝘁𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 A tiered system that transforms repayment behaviour into opportunity. We designed a scoring model where clients earn points through: 𝟭- On-time loan payments 𝟮- Business performance 𝟯- Program engagement These points unlock ranks (𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘇𝗲, 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗿, and 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱), each offering tailored benefits as their growth journey: 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘇𝗲: Entry-level workshops and small grants 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗿: Advanced training, reduced interest rates, and priority support 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱: Premium loans, personalised advisory, and recognition as a Mekaar Champion 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 • Personalised scoring dashboard that visualises progress and next steps • Tiered learning modules—bite-sized lessons on budgeting, marketing, and scaling • Automated reward triggers that adjust loan terms and unlock events • Community spaces (virtual and in-person) to celebrate milestones and share best practices
🎪 Royal Roots: Bringing the Program to Life
To launch the program, we designed Royal Roots, a one-day event in Bogor Regency at IPB University. The layout was crafted with empathy: • Accessible zones and childcare for ease • A central workshop stage for hands-on learning • Dining and networking areas to foster connection • First aid and info desks for safety and clarity • A main stage with large screens for storytelling and celebration Bogor was the perfect starting point—home to 5.4 million people and over 34,000 small businesses, with rich industries in agriculture, crafts, and food. 📊 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 & 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽 We positioned our offering as a third-party facilitator, connecting Mekaar clients with suppliers, educators, NGOs, and fintech partners. Revenue streams include: • Loyalty-tiered loan interest • Paid advanced training modules • Sponsorships and exhibitor fees at flagship events 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿-𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀: 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟭): Feedback loops to polish speaker line-ups and logistics 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟮): New themes, global perspectives, hybrid formats 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 (𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟯): Mentorship networks and alumni cohorts 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵 (𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟰): Data-driven personalisation, virtual experiences, AI-powered insights 🏁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 We benchmarked against BMT Mandiri, Bank Mandiri, and BNI: BMT Mandiri: Strong community focus, limited scale Bank Mandiri: Broad services, less personal engagement BNI: Government-backed stability, slower innovation PNM Mekaar stands apart with its dual value proposition (𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 + 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻) and a mission-driven focus on women’s empowerment. ❤️ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 This program lowers default risks, boosts loan revenue, and strengthens client retention. But more importantly, it builds confidence. It turns repayment into recognition, and small businesses into stories of growth. That means 𝙬𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨.
✨ What I Learned
This project reminded me that design is never just about screens or systems—it’s about people. It’s about listening, translating, and building with care. From layout sketches to loyalty tiers, every decision was rooted in empathy. And that’s what makes it meaningful.