FastStash

Overview

Fast Stash is a hybrid responsive web and native app designed to help users budget for large planned expenses. Users will have a personalized budgeting plan and receive encouragement during the process. Users will be able to track their spending, see their progress and receive personalized financial advice.

Discovery

Upon research, I found users face three major challenges when it comes to budgeting: inconvenience, intimidation and incentives. People don’t like to watch what they spend. People don’t know how to do it and are uncomfortable with managing money. It takes time to see progress and that can cause people to lose steam.

Solution: create an app that was informal but informative - something that made budgeting easy, approachable and fun. I wanted to have a font and colors to express that. I wanted there to be a focus on goals and achievements as the app is for people who need to budget money fast. The interface should be simple, easy to use.

Define

After gathering research about the audience, I narrow down user needs and functions. I create user personas, first using the 5 W framework. I consider who my audience is, where and when they will interact with the product, what functions they need and why they need them.

From these personas, I create guiding principles and writing guidelines to ensure a cohesive brand personality. In approaching design, function and copy, it is important to keep guiding principles in mind.

Partnership

Budgeting can be intimidating. Trusting someone with your finances can be worrisome. We want to foster relationships with our customers so we come across as the approachable mentor and trusted partner.

Simplicity

Budgeting doesn’t have to be overcomplicated. We break it down and make the process as seamless as possible.

Achievement

Budgeting doesn’t have to be mundane. We focus on What our users want and remind them how close they are to their goals. When users meet their goals, we celebrate with them. We want our customers excited about their achievements.

Writing Guidelines

Our company is committed to helping users budget for short term expenses. It is important we eliminate intimidation and the stress of budgeting. We will use a casual, informative tone. We will demonstrate empathy and authority by addressing their problems and giving them solutions. We will focus our conversations with users on their goals and celebrate them when they reach said goals.

Design

From the user personas and brand guidelines, I decide the necessary functions. I create user flows to determine the flow of screens needed to complete a task. From these user flows, I then design wireframes of the necessary screen.

From the brand guidelines, I create visual branding guidelines and a style guide for the screens. The green and blue represent finance, success and trust. Red and orange, complimentary colors to green and blue, represent negatives. I chose to create a modern, minimal style to emphasize simplicity.

Refine

Between different stages of wireframes, I test the screens for functionality, updating and adapting the screens to be more intuitive. For example, when testing the onboarding process. As always, the testing is very enlightening and improves the usability of the overall design.

Reflection

There are many more screens I would like to make. In future renditions, I would have a financial advisor help write educational tips, as I think educating has significant effects on user experience.

Figuring out ways to make the graphs look less intimidating was a challenge. I would need to poll more people to see what charts and displays people favor.

Design Process

I take a holistic approach to design. I research the audience and the market to determine what functions the product needs and how to brand it. Research and user testing are essential in creating effective, intuitive products.

Discovery