Finance Friend

Project Overview

Finance Friend was a collaborative project between myself and two classmates, created to design a simple, accessible way for users to manage their personal finances.

Initially aimed at college students struggling to track their spending and savings, the project evolved into a versatile platform for anyone seeking personalized financial tools. Our goal was to make financial management approachable, intuitive, and inclusive for a wide range of users.

As the UI/UX Designer, I contributed to user research, information architecture, and the final interface design to ensure a cohesive and user-friendly experience.

Timeline

Five Months

My Role

UI/UX Designer

Collaboration

One team of three students

The Problem

Many college students face significant challenges managing their finances — from budgeting and tracking expenses to understanding available financial resources.

To uncover specific pain points, we conducted a user survey (via Google Forms) and interviews with around 60 participants from diverse backgrounds.

Our research revealed that:

  • Students struggled to stay organized with their budgets.

  • Many found expense tracking tools overly complicated or confusing.

  • Most felt that colleges offered little guidance or resources for personal finance.

These findings guided our design direction — emphasizing clarity, simplicity, and support for users who feel unprepared to manage their financial responsibilities.

Project Goal

Our goal was to design an intuitive, user-centric platform that helps users manage finances with ease and confidence.

Finance Friend would allow users to:

  • Track expenses and categorize spending

  • Create and adjust budgets

  • Explore events or activities that align with their financial goals

  • Access helpful resources and FAQs to boost financial literacy

The ultimate aim was to empower users to take control of their financial lives — not just track numbers, but make informed choices.

Design Process

During the design phase, we focused on making budgeting both functional and visually engaging.

We began with rough sketches to map out the core flow, then moved into designing high-fidelity screens that emphasized accessibility and clarity.

Key design decisions included:

  • A budget planning tool that visualizes spending across categories, helping users see where their money goes.

  • A sports and events page that connects budgeting to real-life experiences, encouraging users to allocate funds toward social or recreational activities.

  • A color-coded interface for at-a-glance understanding of financial data.

Pictured to the left: Rough draft sketch

Final Design

Our final prototype featured a range of screens that made finance management more approachable and interactive:

  • FAQ Section — Provides clear, accessible answers to common financial questions.

  • Events Interface — Allows users to create or discover events while tracking how participation fits their budget.

  • Bank Balance — Displays account balances.

  • Mortgage Calculator — Calculations page.

  • Calendar - Create or search for events.

FAQ Page UI

Bank Balance Page UI

Calendar Page UI

Events Page UI

Mortgage Calculator Page UI

Solution and Results

To evaluate usability, we conducted user testing with two participants who completed a series of predefined tasks. Our objectives were to assess ease of navigation, identify friction points, and gather actionable feedback.

Findings:

  • Users completed tasks successfully, validating the platform’s intuitive flow.

  • However, some participants found the bank balance UI unclear.

After iterating, we enhanced information hierarchy and optimized readability — creating a dashboard that communicated financial insights more clearly and efficiently.

This process reinforced our commitment to iterative, user-centered design. The result was a functional, accessible, and engaging platform that empowers users to confidently manage their financial journey.

Key Takeaways

This project emphasized the importance of research-driven design and continuous user feedback. By understanding users’ real-world challenges and testing iteratively, our team created a solution that balances usability with engagement — transforming financial management from a stressful task into an empowering experience.