# Madmoon: An escrow app built around one question. Can I trust the other side?

Case study by Sayed Elmarakpy · Fintech, Egypt · Mobile app design, Research · https://elmarakpy.com/work/madmoon/

## The problem

Buying and selling online in Egypt runs on trust, and trust is in short supply. Madmoon wanted person-to-person deals to feel safe. Three things kept people from finishing a transaction.

- **Fear of fraud.** People didn't want to share payment details or send money first.
- **No guarantee.** Without escrow, nobody knew the money or the goods would actually change hands.
- **No visibility.** Unclear status and scattered communication turned small delays into disputes.

<img src="/images/work/madmoon-1.webp" width="1600" height="960" alt="Madmoon seller persona research" loading="lazy" />

## What I did

I designed the app around visible trust at every step.

- **An escrow flow.** Money is held safely until delivery is confirmed.
- **Live status.** Each milestone notifies both sides the moment it happens.
- **Chat inside the deal.** Buyer and seller talk in the app, next to the transaction.
- **A reusable Trust Card.** One component that shows who you're dealing with and where the deal stands.

<img src="/images/work/madmoon-2.webp" width="1600" height="960" alt="Madmoon user journey mapping" loading="lazy" />

## What changed

[Confirm: "The Trust Card component alone has cut support tickets by 30%."]

[Confirm: 4.8 out of 5 average rating on the escrow experience, from an in-app survey.]

<img src="/images/work/madmoon-3.webp" width="1600" height="960" alt="Madmoon competitive analysis and visual direction" loading="lazy" />

## What I'd keep

When the product is trust, show it. Every step should answer the question the user is too polite to ask.