2025 · Capstone
SmartBudget
Designing financial clarity through simplicity
A UX case study for a personal budgeting app that helps people build better money habits. The work covers research, problem framing, flows, and high-fidelity interface design.
Read the full case study PDF
The problem
People who already budget find manual logging tedious, so they drop off. People who are new to budgeting often never start, because the tools feel complex and intimidating.
How might we
Design an intuitive budgeting app that helps users track savings, see their spending, and stay consistent — without feeling overwhelmed.
What research showed
Interviews with five people aged 22–55, plus published data on financial literacy in Singapore, pointed to three design needs:
Visual clarity
Graphs and summaries help people understand patterns and stay engaged.
Less friction
Heavy manual entry is the main reason people stop logging transactions.
Customization
Categories and personal control make budgeting feel relevant instead of generic.
Interface
High-fidelity screens for the core loop: see a monthly overview, log an expense quickly, review the calendar, and check trends.
Dashboard
New log
Transactions
Stats
Settings