Methods
4 user interviews
Competitive audit of 5 apps
Key insights
Edgar is overwhelmed by budgeting and does not know where to start. He has to do lots of research and learning before he can begin to make progress.
How might we…
design a budgeting app that delivers scaffolded education, AI-powered personalization, and fully adjustable accessibility settings so novice budgeters and users with disabilities can set and achieve their financial goals with less stress and fewer obstacles?
Quantitative Goal:
≥ 80 % of first-time users create their first budget within 3 minutes
Results:
100% of interviewed participants created a budget within 3 minutes.
Qualitative Goal:
User Satisfaction Scores ≥ 85
Results:
100% of interviewed participants describe the app as “easy to use,” "easy to navigate," and express confidence using the app in post-study debriefs.
Second round of usability studies yielded USS = 90%
Crazy 8s and a quick Close Up/Big Picture storyboard led me to the following design decisions:
1. give users the ability to "level-up" their in-app experience as they learn and
2. allow personalization of accessibility features early on.
My lo-fi wireframes limit scroll fatigue with minimal information per page. All screens are a max of two clicks away via a bottom tab bar, easy to reach for mobile users.
First round of unmoderated, remote usability studies revealed that labels that did not meet users' expectations.
My initial choice of Glassmorphic style made WCAG compliant contrast challenging and also felt disconnected from current fintech trends.
The redesign hits 60:30:10 rule and uses iOS design libraries to create an experience at home within Apple products.
Using a combination of Stark, A11y, and Able plug-ins I verified color contrast requirements for all text and important elements on all frames.
I changed "skip all tutorials" and "home" labels to navy to improve readability.
To maintain consistency and speed up cycles of iteration, I quickly started compiling all reusable components and their variable states. This sticker sheet is from the original mobile app design stage, with some modifications that came naturally as I moved into later design stages.
To maintain consistency and speed up cycles of iteration, I quickly started compiling all reusable components and their variable states. This sticker sheet is from the original mobile app design stage, with some modifications that came naturally as I moved into later design stages.
This project grew me immensely as a UX designer. Working through all stages of design solo stretched my skills in all directions and taught me the value of deliberate planning and decision making at every step.
