From Napkin Sketches to Market Dominance

THE CHALLENGE

Airwallex needed to validate their transfer flow concept quickly without investing in design. The goal will be to test if the flow works before the building stage.

THE SOLUTION: LOW FIDELITY SKETCHES

Why This Approach?

1. Speed — Sketches take minutes
2. Flexibility — Easy to change
3. Focus — Logic only. No visual distraction.
4. Testing — Users see flow, not aesthetics

THE SKETCHES

Home screen shows balance, account tabs, and quick actions (Transfer, Add Funds). Recipient screen captures account details with minimal required fields. Account Type offers a binary choice (International or AirWallex). Fund Details display the sending amount, currency, and live exchange rate.

Summary page shows the complete breakdown—what you send, the rate applied, and what the recipient gets—before final confirmation.

Each screen serves one purpose: guide users from decision to confirmation with zero confusion.

WHY THIS WORKS

Minimal text keeps users focused on the flow rather than reading instructions. Simple layouts make it easy to change, test, and iterate quickly based on feedback. Without visual decoration, the core question becomes clear:

Does the path work? Can users find what they need?

This stripped-down approach reveals exactly what matters - the logic of the experience, not the aesthetics.

KEY FINDINGS FROM SKETCHES

Sketches revealed four critical insights that simplified the flow:

• Currency Selection Needs Priority - Users needed quick access to currencies and not buried in menus.
• Two Decisions, Not Five - Early branching confused users so they've used simplified to binary choices
• Amounts Matter - Users wanted transparency in fees and exchange rates, committed by the bank before user acceptance.
• Confirmation Page is Essential - A summary screen that builts trust before the money moves.

TIMELINE

Day 1: Review of Airwallex screenshots and initial drawings with iterations

Day 2: Redrawing of a second version with less noise and clutter and final alterations before going to screen

Day 3: Proceed to developing mid fidelity wireframes in Figma

KEY TAKEAWAY

This case study illustrates the value of low-fidelity wireframing in product design validation. By prioritizing rapid iteration over visual polish, Airwallex's team was able to identify critical user needs early in the design process. The minimal, sketch-based approach facilitated faster feedback cycles and reduced rework, ultimately accelerating time-to-market without compromising user experience quality.