GrownUp: Financial Literacy for Young Adults
GrownUp is an educational tool aimed at empowering young adults with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate key aspects of financial literacy, such as taxes, insurance, and healthcare. This project was a collaborative effort developed as part of the course "SI 582: Introduction to Interaction Design" at the University of Michigan School of Information, Ann Arbor.
Interaction Design
UX Research
Ed-tech
01 // Introduction
Financial literacy tools are often obscure, hard to access, and come in paid subscription model.
How does one learn how to do their taxes? How does one know what insurance to get or what insurance is? This is vital knowledge when you're an adult and you are just simply expected to know this without ever being taught it in school. There aren't many platforms out there that provide an all encompassing way for people to get this information.
How might we provide straightforward and accessible information for people on topics that are essential in life and adulthood but are not generally taught in school?
Then, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 4 young adults, consisting of young professionals in their field and international students within the age demographic of 18-25 years, and here's what we learned.
Research Insights
Pain Points:
Users tend to rely on advice from their parents or community more than researching
Low motivation to engage with traditional tools.
Lack of personalization in existing platforms.
Opportunities Identified:
Gamification can significantly increase user engagement.
Modular, digestible lessons align better with young adults' learning preferences.
A community-driven approach fosters motivation and trust.
02 // Understanding the Problem
What our research showed us
Competitive Analysis
First, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 4 young adults, consisting of young professionals in their field and international students within the age demographic of 18-25 years, and here's what we learned.
Wireframing and Prototyping
The initial wireframes emphasized simplicity and clarity, focusing on core functionalities:
Gamified financial lessons.
Progress dashboards with goal tracking.
Community forums for peer support.
Product Demo
Users need to see a demonstration of the products to invest in their company
Cleaner Design
Users were struggling navigating the website due to the outdated design and lack of information architecture
Visible CTAs
Interested investors found it difficult to contact the team due to a lack of clear CTA to contact them.
The Solution: Final Design
The final design for GrownUp included three key features:
Interactive Financial Lessons:
Gamified modules on budgeting, saving, investing, and credit management, designed to make learning engaging and practical.Goal-Tracking Dashboards:
Users could set financial goals, track their progress visually, and receive tailored insights for improvement.Community Engagement:
Forums allowed users to discuss financial topics, share experiences, and seek advice from peers.
The app's visual design employed a vibrant, approachable aesthetic with intuitive icons and animations, ensuring a user-friendly experience.
Challenges and Key Learnings
Challenges Faced:
Balancing educational depth with simplicity to avoid overwhelming users.
Catering to diverse financial knowledge levels within the target demographic.
Key Takeaways:
Early user involvement ensures alignment with user needs and minimizes large-scale redesigns later in the process.
Gamification must strike the right balance between fun and professionalism to maintain credibility.
