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SpendSmart
UI / UX | User Research | User Testing | Prototyping | 2023 | 15 weeks
SpendSmart is the app for simple budgeting and managing your finances. It helps you track expenses, set budgets, and understand your spending habits. With a clean, user-friendly interface, SpendSmart makes it easy to stay on top of your money and reach your financial goals. Save time, reduce stress, and take control of your finances!
Project info
Product goal
To strengthen financial well-being by making it easier for users to track and manage their money. The goal is to help people take control of their finances and build better money habits.
Business goal
Businesses that offer services, such as subscriptions, can benefit from the app by simplifying payment processes, managing expenses, and helping customers stay within their budgets.
Problem
How might we help young adults to manage their finances?
Process
The process started with research to define the problem, user goals, and challenges. User personas and scenarios were created, followed by testing and iterations to make the final design.
Solution
What if we created a convenient and easy to use system, that simplified the budgeting experience by only focusing on three main features: tracking expenses, setting budgets, and understanding spending habits.
Perfecting the budgeting and money management experience
Managing finances can be confusing and stressful, with unexpected costs and complicated budgeting. SpendSmart solves these problems by making the budgeting process simple and easy to use, saving you time and stress. My vision for the app was to create a simple, user-friendly design that makes managing money straightforward. Let's see what some young people think about their economy.
2023
Lead Designer
“It’s tough to get my finances under control and I wish saving money could be a simpler, more fun process. I just get tired of seeing all the numbers from my spending and bills, and I don’t even know where to start.”
03/06-23, Estelle Diego,
Student at Concordia University, US
image: Viktoria Leth
“I want managing my finances to be straightforward and efficient. Simplifying the saving process and focusing only on essential features would make a world of difference.”
03/18-23, Wilma Strom,
Finance Student, Biola University
image: Viktoria Leth
Defining the user
The target audience is financially conscious young adults (18-30 years) living in urban areas. They seek a user-friendly budgeting app that fits seamlessly into their busy lives and offers insightful financial guidance tailored to their goals. They are drawn to digital solutions and need educational resources to improve their financials and management skills.
2023
Lead Designer
"I want a tool to help me spend money wisely while ensuring I can still afford rent and groceries.”
Demographics
Name Alice
Age 20
Occupation Student
Status Single
Location San Francisco
Salary 15k
Alice
The Spontaneous
Image
Motivation
Efficiency
Time
Freedom
Money Growth
Preferences
Prefers user-friendly apps for easy money management and values automation for tracking expenses, paying bills, and saving without manual effort.
Goals
To have more freedom to explore new experiences, she wants to make the most of her money every month.
Frustrations
Too much time is spent on keeping track of money. Having a hard time staying on a budget.
Goals
To have more freedom to explore new experiences, she wants to make the most of her money every month.
Frustrations
Too much time is spent on keeping track of money. Having a hard time staying on a budget.
Goals
To have more freedom to explore new experiences, she wants to make the most of her money every month.
Frustrations
Too much time is spent on keeping track of money. Having a hard time staying on a budget.
Why can't they stay on a budget?
Key Areas to understand
Why do young people want to save money?
Where does most of a young adult's money go?
What are some current tools young adults are using to manage their money?
What are the main problems young adults are facing today that prevent them from managing their money?
Why do young people want to save money?
Where does most of a young adult's money go?
What are some current tools young adults are using to manage their money?
What are the main problems young adults are facing today that prevent them from managing their money?
Why do young people want to save money?
Where does most of a young adult's money go?
What are some current tools young adults are using to manage their money?
What are the main problems young adults are facing today that prevent them from managing their money?
A study from 2023 by Edward Jones and MIT’s AgeLab Next360, which included 2,003 adults in that age group, shows that 80% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 are struggling or merely surviving financially.
In my survey, 90% of participants think they can improve their financial management. Top reasons for breaking budgets are:
32%
Emergency expenses (such as medication).
Being spontaneous.
84%
Unexpected expenses.
74%
Special occasions.
58%
Hard to track expenses during travel.
50%
Being spontaneous.
Unexpected expenses.
Special occasions.
Hard to track expenses during travel.
Emergency expenses (such as medication).
Learnings based on research
Based on the research and discovers, these points were kept in mind when moving on to designing the product.
Study conducted: Spring 2023, 38 participants
2023
Lead Designer
Habits
Interviewees spend the most money on entertainment, food, rent, and travel. They do not have a specific way of keeping track of expenses.
Needs
Interviewees want a clear and fun tool where you can see a balance of spent/left to spend, focus on saving, and where you enter fixed sums.
Home page
To make it easy to understand your finances, you should have your budget and balance right on the home page.
Creating budget
Users want to focus on saving. Therefore, this aspect needs to be present during the creation of the budget. Also, users want to enter fixed sums and not percentages.
Budget page
The main categories the users want to see in the budget are food, rent, entertainment, and travel.
Balance page
Want to see a balance between what they have spent, and what they have left to spend. They also want to see overviews from previous transactions.
Wireframes and components
With all the information I had gathered, it was time to start designing. I began with the key pages, like the search and booking pages. While designing, I considered the different situations users might be in—whether they’re stressed, on the bus, with their kids, or relaxing at home.
Low fidelity wireframes
Medium fidelity wireframes
Usability testing
Before adding style to the design, I conducted a paper prototype testing to get early feedback from users.
“Important UI should be more easily accessible because that helps me save time.”
03/16-23, Johanna Leth,
Biochemistry student, University of Lund
“I want to get an overview of how much I spend in each category so that I can better understand my spending habits.”
03/16-23, Vera Larsson,
dentist student, University of Umeå
“I don’t understand where to look - there are too many options which makes me even more tired than I was before opening the app.”
03/16-23, Maria Lind,
Interaction and Design student, University of Lund
“I want to get an overview of how much I spend in each category so that I can better understand my spending habits.”
03/16-23, Vera Larsson,
dentist student, University of Umeå
“I don’t understand where to look - there are too many options which makes me even more tired than I was before opening the app.”
03/16-23, Maria Lind,
Interaction and Design student, University of Lund
“I want to get an overview of how much I spend in each category so that I can better understand my spending habits.”
03/16-23, Vera Larsson,
dentist student, University of Umeå
“I don’t understand where to look - there are too many options which makes me even more tired than I was before opening the app.”
03/16-23, Maria Lind,
Interaction and Design student, University of Lund
Component Library
Icons
The icons represents what my brand is all about - simplicity and easy to understand.
Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
1234567890-=!@#$%^&*()_+
Montserrat Light
Montserrat Regular
Montserrat Medium
Color Palette
The colors represents what my brand is all about - simplicity and ease.
Logo
The logo represents what my brand is all about - simplicity and balance.
Typography
The typography represents what my brand is all about - simplicity and easy to understand.
Montserrat Bold
#101823
#EE8F66
#EE8F66
#ED7B5F
#05A172
Montserrat Light
Montserrat Regular
Montserrat Medium
Montserrat Bold
#101823
#EE8F66
#EE8F66
#ED7B5F
#05A172
Final Design
Takeaways
When I created SpendSmart, I knew that simplicity was key. A straightforward design ensures users can navigate the app effortlessly. Clear visuals are crucial too, as they save time by presenting financial information in an easily digestible format. By simplifying complex numbers, SpendSmart transforms budgeting into an enjoyable and convenient experience. It's not just about managing money; it's about empowering individuals to take control of their financial futures and follow their dreams with confidence.
2023
Lead Designer
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SpendSmart
UI / UX | User Research | User Testing | Prototyping | 2023 | 15 weeks
SpendSmart is the app for simple budgeting and managing your finances. It helps you track expenses, set budgets, and understand your spending habits. With a clean, user-friendly interface, SpendSmart makes it easy to stay on top of your money and reach your financial goals. Save time, reduce stress, and take control of your finances!
Project info
Product goal
To strengthen financial well-being by making it easier for users to track and manage their money. The goal is to help people take control of their finances and build better money habits.
Business goal
Businesses that offer services, such as subscriptions, can benefit from the app by simplifying payment processes, managing expenses, and helping customers stay within their budgets.
Problem
How might we help young adults to manage their finances?
Process
The process started with research to define the problem, user goals, and challenges. User personas and scenarios were created, followed by testing and iterations to make the final design.
Solution
What if we created a convenient and easy to use system, that simplified the budgeting experience by only focusing on three main features: tracking expenses, setting budgets, and understanding spending habits.
Perfecting the budgeting and money management experience
Managing finances can be confusing and stressful, with unexpected costs and complicated budgeting. SpendSmart solves these problems by making the budgeting process simple and easy to use, saving you time and stress. My vision for the app was to create a simple, user-friendly design that makes managing money straightforward. Let's see what some young people think about their economy.
2023
Lead Designer
“It’s tough to get my finances under control and I wish saving money could be a simpler, more fun process. I just get tired of seeing all the numbers from my spending and bills, and I don’t even know where to start.”
03/06-23, Estelle Diego,
Student at Concordia University, US
image: Viktoria Leth
“I want managing my finances to be straightforward and efficient. Simplifying the saving process and focusing only on essential features would make a world of difference.”
03/18-23, Wilma Strom,
Finance Student, Biola University
image: Viktoria Leth
Defining the user
The target audience is financially conscious young adults (18-30 years) living in urban areas. They seek a user-friendly budgeting app that fits seamlessly into their busy lives and offers insightful financial guidance tailored to their goals. They are drawn to digital solutions and need educational resources to improve their financials and management skills.
2023
Lead Designer
"I want a tool to help me spend money wisely while ensuring I can still afford rent and groceries.”
Demographics
Name Alice
Age 20
Occupation Student
Status Single
Location San Francisco
Salary 15k
Preferences
Prefers user-friendly apps for easy money management and values automation for tracking expenses, paying bills, and saving without manual effort.
Frustrations
Too much time is spent on keeping track of money. Having a hard time staying on a budget.
Goals
To have more freedom to explore new experiences, she wants to make the most of her money every month.
Motivation
Efficiency
Time
Freedom
Money Growth
Why can't they stay on a budget?
Key Areas to understand
Why do young people want to save money?
Where does most of a young adult's money go?
What are some current tools young adults are using to manage their money?
What are the main problems young adults are facing today that prevent them from managing their money?
A study from 2023 by Edward Jones and MIT’s AgeLab Next360, which included 2,003 adults in that age group, shows that 80% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 are struggling or merely surviving financially.
A study from 2023 by Edward Jones and MIT’s AgeLab Next360, which included 2,003 adults in that age group, shows that 80% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 are struggling or merely surviving financially.
In my survey, 90% of participants think they can improve their financial management. Top reasons for breaking budgets are:
Affinity Map
Practices They Do
Using economy apps to see spendings.
Checking my account.
Transfer money to savings account.
Calculate in my head.
Writing expenses in an excel-sheet.
Setting financial goals.
Pain Points
Keep track of finances during travels.
Being too spontaneous.
Spending too much on special occasions.
Not affording random costs, such as snacks.
Not being able to join social events.
User Needs
Be safe if an emergency shows up.
Have money for future plans.
Be able to travel.
Being free and not need to consider finances.
Being able to have fun.
Suggestions
A monthly budget section.
Clearly comparing expenses/income.
Breakdown of where you spend your money.
Easily see how much I have left to spend.
Using visuals instead of boring numbers.
Show average spendings in different categories.
Learnings based on research
Based on the research and discovers, these points were kept in mind when moving on to designing the product.
Study conducted: Spring 2023, 38 participants
2023
Lead Designer
Habits
Interviewees spend the most money on entertainment, food, rent, and travel. They do not have a specific way of keeping track of expenses.
Needs
Interviewees want a clear and fun tool where you can see a balance of spent/left to spend, focus on saving, and where you enter fixed sums.
Home page
To make it easy to understand your finances, you should have your budget and balance right on the home page.
Creating budget
Users want to focus on saving. Therefore, this aspect needs to be present during the creation of the budget. Also, users want to enter fixed sums and not percentages.
Budget page
The main categories the users want to see in the budget are food, rent, entertainment, and travel.
Balance page
Want to see a balance between what they have spent, and what they have left to spend. They also want to see overviews from previous transactions.
Wireframes and components
With all the information I had gathered, it was time to start designing. I began with the key pages, like the search and booking pages. While designing, I considered the different situations users might be in—whether they’re stressed, on the bus, with their kids, or relaxing at home.
Low fidelity wireframes
Medium fidelity wireframes
Usability testing
Before adding style to the design, I conducted a paper prototype testing to get early feedback from users.
Usability testing
Before adding style to the design, I conducted a paper prototype testing to get early feedback from users.
“Important UI should be more easily accessible because that helps me save time.”
03/16-23, Johanna Leth,
Biochemistry student, University of Lund
“I want to get an overview of how much I spend in each category so that I can better understand my spending habits.”
03/16-23, Vera Larsson,
dentist student, University of Umeå
“I don’t understand where to look - there are too many options which makes me even more tired than I was before opening the app.”
03/16-23, Maria Lind,
Interaction and Design student, University of Lund
Component Library
Logo
The logo represents what my brand is all about - simplicity and balance.
Typography
The typography represents what my brand is all about - simplicity and easy to understand.
Color Palette
The colors represents what my brand is all about - simplicity and ease.
Icons
The icons represents what my brand is all about - simplicity and easy to understand.
Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
1234567890-=!@#$%^&*()_+
#101823
#05A172
#8CC63F
#EE8F66
Montserrat Bold Montserrat Medium
Montserrat Regular
Montserrat Light
Final Design
Takeaways
When I created SpendSmart, I knew that simplicity was key. A straightforward design ensures users can navigate the app effortlessly. Clear visuals are crucial too, as they save time by presenting financial information in an easily digestible format. By simplifying complex numbers, SpendSmart transforms budgeting into an enjoyable and convenient experience. It's not just about managing money; it's about empowering individuals to take control of their financial futures and follow their dreams with confidence.
2023
Lead Designer