Financial Literacy Simplified
Make Sense While Making Cents
Timeline: 3 Months
Tools: Figma
Overview
Roles and Responsibilities
As the sole UX/Product Designer, my responsibilities included:
Conducting user research to identify pain points and needs
Designing wireframes, prototypes, and user flows
Conducting usability testing and refining designs based on feedback.
How do you empower people to take control of their financial future?
This was the driving question behind Makes Cents, a financial literacy app designed to turn intimidating money topics into approachable, engaging lessons. Through a user-first approach, I created a tool that blends education with interactivity, helping users build confidence in managing their finances.
Financial literacy is often overlooked, yet it’s a critical life skill. Many people—particularly young adults—feel overwhelmed or intimidated by financial topics such as budgeting, saving, and investing. The resources available are often dense, technical, or overwhelming. There was an opportunity to create a solution that demystifies finances and motivates users to take action.
A thoughtfully designed financial literacy app that simplifies complex financial topics into approachable, engaging lessons. It provides users with interactive modules, quizzes, and a gamified rewards system to make learning actionable and enjoyable. With a friendly, non-judgmental tone and bite-sized content, the app breaks down intimidating concepts like budgeting, saving, and investing into manageable steps. Prioritizing user experience, accessibility, and visual clarity, the design ensures users feel supported in building their confidence and taking meaningful actions toward financial independence.
Problem
Solution
The Audience
The primary audience includes young adults aged 18-30 who want to build financial literacy skills.
Secondary audiences includes anyone seeking a casual, beginner-friendly introduction to personal finance. The app addresses their need for accessible, non-intimidating content that fits into their busy lifestyles.
Interviews & Observations
To understand the financial literacy challenges and goals of the target audience, I conducted interviews with 4 individuals from diverse backgrounds within the target demographic. The goal was to uncover pain points, behaviors, and preferences related to managing personal finances.
Key Insights
Overwhelmed by Complex Information: Participants expressed feeling intimidated by the sheer volume of financial information available online and struggled to find beginner-friendly resources.
Desire for Tangible Guidance: Many participants wanted actionable advice and tools to help them take practical steps, such as creating a budget or starting a savings plan.
Limited Awareness of Financial Concepts: Topics like interest, credit scores, and taxes were frequently misunderstood or completely unfamiliar to users.
Preference for Interactive Learning: Participants showed a strong interest in gamified and visually engaging experiences to make learning less daunting.
Emphasis on Trust and Simplicity: Users wanted the app to feel approachable, trustworthy, and free of unnecessary jargon.
Based on the interviews, I identified the following trends: