Launching a scam prevention app
from 0 to 1
Silverguard is a fintech startup building tools to help Brazilian adults over 60 identify, prevent, and recover from financial scams.
PROJECT
Silverguard's first mobile app to reduce financial scams
MAIN GOAL
Design a trusted, accessible mobile app for an audience with low digital fluency — in an emotionally sensitive context, with a lean team and a tight deadline.
BUSINESS VALUE
Deliver an accessible, freemium solution to protect Brazilians from financial scams, while creating a recurring revenue stream for the company.
goal-gradient effect
Progression from the start motivates users to activate protections
After launching the first version within 5 months, usability testing showed:
• Skepticism of Android's permissions
• Confusion about how features would work
• Uncertainty about the effectiveness of features
To start the safeguarding journey, we introduced a progression bar, guiding users throughout the app — from basic to high-level protection features.
education
The safeguarding journey starts with prevention
Research showed that 70% of victims don't know what to do after falling for a scam. They lose time with ineffective actions, reducing their chances of recovering losses.
To minimize the choice overload of Silverguard's educational feature:
• Sorted by protection level
• Informed time to complete tutorials
• Broke tutorials into micro-chapters
building trust
Enhancing clarity within the context of use
Remote SOS Lock enables users to lock apps remotely in case of theft — a complex feature that requires several Android permissions.
To reduce confusion and friction:
• Added 3-step carousel for guidance
• Chunked activation steps
• Asked for device permissions within the context of the activation step
user-centered
Deprioritization given user feedback
App Locker adds a second PIN layer to chosen apps to prevent scams from phone theft and shoulder surfing.
Insights from interviews revealed users' fear of thieves' reactions, which led to the feature's deprecation.
DESIGN SYSTEM
Empowering users of all ages
Adults over 60 in Brazil:
• Hold mobile phones differently than younger adults
• Rely on larger font sizes
• Need more time to process information
Designing for this audience meant taking accessibility considerations even further by establishing a clear information hierarchy, ensuring high contrast ratios, and using plain-language copywriting.
OUTCOME
Launching a revamped version in another 5 months
10 mo.
Android and iOS launch
3
national design awards
Given the lean team and open technical questions, Remote SOS Lock was scoped to a follow-up release.
The revamped iOS version launched with a cleaner structure, clearer language, and a better visual hierarchy.
The mobile app, along with Silverguard's free solutions, was recognized by 3 Brazilian Design Awards in Strategic Design, Social Impact, and Service Design.
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