About  |  

SPENDX


A Budgeting App Designed to Make Financial Tracking SEXY,
Inspiring College Students to Proactively Oversee Their Spending

Date & Course
Aug  - dec 2022
Innovation through design thinking
DIS Copenhagen
Categories
innovation
Branding
UX design
entreprenuership
methods
survey
Interviews
Empathy Map
visual stimuli
user co-creation
Tools
miro
Figma
Adobe Premiere
Team of 4
my role:
ideation 
interview
prototyping
video editing
guest co-creation



THE MOMENT

In a world where college students grapple with financial management, a market need arose: a engaging tool that resonates with the youth and encourages responsible spending habits. Addressing this, we frame our mission with the question: 
 

“How might we make financial tracking sexy?”


The project took place in DIS Copenhagen, a study abroad institution facing American students--our primary user group. We delve deep into student perspectives to uncover core challenges. Armed with these insights, our goal becomes clear: Transform the intimidating task of budgeting into a stimulating, user-centric experience .

DESIGN THINKING PROCESS




THE CHALLENGES

Our design methods range from conducting surveys and semi-structured interviews to the deployment of visual stimuli and empathy maps. We navigated challenges: capturing the attention of app-saturated college students, merging captivating design with robust financial functions, and embedding gamification without undermining budget seriousness. The transition from insights to tangible designs involved multiple stages of prototyping, from low to high fidelity. Our guest butterfly test and the customer journey map ensured we were aligned with the student experience at every touchpoint.

PROTOTYPING



USER JOURNEY VIDEO



THE OUTCOME

We created SPENDX to transform the often daunting task of budgeting into a stimulating, user-centric activity. With features like a personality test for custom financial experiences, a rewarding deals & discount section, wishlists, and a robust spending plan/history overview, we managed to strike a balance between engagement and utility. Our commitment to the design thinking ethos ensured the app was not just functional, but a transformative tool in how college students manage their finances.

REFLECTING ON DESIGN THINKING PROCESS




Team Members:
ruisi chen
Emma Brafman - emmagbrafman@gmail.com
Julia Cutajar - jcutajar@nd.edu
Aliea Nallbani - an105@wellesley.edu