Youfanly is a subscription platform where African creators share exclusive content and earn from their fans. I designed both sides: the fan experience for discovering and subscribing, and the creator workspace for publishing and earning. It's now live.
- Role
- Product Designer
- Team
- PM, developers
- Timeline
- 2 months
- Platform
- Web
- Focus
- Product design · UX/UI
01The problem
Global creator platforms weren't built for Africa.
African creators have fans who want to support them. But most subscription platforms aren't built around how Africans pay: local cards, naira pricing and payouts to local banks. That makes it harder for fans to subscribe and for creators to get paid.
The challenge: give African creators a simple way to share exclusive content, grow subscribers and get their money.
02Discovery
Two audiences, different needs, one platform.
Fans and creators need each other, but they come to the platform for different reasons.
Fans wanted to:
- Discover creators and explore their content
- Subscribe to unlock paid posts
- Message creators
- Send tips
Creators wanted to:
- Publish, organise and schedule content
- Manage subscribers and talk to their fans
- Set up subscriptions and lock paid content
- Track earnings and wallet activity
Those needs shaped the biggest decision in the product: separate experiences for fans and creators.
03Design decisions
Two experiences, not one
Fans and creators use the same platform for different reasons. I split it into a content-led fan experience and a creator workspace for publishing, audience and earnings.
Connecting content to payment
Creators can share free and paid posts. Locked posts tie content straight to subscriptions: fans see what's available and subscribe to unlock it.
Tools for running a creator business
Posting is just one part of the job. A media library, scheduling, subscriber management and messaging help creators keep their audience engaged, not just upload.
Earnings in plain view
Earnings and wallet activity sit right alongside content and subscribers, so creators see the business side without leaving their workspace.
04Final designs
Two experiences, one creator economy.
- The fan experience: discover creators, browse posts, subscribe, message and tip.
- The creator workspace: publish and schedule posts, organise media, manage subscribers, set up subscriptions and track earnings.
05Impact
Designed in 2 months and now live, covering both sides of the platform: discovery, subscriptions, messaging, tips, publishing and earnings.
06Reflection
Designing for both sides of a marketplace.
Fans and creators depend on each other, so neither side could feel like an afterthought. The hard part was keeping both connected without making either one complicated.