Dubai: Dubai-based, YC-backed fintech Ziina has been recognised by the prestigious international Red Dot Design Award. Ziina launched its digital wallet application earlier this year, bringing money online for consumers in the Middle East through an application that is delightful to use and local-inspired. The award cements Ziina’s position among innovative global technology companies that include the likes of Apple, Google, Samsung, Ferrari, Braun, and Dyson.
The application was honored in the Brands & Communication Design category of the prestigious Red Dot Design Award. Ziina is the only product designed and built in the region to have won a Red Dot Award this year. The award winners were judged on various criteria by a jury of 50 experts, who evaluated and benchmarked each entry for innovation, functionality, and emotional content. With this win, the Dubai based company is ushering in a new era of design excellence in technology in the region.
Sarah Toukan, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Ziina, says, “We are extremely proud to be recognised by the Red Dot Design Award. At Ziina, we believe arts make up the fabric of society, and we reflect our love of art in our design and user interface. We believe that taking control of your finances should be a delightful experience delivered through beautifully-designed products. In fact, this is why we named the company Ziina (زينة); Ziina is the Arabic word for decoration or beauty.”
Ziina’s journey began earlier this year with the launch of its digital wallet offering and since inception, the company has already won nine international design awards, including a UX Design Award and an A’ Design Award. With a unique local aesthetic, Ziina has built its application on the key design tenets of safety, speed, social connection, user-friendliness and delight.
Anton Badashov, Head of Design at Ziina, says, “Ziina’s user interface was created through a rigorous approach to intuitive UX design that allows for fast and seamless payments. We set out to blend traditional and contemporary elements with a modern and intuitive UI language to ensure a delightful and social experience. Our typography is characterized by big fonts with high contrast colours for a bold aesthetic that both stands out and makes the product more accessible.”
Ziina is on a mission to empower people in the Middle East with financial freedom by making cash exchange easy and convenient. Its app allows for the seamless transfer of money between two or more individuals using just a phone number or username. The app is powered by Ziina’s world class team composed of individuals with experience from the likes of Apple, Uber, Coinbase, Careem, Yandex, Funding Circle, Bain & Co, Talabat, and Oracle.
“Our openness to different cultures and art, as well as the blending of our vast and rich heritage with our experience and new technologies has resulted in a design we are incredibly proud of. We believe that putting people in control of their finances, and refining every detail to bring delight to our customers, will make them fall in love with our products,” concluded Anton.
About Ziina:
As the UAE’s first customer-centric financial platform, Ziina is on a mission to simplify finance for everyone. Send and receive payments with just a phone number—no IBAN or swift code required. Currently available in beta to UAE residents on iOS and Android, the app provides a seamless way for friends and family to split the cost of takeout or a grocery bill. The app has won nine international UI/UX design awards, including the Red Dot Award for Finance App. As Ziina grows, we’re committed to creating a new age of money in the Middle East and redefining how people use technology to transform their finances.
