FinVault

Problem Definition

Finance apps fail to retain users because they create more cognitive burden than they solve. Through competitive analysis and user interviews, I identified three core friction points:

• 01Fragmented information — Users juggle 3-5 apps to see their complete financial picture
• 02Manual categorization fatigue — Tagging every transaction becomes a chore users abandon
• 03Visual overwhelm — Charts, badges, and gamification add noise instead of clarity

Solution

FinVault brings all your money information into one clear dashboard so you don't have to jump around apps. The app connects securely to bank accounts, automatically tracks transactions, and organizes money flow without requiring manual entry or constant categorization.

User Research

I conducted 8 user interviews with working professionals aged 22-35 who actively use finance apps. The research revealed a clear pattern: users want visibility, not interactivity.

“I just want to open the app and immediately see if I'm okay this month. I don't want to tap through five screens.”

— Interview participant, 26

From affinity mapping, I synthesized insights into a primary persona: a working professional who needs financial awareness without the overhead of active management. This shaped every subsequent design decision toward passive clarity over active engagement.

Branding & Typography

I chose to go with Urbanist for the primary font since it is inspired by Modernist design. It provides a clean, professional, and contemporary look suited for what I wanted with FinVault.

Prototyping

Testing

I ran moderated usability tests with 6 participants using Maze. Each session focused on three core flows: onboarding, viewing the dashboard, and setting up a recurring transaction.

Key iteration from testing: participants struggled to find the “recurring transactions” feature. I relocated it from a nested menu to a dedicated tab, reducing discovery time by 60%.

Results & Learnings

FinVault validated the hypothesis that simplicity drives retention. By stripping away conventional finance app patterns (gamification, social features, dense charts), the design achieved measurably better engagement in concept testing.

If I were to continue this project, I would explore deeper personalization through spending pattern analysis and smart notifications that surface insights without requiring users to open the app.