Industry

Environmental Technology

Client

Tēnaka

Tenaka – Science Platform UX Case Study

Tenaka – Science Platform UX Case Study

Designing an intuitive platform to help monitor and preserve marine ecosystems

Designing an intuitive platform to help monitor and preserve marine ecosystems

A B2B portal that simplifies how businesses manage and activate in-store and online payments, transforming a support-heavy process into a scalable, intuitive experience.

A B2B portal that simplifies how businesses manage and activate in-store and online payments, transforming a support-heavy process into a scalable, intuitive experience.

A B2B portal that simplifies how businesses manage and activate in-store and online payments, transforming a support-heavy process into a scalable, intuitive experience.

  1. Overview

  1. Overview

  1. Overview

Challenge

Merchants couldn’t activate or manage payment methods on their own, and navigation between in-store and online flows was unclear.

Goal

Build a simple self-service activation flow, reduce support tickets, and improve portal navigation.

My role

As a Digital Product Designer, I partnered with product owners to turn a support-heavy setup into a simple, intuitive flow, reducing friction and empowering merchants.

  1. Problem

To understand what wasn’t working, I asked for a demo with several Product Owners. Their insights, plus feedback from support tickets, helped surface the biggest merchant pain points.

Merchants had no way to activate or manage payment methods, the feature didn’t exist on the portal.

Merchants had no way to activate or manage payment methods, the feature didn’t exist on the portal.

The menu was cluttered, and key features were hard to find, especially with no clear distinction between in-store and online payments.

The menu was cluttered, and key features were hard to find, especially with no clear distinction between in-store and online payments.

Old Version Image
Old Version Image
Old Version Image

  1. Defining Priorities

After aligning with stakeholders, we mapped out our priorities based on user needs and business goals.

Priorities Board
Priorities Board
Priorities Board

Top priority

Let merchants activate payment methods on their own (reducing support load.

Top priority

Let merchants activate payment methods on their own (reducing support load.

IMPORTANT

Improve the navigation so users can quickly find and manage online or in-store transaction tools.

IMPORTANT

Improve the navigation so users can quickly find and manage online or in-store transaction tools.

NICE TO HAVE

Let users share feedback during setup to help improve the experience.

NICE TO HAVE

Let users share feedback during setup to help improve the experience.

  1. Insights

What we uncovered :

The activation flow wasn’t built for merchants, it was originally designed for internal teams.



  • It used technical language, complex logic, and backend-focused tools that merchants couldn’t easily understand or use.



  • There were no explanations, no user-friendly interface, and no way for merchants to activate or manage payment methods on their own.



  • What worked for trained support staff became a barrier for users who needed autonomy



✦ We definitely needed to shift from an internal process to a user-friendly flow designed for merchants.

What We Audited:

We audited each payment method to better support merchant decisions. We looked into :



  • Supported countries – e.g. Bancontact only works in Belgium


  • Payout speed – some settle in 2 days, others take 7+

  • Refund support – not all methods allow it


  • Onboarding process – full service vs. gateway setup


  •  Acceptance rate – helps merchants choose the most reliable options



✦ This helped us know what merchants need to see before activating a payment method — and when to surface the right info to avoid mistakes.

Insights from Payment Method Research


I began by gathering information on PayPal, iDEAL, and P24 to understand what setup details merchants truly need.

The goal was to surface only the most relevant information, enough to activate a method with confidence, without overwhelming them.

Each layout was simplified to support faster decisions and a smoother activation experience.

Insights from Payment Method Research


I began by gathering information on PayPal, iDEAL, and P24 to understand what setup details merchants truly need.

The goal was to surface only the most relevant information, enough to activate a method with confidence, without overwhelming them.

Each layout was simplified to support faster decisions and a smoother activation experience.

PM Features
PM Features
PM Features

  1. User flow

This user flow helped us know what merchants need to see before activating a payment method, and when to surface the right info to avoid mistakes.

This user flow helped us know what merchants need to see before activating a payment method, and when to surface the right info to avoid mistakes.

User Flow
User Flow
User Flow

  1. High Fidelity

Under a tight deadline, I mapped the user flow and dove straight into high-fidelity designs.

To stay aligned with development constraints and ensure visual consistency, I used the client’s design system and UI guidelines throughout. I applied accessibility best practices such as color contrast, focus states, and keyboard navigation to ensure an inclusive and compliant experience.

Under a tight deadline, I mapped the user flow and dove straight into high-fidelity designs.

To stay aligned with development constraints and ensure visual consistency, I used the client’s design system and UI guidelines throughout. I applied accessibility best practices such as color contrast, focus states, and keyboard navigation to ensure an inclusive and compliant experience.

Under a tight deadline, I mapped the user flow and dove straight into high-fidelity designs.

To stay aligned with development constraints and ensure visual consistency, I used the client’s design system and UI guidelines throughout. I applied accessibility best practices such as color contrast, focus states, and keyboard navigation to ensure an inclusive and compliant experience.

Simplified Navigation

Simplified Navigation

Clear split between online and in-store menus for faster access with less friction.

Actionable Cards

Actionable Cards

Payment methods shown as cards with instant toggles and setup only when needed.

Self-Service

Self-Service

Guided flows replace support-heavy setup, giving merchants full control.

  1. Feedback screens

We designed a lightweight, emoji-based feedback flow to help merchants quickly rate their setup experience.

This UX pattern makes it easy to collect insights without disrupting the task. Optional text input and follow-up lets us capture actionable feedback without overwhelming users.

We designed a lightweight, emoji-based feedback flow to help merchants quickly rate their setup experience.

This UX pattern makes it easy to collect insights without disrupting the task. Optional text input and follow-up lets us capture actionable feedback without overwhelming users.

  1. Results

• Account managers confirmed setup was faster.

• 95% of activations completed in under 2 minutes without support.

• Account managers confirmed setup was faster.

• 95% of activations completed in under 2 minutes without support.

We transformed a complex, support-heavy setup into a self-serve experience. Merchants now activate methods independently, faster, and with more confidence.

  1. Takeaways

Impact

The redesign simplified navigation and cut support dependency.

Impact

The redesign simplified navigation and cut support dependency.

Next step

Expand this foundation across multi-store and mobile.

Amenie

Let's work together

Let's work together

Amenie

Let's work together

Get in touch

Get in touch