App Design
Course Project
SpendSage
Designed a budgeting app that simplifies financial tracking with smart defaults, visual insights, and motivational nudges for first-time budgeters.
Year :
2023
Role :
● UX Designer
● UX Researcher
Team :
Only Me!
Skills :
● User research
● Interaction Design
● Prototyping
● Usability Testing
The Problem :
Managing expenses feels harder than it should.
Most people either give up halfway through a budgeting app or never open one again. Why? Because the experience is either too complicated (think: charts and math everywhere) or too rigid to actually reflect real spending habits.
SpendSage was my attempt to change that, a budgeting app that’s simple, visual, and actually enjoyable to use.
Research & Discovery :
I interviewed 5 users, students, freelancers, and part-time workers, and asked how they currently track expenses. I also reviewed competitor apps like Mint and YNAB.
Here’s what I found:
Users forget to log small transactions, especially in cash
Default categories feel off, they don’t match real-life spending
Apps felt “too data-heavy” or “like using Excel with a prettier UI”
Users wanted more context, fewer numbers, and smarter suggestions
Design Priorities :
I focused on building around three core needs:
• Log expenses quickly without getting stuck in a flow
• Understand where money goes in one glance
• Stay motivated without guilt or judgment
Final Features :
Streamlined Entry :
Add expenses in seconds, or scan receipts, no endless typing
Visual insights :
Real-time dashboards that actually make sense, clear graphs, color-coded tips
Custom categories :
Rename or edit categories so they reflect your actual life, not app defaults
Goal Milestones :
Set custom goals and get rewarded for hitting streaks or sticking to plans
AI-Based suggestions :
Personalized insights like “Your food spend increased 22% this week”
Prototyping & testing :
After wireframing in Figma, I ran task-based usability tests with 5 users. Tasks included:
• Logging a cash expense
• Creating a custom category
• Understanding their weekly budget
What I observed:
• 80% found the interface more intuitive than what they currently used
• Task time dropped by 40% after one session
• Users loved seeing their “spendable balance” update in real time
Outcomes :
By the end of the project, StandUp TV had :
80%
of users found the redesigned interface more intuitive, leading to a 40% reduction in task completion time for tracking expenses.
30%
increase in user engagement was observed after enhancing navigation and financial summaries.
40%
faster expense tracking was achieved through custom expense categories and visual spending insights.
What I Learned :
I had some reflections by the end of this project :
Clarity > complexity
People don’t want more data, they want better feedback.
Flexibility builds trust
Users stayed engaged because the app felt like it adapted to them, not the other way around.
Visuals motivate behavior
Color-coded progress, streaks, and tips made budgeting feel less like punishment and more like progress.
More Projects
App Design
Course Project
SpendSage
Designed a budgeting app that simplifies financial tracking with smart defaults, visual insights, and motivational nudges for first-time budgeters.
Year :
2023
Role :
● UX Designer
● UX Researcher
Team :
Only Me!
Skills :
● User research
● Interaction Design
● Prototyping
● Usability Testing
The Problem :
Managing expenses feels harder than it should.
Most people either give up halfway through a budgeting app or never open one again. Why? Because the experience is either too complicated (think: charts and math everywhere) or too rigid to actually reflect real spending habits.
SpendSage was my attempt to change that, a budgeting app that’s simple, visual, and actually enjoyable to use.
Research & Discovery :
I interviewed 5 users, students, freelancers, and part-time workers, and asked how they currently track expenses. I also reviewed competitor apps like Mint and YNAB.
Here’s what I found:
Users forget to log small transactions, especially in cash
Default categories feel off, they don’t match real-life spending
Apps felt “too data-heavy” or “like using Excel with a prettier UI”
Users wanted more context, fewer numbers, and smarter suggestions
Design Priorities :
I focused on building around three core needs:
• Log expenses quickly without getting stuck in a flow
• Understand where money goes in one glance
• Stay motivated without guilt or judgment
Final Features :
Streamlined Entry :
Add expenses in seconds, or scan receipts, no endless typing
Visual insights :
Real-time dashboards that actually make sense, clear graphs, color-coded tips
Custom categories :
Rename or edit categories so they reflect your actual life, not app defaults
Goal Milestones :
Set custom goals and get rewarded for hitting streaks or sticking to plans
AI-Based suggestions :
Personalized insights like “Your food spend increased 22% this week”
Prototyping & testing :
After wireframing in Figma, I ran task-based usability tests with 5 users. Tasks included:
• Logging a cash expense
• Creating a custom category
• Understanding their weekly budget
What I observed:
• 80% found the interface more intuitive than what they currently used
• Task time dropped by 40% after one session
• Users loved seeing their “spendable balance” update in real time
Outcomes :
By the end of the project, StandUp TV had :
80%
of users found the redesigned interface more intuitive, leading to a 40% reduction in task completion time for tracking expenses.
30%
increase in user engagement was observed after enhancing navigation and financial summaries.
40%
faster expense tracking was achieved through custom expense categories and visual spending insights.
What I Learned :
I had some reflections by the end of this project :
Clarity > complexity
People don’t want more data, they want better feedback.
Flexibility builds trust
Users stayed engaged because the app felt like it adapted to them, not the other way around.
Visuals motivate behavior
Color-coded progress, streaks, and tips made budgeting feel less like punishment and more like progress.
More Projects
App Design
Course Project
SpendSage
Designed a budgeting app that simplifies financial tracking with smart defaults, visual insights, and motivational nudges for first-time budgeters.
Year :
2023
Role :
● UX Designer
● UX Researcher
Team :
Only Me!
Skills :
● User research
● Interaction Design
● Prototyping
● Usability Testing
The Problem :
Managing expenses feels harder than it should.
Most people either give up halfway through a budgeting app or never open one again. Why? Because the experience is either too complicated (think: charts and math everywhere) or too rigid to actually reflect real spending habits.
SpendSage was my attempt to change that, a budgeting app that’s simple, visual, and actually enjoyable to use.
Research & Discovery :
I interviewed 5 users, students, freelancers, and part-time workers, and asked how they currently track expenses. I also reviewed competitor apps like Mint and YNAB.
Here’s what I found:
Users forget to log small transactions, especially in cash
Default categories feel off, they don’t match real-life spending
Apps felt “too data-heavy” or “like using Excel with a prettier UI”
Users wanted more context, fewer numbers, and smarter suggestions
Design Priorities :
I focused on building around three core needs:
• Log expenses quickly without getting stuck in a flow
• Understand where money goes in one glance
• Stay motivated without guilt or judgment
Final Features :
Streamlined Entry :
Add expenses in seconds, or scan receipts, no endless typing
Visual insights :
Real-time dashboards that actually make sense, clear graphs, color-coded tips
Custom categories :
Rename or edit categories so they reflect your actual life, not app defaults
Goal Milestones :
Set custom goals and get rewarded for hitting streaks or sticking to plans
AI-Based suggestions :
Personalized insights like “Your food spend increased 22% this week”
Prototyping & testing :
After wireframing in Figma, I ran task-based usability tests with 5 users. Tasks included:
• Logging a cash expense
• Creating a custom category
• Understanding their weekly budget
What I observed:
• 80% found the interface more intuitive than what they currently used
• Task time dropped by 40% after one session
• Users loved seeing their “spendable balance” update in real time
Outcomes :
By the end of the project, StandUp TV had :
80%
of users found the redesigned interface more intuitive, leading to a 40% reduction in task completion time for tracking expenses.
30%
increase in user engagement was observed after enhancing navigation and financial summaries.
40%
faster expense tracking was achieved through custom expense categories and visual spending insights.
What I Learned :
I had some reflections by the end of this project :
Clarity > complexity
People don’t want more data, they want better feedback.
Flexibility builds trust
Users stayed engaged because the app felt like it adapted to them, not the other way around.
Visuals motivate behavior
Color-coded progress, streaks, and tips made budgeting feel less like punishment and more like progress.