FineEase

Budgeting Without Burnout

Designed to help university students manage their money confidently and reduce financial stress. Aims to improve personal finance literacy by combining intuitive design with motivational features like budgeting streaks, savings goals, and personalized financial tips.

Designed to help university students manage their money confidently and reduce financial stress. Aims to improve personal finance literacy by combining intuitive design with motivational features like budgeting streaks, savings goals, and personalized financial tips.

Client

Academic Group Project

Services

Product design
Interaction Design
User Research
Prototyping
Design Systems

My Role

UX/UI Designer

Date

December 2023

My Role

UX/UI Designer

Date

December 2023

Late-night ramen purchases, shared Spotify subscriptions, and that moment of panic when your bank app hits single digits, student finances are stressful. But what if managing money could feel empowering instead of overwhelming?

FinEase was designed to help students build smart financial habits through encouragement, not judgment. Inspired by real conversations with peers who felt lost tracking expenses, FinEase combines gamified goals and friendly design to turn budgeting into a daily confidence boost.

Late-night ramen purchases, shared Spotify subscriptions, and that moment of panic when your bank app hits single digits, student finances are stressful. But what if managing money could feel empowering instead of overwhelming?

FinEase was designed to help students build smart financial habits through encouragement, not judgment. Inspired by real conversations with peers who felt lost tracking expenses, FinEase combines gamified goals and friendly design to turn budgeting into a daily confidence boost.

PROBLEM

Budgeting Feels
Overwhelming


Most students find budgeting overwhelming and avoid financial planning altogether.

Too Much Noise,
Not Enough Clarity


Existing apps are cluttered or intimidating, often designed those who have the financial literacy most students don’t yet have or have not been taught.

Budgeting Feels
Overwhelming


Most students find budgeting overwhelming and avoid financial planning altogether.

Too Much Noise,
Not Enough Clarity


Existing apps are cluttered or intimidating, often designed those who have the financial literacy most students don’t yet have or have not been taught.

Apps Get Abandoned
Quickly


Without motivation or feedback, students lose interest and stop using financial apps altogether.

SOLUTION

Make Money Make Sense


FinEase makes budgeting approachable by designing for students, not accountants. The app simplifies tracking, encourages progress, and avoids judgment.

SOLUTION

Make Money Make Sense


FinEase makes budgeting approachable by designing for students, not accountants. The app simplifies tracking, encourages progress, and avoids judgment.

RESEARCH

Why Is Budgeting Still So Hard for Students?


To better understand the financial habits and frustrations of students, I conducted structured interviews with multiple university students from different programs and backgrounds. The goal was to uncover common behaviors, pain points, and motivations related to money management.

Why Is Budgeting Still So Hard for Students?


To better understand the financial habits and frustrations of students, I conducted structured interviews with multiple university students from different programs and backgrounds. The goal was to uncover common behaviors, pain points, and motivations related to money management.

Persona created of a 20-year-old full-time student managing part-time income, rent, and social spending. They’re overwhelmed by financial jargon but open to improving with the right tools.

Persona created of a 20-year-old full-time student managing part-time income, rent, and social spending. They’re overwhelmed by financial jargon but open to improving with the right tools.

FINDINGS

Banking Apps Aren’t Enough


Students use mobile banking for basics, but it doesn’t help them manage or understand their spending.

Spending Without Planning


Most spend impulsively and don’t track goals, they react instead of plan.


Keep It Simple (Please)


Students want a finance app that’s easy, visual, and free from complicated terms or charts.

Motivation Matters


Gamified savings goals and visual progress increase their willingness to stick with a budgeting habit.

Keep It Simple (Please)


Students want a finance app that’s easy, visual, and free from complicated terms or charts.

Motivation Matters


Gamified savings goals and visual progress increase their willingness to stick with a budgeting habit.

DESIGN PROCESS

Solo Exploration First


We began with individual ideation to explore different directions before merging ideas. This allowed for more creativity and less groupthink early on.

Solo Exploration First


We began with individual ideation to explore different directions before merging ideas. This allowed for more creativity and less groupthink early on.

Storyboard Snapshot


We built a storyboard around a common scenario:

A student wants to buy a new laptop, sets a new savings goal in the app, and tracks progress weekly while staying within their budget.


This helped ground the app’s features in a real student need.

A student wants to buy a new laptop, sets a new savings goal in the app, and tracks progress weekly while staying within their budget.


This helped ground the app’s features in a real student need.

A student wants to buy a new laptop, sets a new savings goal in the app, and tracks progress weekly while staying within their budget.


This helped ground the app’s features in a real student need.

Sketches to Ground the Vision


Early hand-drawn screens helped us test registration & login flows, goal-setting pages, savings tips & app settings. These visual drafts made it easier to align on layout, flow, and usability before high-fidelity design began.

Sketches to Ground the Vision


Early hand-drawn screens helped us test registration & login flows, goal-setting pages, savings tips & app settings. These visual drafts made it easier to align on layout, flow, and usability before high-fidelity design began.

KEY SCREENS

KEY SCREENS

Home


Overview of accounts, spending insights, and eco-challenges.


I prioritized this screen to help users feel in control and immediately informed without needing to dig.

Home


Overview of accounts, spending insights, and eco-challenges.


I prioritized this screen to help users feel in control and immediately informed without needing to dig.

Goal Setting


Users can track and manage short- and long-term savings goals.


Designed to break down abstract financial stress into clear, motivating targets.

Goal Setting


Users can track and manage short- and long-term savings goals.


Designed to break down abstract financial stress into clear, motivating targets.

Achievements


Gamified progress through streaks and milestones.


Encourages habit-building in a positive, non-judgmental way.


Achievements


Gamified progress through streaks and milestones.


Encourages habit-building in a positive, non-judgmental way.


Learning Hub


Quick, in-app financial literacy lessons.


Integrated education directly into the app to make growth feel easy and accessible, not like homework.

Learning Hub


Quick, in-app financial literacy lessons.


Integrated education directly into the app to make growth feel easy and accessible, not like homework.

Spending Habits


Visual breakdown of spending patterns by category.


Helps students notice spending trends and

adjust behaviors with clarity.

Spending Habits


Visual breakdown of spending patterns by category.


Helps students notice spending trends and

adjust behaviors with clarity.

Uni Resources


One-tap access to financial aid, discounts, and scholarships.


Included to support users beyond budgeting,

connecting them to real-world help.

Uni Resources


One-tap access to financial aid, discounts, and scholarships.


Included to support users beyond budgeting,

connecting them to real-world help.

FINAL ITERACTIVE PROTOTYPE

FINAL ITERACTIVE
PROTOTYPE

TESTING WHAT REALLY MATTERS – Real Feedback, Real Growth


We conducted two rounds of user testing to evaluate both the usability and visual consistency of our FinEase prototype:

Heuristic Evaluation


We invited 3 UX students to review our high-fidelity prototype using Jakob Nielsen’s heuristics.
Their feedback highlighted areas we had overlooked, like inconsistent fonts and misaligned UI elements , reminding us how familiarity creates blind spots.


Key Takeaway: Consistency is critical. We plan to tighten visual quality control and add interactive prototypes earlier in our process to better simulate real user flows.

Summative Evaluation


To assess real usability, we asked 3 student users to complete core tasks like signing up, creating a savings goal, and reviewing transactions, while thinking aloud.
They then completed a survey on clarity, comfort, and overall satisfaction.


Findings:

  • Users found the app intuitive and visually appealing

  • Goal-setting features were especially well-received

  • Error rates were low, and participants reported feeling confident using the app


These results validated our core design choices and showed strong potential for meeting student needs.

Heuristic Evaluation


We invited 3 UX students to review our high-fidelity prototype using Jakob Nielsen’s heuristics.
Their feedback highlighted areas we had overlooked, like inconsistent fonts and misaligned UI elements , reminding us how familiarity creates blind spots.


Key Takeaway: Consistency is critical. We plan to tighten visual quality control and add interactive prototypes earlier in our process to better simulate real user flows.

WHAT I'D DO DIFFERENTLY

Test Earlier & More Often


Start usability testing sooner and include a wider range of users.

Prioritize User Feedback


Integrate insights earlier to catch and fix pain points faster.

Tighten Visual Consistency


Refine font, spacing, and alignment for a more polished UI.

Broaden Evaluation Methods:


Use remote or larger-scale usability studies to collect more diverse insights.

Scoop

A ride-splitting app for students

Scoop

A ride-splitting app for students

Scoop

A ride-splitting app for students

Tighten Visual Consistency


Refine font, spacing, and alignment for a more polished UI.

Broaden Evaluation Methods:


Use remote or larger-scale usability studies to collect more diverse insights.

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