Cactus Financial
Cactus is a concept financial budgeting application designed to help users feel confident about their finances. It provides an overview of your spending, and how you are tracking within your budgets, and helps keep track of recurring payments.
MY ROLE
UX Researcher, Product Designer, Brand/Visual Designer
TIMELINE
August 2022 - March 2023
TOOLS
Figma
PROJECT TYPE
Concept
Concept
INDUSTRY
Finance
DESIGN PROCESS
DEFINE
Problems
Users keep track of subscriptions made through Apple and Google and can be managed through their system. This does not account for payments made directly to the brand, company, or provider.
There are multiple locations to track changes. The users have to go to several different places to track where the payments are made. Email receipts, specific websites, bank statements, etc.
Financial tools aren't specific enough. Financial trackers use financial data from credit cards, debit cards, and bank statements. Does not formulate the type of charge- monthly, yearly, etc.
Feedback: Users must manually track their expenses. If the user is not using a financial tracker, then the user must review the bank statements to keep track of charges.
Goals
Satisfy users' needs and help them achieve a strong understanding of their financial well-being.
To create a user-friendly and effective tool that provides users with all the features and capabilities they need to improve their financial health, maintain awareness of spending, and simplify keeping track of recurring charges.
Success Metrics (Definition)
Success in this project is to have an interface that shows an overall view of their financial status, spending reports, digestable information of broken down spending habits, subscription/recurring payment status and management.
DEFINE
Problems
Users keep track of subscriptions made through Apple and Google and can be managed through their system. This does not account for payments made directly to the brand, company, or provider.
There are multiple locations to track changes. The users have to go to several different places to track where the payments are made. Email receipts, specific websites, bank statements, etc.
Financial tools aren't specific enough. Financial trackers use financial data from credit cards, debit cards, and bank statements. Does not formulate the type of charge- monthly, yearly, etc.
Feedback: Users must manually track their expenses. If the user is not using a financial tracker, then the user must review the bank statements to keep track of charges.
Goals
Satisfy users' needs and help them achieve a strong understanding of their financial well-being.
To create a user-friendly and effective tool that provides users with all the features and capabilities they need to improve their financial health, maintain awareness of spending, and simplify keeping track of recurring charges.
Success Metrics (Definition)
Success in this project is to have an interface that shows an overall view of their financial status, spending reports, digestable information of broken down spending habits, subscription/recurring payment status and management.
DEFINE
Problems
Users keep track of subscriptions made through Apple and Google and can be managed through their system. This does not account for payments made directly to the brand, company, or provider.
There are multiple locations to track changes. The users have to go to several different places to track where the payments are made. Email receipts, specific websites, bank statements, etc.
Financial tools aren't specific enough. Financial trackers use financial data from credit cards, debit cards, and bank statements. Does not formulate the type of charge- monthly, yearly, etc.
Feedback: Users must manually track their expenses. If the user is not using a financial tracker, then the user must review the bank statements to keep track of charges.
Goals
Satisfy users' needs and help them achieve a strong understanding of their financial well-being.
To create a user-friendly and effective tool that provides users with all the features and capabilities they need to improve their financial health, maintain awareness of spending, and simplify keeping track of recurring charges.
Success Metrics (Definition)
Success in this project is to have an interface that shows an overall view of their financial status, spending reports, digestable information of broken down spending habits, subscription/recurring payment status and management.
DEFINE
Problems
Users keep track of subscriptions made through Apple and Google and can be managed through their system. This does not account for payments made directly to the brand, company, or provider.
There are multiple locations to track changes. The users have to go to several different places to track where the payments are made. Email receipts, specific websites, bank statements, etc.
Financial tools aren't specific enough. Financial trackers use financial data from credit cards, debit cards, and bank statements. Does not formulate the type of charge- monthly, yearly, etc.
Feedback: Users must manually track their expenses. If the user is not using a financial tracker, then the user must review the bank statements to keep track of charges.
Goals
Satisfy users' needs and help them achieve a strong understanding of their financial well-being.
To create a user-friendly and effective tool that provides users with all the features and capabilities they need to improve their financial health, maintain awareness of spending, and simplify keeping track of recurring charges.
Success Metrics (Definition)
Success in this project is to have an interface that shows an overall view of their financial status, spending reports, digestable information of broken down spending habits, subscription/recurring payment status and management.
DEFINE
Problems
Users keep track of subscriptions made through Apple and Google and can be managed through their system. This does not account for payments made directly to the brand, company, or provider.
There are multiple locations to track changes. The users have to go to several different places to track where the payments are made. Email receipts, specific websites, bank statements, etc.
Financial tools aren't specific enough. Financial trackers use financial data from credit cards, debit cards, and bank statements. Does not formulate the type of charge- monthly, yearly, etc.
Feedback: Users must manually track their expenses. If the user is not using a financial tracker, then the user must review the bank statements to keep track of charges.
Goals
Satisfy users' needs and help them achieve a strong understanding of their financial well-being.
To create a user-friendly and effective tool that provides users with all the features and capabilities they need to improve their financial health, maintain awareness of spending, and simplify keeping track of recurring charges.
Success Metrics (Definition)
Success in this project is to have an interface that shows an overall view of their financial status, spending reports, digestable information of broken down spending habits, subscription/recurring payment status and management.
DEFINE
Problems
Users keep track of subscriptions made through Apple and Google and can be managed through their system. This does not account for payments made directly to the brand, company, or provider.
There are multiple locations to track changes. The users have to go to several different places to track where the payments are made. Email receipts, specific websites, bank statements, etc.
Financial tools aren't specific enough. Financial trackers use financial data from credit cards, debit cards, and bank statements. Does not formulate the type of charge- monthly, yearly, etc.
Feedback: Users must manually track their expenses. If the user is not using a financial tracker, then the user must review the bank statements to keep track of charges.
Goals
Satisfy users' needs and help them achieve a strong understanding of their financial well-being.
To create a user-friendly and effective tool that provides users with all the features and capabilities they need to improve their financial health, maintain awareness of spending, and simplify keeping track of recurring charges.
Success Metrics (Definition)
Success in this project is to have an interface that shows an overall view of their financial status, spending reports, digestable information of broken down spending habits, subscription/recurring payment status and management.
RESEARCH
User Personas
The user research stage of Cactus' development process involved conducting interviews, surveys, and usability tests with individuals who manage the finances for themselves and their families. During the interviews, I asked questions about their end-to-end journey when managing their spending with a specific interest in subscription or repeating payments. I asked about their preferred methods of financial tracking, as well as their pain points when it comes to managing money.
😎
Jesse
PAIN POINT: Jesse finds it difficult to track his spending with his wife, wants to see overall where they stand so they can save for a house.
😎
Ava
PAIN POINT: Ava is not confident in her financial management. She needs more information on her spending habits.
RESEARCH
User Personas
The user research stage of Cactus' development process involved conducting interviews, surveys, and usability tests with individuals who manage the finances for themselves and their families. During the interviews, I asked questions about their end-to-end journey when managing their spending with a specific interest in subscription or repeating payments. I asked about their preferred methods of financial tracking, as well as their pain points when it comes to managing money.
😎
Jesse
PAIN POINT: Jesse finds it difficult to track his spending with his wife, wants to see overall where they stand so they can save for a house.
😎
Ava
PAIN POINT: Ava is not confident in her financial management. She needs more information on her spending habits.
RESEARCH
User Personas
The user research stage of Cactus' development process involved conducting interviews, surveys, and usability tests with individuals who manage the finances for themselves and their families. During the interviews, I asked questions about their end-to-end journey when managing their spending with a specific interest in subscription or repeating payments. I asked about their preferred methods of financial tracking, as well as their pain points when it comes to managing money.
😎
Jesse
PAIN POINT: Jesse finds it difficult to track his spending with his wife, wants to see overall where they stand so they can save for a house.
😎
Ava
PAIN POINT: Ava is not confident in her financial management. She needs more information on her spending habits.
RESEARCH
User Personas
The user research stage of Cactus' development process involved conducting interviews, surveys, and usability tests with individuals who manage the finances for themselves and their families. During the interviews, I asked questions about their end-to-end journey when managing their spending with a specific interest in subscription or repeating payments. I asked about their preferred methods of financial tracking, as well as their pain points when it comes to managing money.
😎
Jesse
PAIN POINT: Jesse finds it difficult to track his spending with his wife, wants to see overall where they stand so they can save for a house.
😎
Ava
PAIN POINT: Ava is not confident in her financial management. She needs more information on her spending habits.
RESEARCH
User Personas
The user research stage of Cactus' development process involved conducting interviews, surveys, and usability tests with individuals who manage the finances for themselves and their families. During the interviews, I asked questions about their end-to-end journey when managing their spending with a specific interest in subscription or repeating payments. I asked about their preferred methods of financial tracking, as well as their pain points when it comes to managing money.
😎
Jesse
PAIN POINT: Jesse finds it difficult to track his spending with his wife, wants to see overall where they stand so they can save for a house.
😎
Ava
PAIN POINT: Ava is not confident in her financial management. She needs more information on her spending habits.
RESEARCH
User Personas
The user research stage of Cactus' development process involved conducting interviews, surveys, and usability tests with individuals who manage the finances for themselves and their families. During the interviews, I asked questions about their end-to-end journey when managing their spending with a specific interest in subscription or repeating payments. I asked about their preferred methods of financial tracking, as well as their pain points when it comes to managing money.
😎
Jesse
PAIN POINT: Jesse finds it difficult to track his spending with his wife, wants to see overall where they stand so they can save for a house.
😎
Ava
PAIN POINT: Ava is not confident in her financial management. She needs more information on her spending habits.
PROTOTYPE
Wireframe
After creating a basic outline on paper, I moved on to create low-fidelity wireframes using Figma. The wireframes allowed me to refine the design further, providing a more concrete representation of the overall layout, structure, and functionality of the app. By creating wireframes, I was able to experiment with different design elements and test the usability of the interface before investing time and resources into a more high-fidelity design.
PROTOTYPE
Wireframe
After creating a basic outline on paper, I moved on to create low-fidelity wireframes using Figma. The wireframes allowed me to refine the design further, providing a more concrete representation of the overall layout, structure, and functionality of the app. By creating wireframes, I was able to experiment with different design elements and test the usability of the interface before investing time and resources into a more high-fidelity design.
PROTOTYPE
Wireframe
After creating a basic outline on paper, I moved on to create low-fidelity wireframes using Figma. The wireframes allowed me to refine the design further, providing a more concrete representation of the overall layout, structure, and functionality of the app. By creating wireframes, I was able to experiment with different design elements and test the usability of the interface before investing time and resources into a more high-fidelity design.
PROTOTYPE
Wireframe
After creating a basic outline on paper, I moved on to create low-fidelity wireframes using Figma. The wireframes allowed me to refine the design further, providing a more concrete representation of the overall layout, structure, and functionality of the app. By creating wireframes, I was able to experiment with different design elements and test the usability of the interface before investing time and resources into a more high-fidelity design.
PROTOTYPE
Wireframe
After creating a basic outline on paper, I moved on to create low-fidelity wireframes using Figma. The wireframes allowed me to refine the design further, providing a more concrete representation of the overall layout, structure, and functionality of the app. By creating wireframes, I was able to experiment with different design elements and test the usability of the interface before investing time and resources into a more high-fidelity design.
PROTOTYPE
Wireframe
After creating a basic outline on paper, I moved on to create low-fidelity wireframes using Figma. The wireframes allowed me to refine the design further, providing a more concrete representation of the overall layout, structure, and functionality of the app. By creating wireframes, I was able to experiment with different design elements and test the usability of the interface before investing time and resources into a more high-fidelity design.
TEST
Usability Testing
Overall the feedback on the high-fidelity designs was well received. There were minor technical fixes that were called out and addressed. However, the users did not feel that they were receiving enough awareness about their spending and upcoming charges. From there, we added a homepage for Reminders which showed the users all their upcoming reminders and settled our initial problem statement of having more awareness of finances. In addition, we added a page that showed customization of details for recurring charges. This also supported the goal of providing more awareness to the user.
Test Finding
Without a reminder, the user still doesn't know about upcoming charges unless they are looking at the app.
Solution
Add a homepage for reminders and ways to customize them for certain events, charges, etc.
Test Finding
Customization of recurring transactions is unclear.
Solution
Add a page to demonstrate to the user how they are able to customize a recurring transaction when adding it to cactus.
TEST
Usability Testing
Overall the feedback on the high-fidelity designs was well received. There were minor technical fixes that were called out and addressed. However, the users did not feel that they were receiving enough awareness about their spending and upcoming charges. From there, we added a homepage for Reminders which showed the users all their upcoming reminders and settled our initial problem statement of having more awareness of finances. In addition, we added a page that showed customization of details for recurring charges. This also supported the goal of providing more awareness to the user.
Test Finding
Without a reminder, the user still doesn't know about upcoming charges unless they are looking at the app.
Solution
Add a homepage for reminders and ways to customize them for certain events, charges, etc.
Test Finding
Customization of recurring transactions is unclear.
Solution
Add a page to demonstrate to the user how they are able to customize a recurring transaction when adding it to cactus.
TEST
Usability Testing
Overall the feedback on the high-fidelity designs was well received. There were minor technical fixes that were called out and addressed. However, the users did not feel that they were receiving enough awareness about their spending and upcoming charges. From there, we added a homepage for Reminders which showed the users all their upcoming reminders and settled our initial problem statement of having more awareness of finances. In addition, we added a page that showed customization of details for recurring charges. This also supported the goal of providing more awareness to the user.
Test Finding
Without a reminder, the user still doesn't know about upcoming charges unless they are looking at the app.
Solution
Add a homepage for reminders and ways to customize them for certain events, charges, etc.
Test Finding
Customization of recurring transactions is unclear.
Solution
Add a page to demonstrate to the user how they are able to customize a recurring transaction when adding it to cactus.
TEST
Usability Testing
Overall the feedback on the high-fidelity designs was well received. There were minor technical fixes that were called out and addressed. However, the users did not feel that they were receiving enough awareness about their spending and upcoming charges. From there, we added a homepage for Reminders which showed the users all their upcoming reminders and settled our initial problem statement of having more awareness of finances. In addition, we added a page that showed customization of details for recurring charges. This also supported the goal of providing more awareness to the user.
Test Finding
Without a reminder, the user still doesn't know about upcoming charges unless they are looking at the app.
Solution
Add a homepage for reminders and ways to customize them for certain events, charges, etc.
Test Finding
Customization of recurring transactions is unclear.
Solution
Add a page to demonstrate to the user how they are able to customize a recurring transaction when adding it to cactus.
TEST
Usability Testing
Overall the feedback on the high-fidelity designs was well received. There were minor technical fixes that were called out and addressed. However, the users did not feel that they were receiving enough awareness about their spending and upcoming charges. From there, we added a homepage for Reminders which showed the users all their upcoming reminders and settled our initial problem statement of having more awareness of finances. In addition, we added a page that showed customization of details for recurring charges. This also supported the goal of providing more awareness to the user.
Test Finding
Without a reminder, the user still doesn't know about upcoming charges unless they are looking at the app.
Solution
Add a homepage for reminders and ways to customize them for certain events, charges, etc.
Test Finding
Customization of recurring transactions is unclear.
Solution
Add a page to demonstrate to the user how they are able to customize a recurring transaction when adding it to cactus.
TEST
Usability Testing
Overall the feedback on the high-fidelity designs was well received. There were minor technical fixes that were called out and addressed. However, the users did not feel that they were receiving enough awareness about their spending and upcoming charges. From there, we added a homepage for Reminders which showed the users all their upcoming reminders and settled our initial problem statement of having more awareness of finances. In addition, we added a page that showed customization of details for recurring charges. This also supported the goal of providing more awareness to the user.
Test Finding
Without a reminder, the user still doesn't know about upcoming charges unless they are looking at the app.
Solution
Add a homepage for reminders and ways to customize them for certain events, charges, etc.
Test Finding
Customization of recurring transactions is unclear.
Solution
Add a page to demonstrate to the user how they are able to customize a recurring transaction when adding it to cactus.
DESIGN
Style Guide
I developed a style guide that would provide guidelines for all visual design decisions. The style guide included a color palette, typography, and iconography that would convey the app's trustful and informative identity. I also established guidelines for how these design elements should be used across different screens and layouts, ensuring a cohesive look and feel throughout the app.
DELIVER
Final Design
The final designs successfully hit the goal of creating a financial budgeting app that helps users feel confident about their finances. The high fidelity screens provide an overview of the spending, tracking within budgets, and helps keep track of recurring payments.
DESIGN
Style Guide
I developed a style guide that would provide guidelines for all visual design decisions. The style guide included a color palette, typography, and iconography that would convey the app's trustful and informative identity. I also established guidelines for how these design elements should be used across different screens and layouts, ensuring a cohesive look and feel throughout the app.
DELIVER
Final Design
The final designs successfully hit the goal of creating a financial budgeting app that helps users feel confident about their finances. The high fidelity screens provide an overview of the spending, tracking within budgets, and helps keep track of recurring payments.
DESIGN
Style Guide
I developed a style guide that would provide guidelines for all visual design decisions. The style guide included a color palette, typography, and iconography that would convey the app's trustful and informative identity. I also established guidelines for how these design elements should be used across different screens and layouts, ensuring a cohesive look and feel throughout the app.
DELIVER
Final Design
The final designs successfully hit the goal of creating a financial budgeting app that helps users feel confident about their finances. The high fidelity screens provide an overview of the spending, tracking within budgets, and helps keep track of recurring payments.
DESIGN
Style Guide
I developed a style guide that would provide guidelines for all visual design decisions. The style guide included a color palette, typography, and iconography that would convey the app's trustful and informative identity. I also established guidelines for how these design elements should be used across different screens and layouts, ensuring a cohesive look and feel throughout the app.
DELIVER
Final Design
The final designs successfully hit the goal of creating a financial budgeting app that helps users feel confident about their finances. The high fidelity screens provide an overview of the spending, tracking within budgets, and helps keep track of recurring payments.
DESIGN
Style Guide
I developed a style guide that would provide guidelines for all visual design decisions. The style guide included a color palette, typography, and iconography that would convey the app's trustful and informative identity. I also established guidelines for how these design elements should be used across different screens and layouts, ensuring a cohesive look and feel throughout the app.
DELIVER
Final Design
The final designs successfully hit the goal of creating a financial budgeting app that helps users feel confident about their finances. The high fidelity screens provide an overview of the spending, tracking within budgets, and helps keep track of recurring payments.
DESIGN
Style Guide
I developed a style guide that would provide guidelines for all visual design decisions. The style guide included a color palette, typography, and iconography that would convey the app's trustful and informative identity. I also established guidelines for how these design elements should be used across different screens and layouts, ensuring a cohesive look and feel throughout the app.
DELIVER
Final Design
The final designs successfully hit the goal of creating a financial budgeting app that helps users feel confident about their finances. The high fidelity screens provide an overview of the spending, tracking within budgets, and helps keep track of recurring payments.
Nice to see you here!
Let's work together.
Website made with love by me!
Nice to see you here!
Let's work together.
Website made with love by me!
Nice to see you here!
Let's work together.
Website made with love by me!
Nice to see you here!
Let's work together.
Website made with love by me!