Rebranding
zaky
A focused reset for a scattered everything app
Client
areeba
Timeline
12 Months
role
Product Design Lead
project
zaky
TL;DR
I led a focused rebrand and restructuring of Zaky — an app with too many ideas and not enough clarity. In one week, we created a new product story, simplified the experience, and aligned teams around what Zaky could actually be.
Summary
Zaky had tried to be everything at once — wallet, cards, offers, business tools — but lacked a clear story. I led a fast strategy sprint to restructure its identity, experience, and growth roadmap into something focused, flexible, and future-ready.
Problem Framing
The Zaky app was overloaded and internally misaligned. Teams weren’t sure what Zaky was for, and users weren’t sure what to do with it.
- No cohesive product positioning
- Visually fragmented and feature-heavy
- No clear value prop for any user group
Role & Team
As Product Design Lead, I:
- Initiated and led the 1-week sprint with the design department
- Worked closely with the Innovation Manager and researchers
- Led workshops, audits, and strategy docs across design and product
Approach
- Audited user feedback (220+ responses), competitor landscape, and internal goals
- Mapped out new journeys by value (not features): wallet, cards, send/receive, business
- Defined new brand architecture and modular identity
- Proposed a new UX structure and product story
- Built a new GTM direction rooted in focus, not breadth
Challenges
- Internal misalignment on what Zaky should be
- Confusion between Zaky and other areeba products
- Needed to reframe and reposition quickly with minimal dev involvement
Solution
- Simplified Zaky’s product pillars into Wallet, Cards, Payments, and Business
- Built a new voice and tone — less corporate, more intuitive
- Designed a modular layout system to scale with features or partners
- Proposed a loyalty + cashback model to drive user retention
Results & Impact
- Internal alignment on brand and experience direction
- Fully redesigned flows and interface concepts
- Paused before rollout due to company-wide strategy shift
What I’d Do Differently
I’d involve business teams even earlier — ideally at the hypothesis stage — to lock the direction and save time on what would later be deprioritized. Sprinting is great, but steering alignment early is greater.
Want the full
Deck?
Here’s a deck to walk you through how we rebranded zaky
zaky Rebranded Deck
Phone number
+961 3 139 572
© 2025 Johnny Bou Malhab. All Rights Reserved
Rebranding
zaky
A focused reset for a scattered everything app
Client
areeba
Timeline
12 Months
role
Product Design Lead
project
zaky
TL;DR
I led a focused rebrand and restructuring of Zaky — an app with too many ideas and not enough clarity. In one week, we created a new product story, simplified the experience, and aligned teams around what Zaky could actually be.
Summary
Zaky had tried to be everything at once — wallet, cards, offers, business tools — but lacked a clear story. I led a fast strategy sprint to restructure its identity, experience, and growth roadmap into something focused, flexible, and future-ready.
Problem Framing
The Zaky app was overloaded and internally misaligned. Teams weren’t sure what Zaky was for, and users weren’t sure what to do with it.
- No cohesive product positioning
- Visually fragmented and feature-heavy
- No clear value prop for any user group
Role & Team
As Product Design Lead, I:
- Initiated and led the 1-week sprint with the design department
- Worked closely with the Innovation Manager and researchers
- Led workshops, audits, and strategy docs across design and product
Approach
- Audited user feedback (220+ responses), competitor landscape, and internal goals
- Mapped out new journeys by value (not features): wallet, cards, send/receive, business
- Defined new brand architecture and modular identity
- Proposed a new UX structure and product story
- Built a new GTM direction rooted in focus, not breadth
Challenges
- Internal misalignment on what Zaky should be
- Confusion between Zaky and other areeba products
- Needed to reframe and reposition quickly with minimal dev involvement
Solution
- Simplified Zaky’s product pillars into Wallet, Cards, Payments, and Business
- Built a new voice and tone — less corporate, more intuitive
- Designed a modular layout system to scale with features or partners
- Proposed a loyalty + cashback model to drive user retention
Results & Impact
- Internal alignment on brand and experience direction
- Fully redesigned flows and interface concepts
- Paused before rollout due to company-wide strategy shift
What I’d Do Differently
I’d involve business teams even earlier — ideally at the hypothesis stage — to lock the direction and save time on what would later be deprioritized. Sprinting is great, but steering alignment early is greater.
Want the full
Deck?
Here’s a deck to walk you through how we rebranded zaky
zaky Rebranded Deck
Phone number
+961 3 139 572
© 2025 Johnny Bou Malhab. All Rights Reserved
Rebranding
zaky
A focused reset for a scattered everything app
Client
areeba
Timeline
1 week
role
Product Design Lead
project
zaky
TL;DR
I led a focused rebrand and restructuring of Zaky — an app with too many ideas and not enough clarity. In one week, we created a new product story, simplified the experience, and aligned teams around what Zaky could actually be.
Summary
Zaky had tried to be everything at once — wallet, cards, offers, business tools — but lacked a clear story. I led a fast strategy sprint to restructure its identity, experience, and growth roadmap into something focused, flexible, and future-ready.
Problem Framing
The Zaky app was overloaded and internally misaligned. Teams weren’t sure what Zaky was for, and users weren’t sure what to do with it.
- No cohesive product positioning
- Visually fragmented and feature-heavy
- No clear value prop for any user group
Role & Team
As Product Design Lead, I:
- Initiated and led the 1-week sprint with the design department
- Worked closely with the Innovation Manager and researchers
- Led workshops, audits, and strategy docs across design and product
Approach
- Audited user feedback (220+ responses), competitor landscape, and internal goals
- Mapped out new journeys by value (not features): wallet, cards, send/receive, business
- Defined new brand architecture and modular identity
- Proposed a new UX structure and product story
- Built a new GTM direction rooted in focus, not breadth
Challenges
- Internal misalignment on what Zaky should be
- Confusion between Zaky and other areeba products
- Needed to reframe and reposition quickly with minimal dev involvement
Solution
- Simplified Zaky’s product pillars into Wallet, Cards, Payments, and Business
- Built a new voice and tone — less corporate, more intuitive
- Designed a modular layout system to scale with features or partners
- Proposed a loyalty + cashback model to drive user retention
Results & Impact
- Internal alignment on brand and experience direction
- Fully redesigned flows and interface concepts
- Paused before rollout due to company-wide strategy shift
What I’d Do Differently
I’d involve business teams even earlier — ideally at the hypothesis stage — to lock the direction and save time on what would later be deprioritized. Sprinting is great, but steering alignment early is greater.
Want the full
Deck?
Here’s a deck to walk you through how we rebranded zaky
zaky Rebranded Deck
johnny@monochrome.digital
Phone number
+961 3 139 572
© 2025 Johnny Bou Malhab. All Rights Reserved