UI / UX Design
Budget Planner App
Design a mobile app that helps users manage their finances and budget.
Year :
2025
Industry :
FinTech
Client :
Case Study
Duration :
2 weeks
Team :
Max, Virginia, Svenja, Marisa
Overview
This project was originally introduced as a challenge to design a mobile app for personal finance management.
Instead of creating a standard budgeting tool, our team decided to build a holistic financial experience — an app that not only tracks expenses but also helps users develop a healthy relationship with money through clarity, motivation, and emotional balance.
We focused on designing an interface that simplifies complex financial data and makes users feel empowered, not overwhelmed. The goal was to transform budgeting from a stressful task into a mindful daily habit.
Skills developed: UX Research, Wireframing, Design System, User Testing, Data Visualization.
Idea
What do people really need?
We are developing a Budget Planner App that not only tracks your money but helps you spend wisely (and without tears at the end of the month). ”
“Before building anything, we first wanted to find out: what do people really need?”
Research
Our research included:
Competitor analysis (EveryDollar, PocketGuard, Spendee, Splitwise, Mint, Finanzguru, YNAB) to understand usability and aesthetics;
User surveys to identify frustrations and needs in managing budgets;
Interviews with users aged 20–35, focusing on habits and emotional triggers related to money.
Key insights:
Users prefer automation over manual entry;
Simplicity and clarity beat complexity;
Motivation and visualization encourage habit formation;
Security and privacy are non-negotiable.
Problem :
Many people struggle to maintain awareness of where their money goes each month.
Existing budgeting apps often feel too complex, overly data-heavy, or lack emotional connection.
We needed to design a product that would be:
Simple enough for beginners,
Functional for everyday use,
And motivational enough to build long-term engagement.
User Persona
“I live to enjoy life, not to count every penny.”
Hey, I’m Maria.
As a freelance consultant living in Munich, I have a stable income, but I’m not great at keeping track of my finances. I usually just save sporadically and avoid checking my account balance too often because it stresses me out.
I wish managing money didn’t feel so complicated. Most finance apps I’ve tried are either too technical or require me to manually enter every transaction — which I simply don’t have time for. I want a tool that’s intuitive and visually clear, something that helps me understand my spending without overwhelming me.
I’d love to see simple graphs, automatic organization, and reminders that keep me on track effortlessly. At the same time, I need to feel secure — I’m hesitant to connect my bank account unless I’m sure my data is protected.
Ultimately, I want to feel financially independent and in control of my money, but without spending hours budgeting. I want an app that helps me reduce unnecessary spending, save for future goals, and build confidence in managing my finances — all while keeping things light, friendly, and stress-free.
User Story
Meet Maria. She’s smart, independent, and trying to manage her budget. But every month, she finds herself wondering:
Where did all my money go?
That’s where our app comes in.
We’re here to help Maria (and people like her) take control of their finances without stress —with an easy, secure, and trustworthy budgeting experience.
Sitemap
The app offers two ways to enter: Sign Up and Sign In.
Onboarding for New Users: New users go through an onboarding process after signing up.
Dashboard as a Common Destination: Both entry paths lead to the dashboard, which includes key features (X).
Focus Areas & Insights: Research highlighted the onboarding and dashboard as crucial areas. We prioritised these and emphasised security to build user trust.
Low-fidelity Wireframes Template
Key Features
Smart Expense Tracking — Automatically categorizes expenses and visualizes spending patterns to help users see where their money goes.
AI-Powered Insights — Personalized suggestions for saving and balancing monthly budgets based on user habits.
Custom Budget Goals — Allows users to set individual saving goals and receive progress notifications.
Simple, Intuitive Interface — Minimalistic design with clear visual hierarchy for effortless navigation.
Data Security & Privacy — Bank-level encryption and optional manual entry for users concerned about linking accounts.
Visual Analytics Dashboard — Easy-to-read charts and graphs showing income, expenses, and savings over time.
Reminders & Notifications — Smart alerts for bill due dates and overspending prevention.
Outcome
During this two-week project, our team focused on building the information architecture, user flow, and wireframes for a mobile budgeting app aimed at simplifying personal finance management.
Rather than developing a full prototype, our goal was to conceptualize a clear and functional user experience — defining how users navigate, track their spending, and set financial goals.
Through user interviews and competitor analysis, we identified the most common frustrations users face with budgeting apps, such as complexity, lack of automation, and poor categorization.
Our final wireframes reflected these insights — emphasizing clarity, simplicity, and user confidence.
This project strengthened our skills in:
UX Research & Analysis — extracting insights from qualitative data;
Information Architecture — organizing financial data into intuitive structures;
Wireframing & Ideation — visualizing early design concepts with usability in mind;
Team Collaboration — working collectively in Figma and Notion, sharing feedback and ideas efficiently.
Overall, this project helped us understand how to design a budgeting experience that feels supportive, not stressful — giving users a sense of control and ease from the very first interaction.
More Projects
UI / UX Design
Budget Planner App
Design a mobile app that helps users manage their finances and budget.
Year :
2025
Industry :
FinTech
Client :
Case Study
Duration :
2 weeks
Team :
Max, Virginia, Svenja, Marisa
Overview
This project was originally introduced as a challenge to design a mobile app for personal finance management.
Instead of creating a standard budgeting tool, our team decided to build a holistic financial experience — an app that not only tracks expenses but also helps users develop a healthy relationship with money through clarity, motivation, and emotional balance.
We focused on designing an interface that simplifies complex financial data and makes users feel empowered, not overwhelmed. The goal was to transform budgeting from a stressful task into a mindful daily habit.
Skills developed: UX Research, Wireframing, Design System, User Testing, Data Visualization.
Idea
What do people really need?
We are developing a Budget Planner App that not only tracks your money but helps you spend wisely (and without tears at the end of the month). ”
“Before building anything, we first wanted to find out: what do people really need?”
Research
Our research included:
Competitor analysis (EveryDollar, PocketGuard, Spendee, Splitwise, Mint, Finanzguru, YNAB) to understand usability and aesthetics;
User surveys to identify frustrations and needs in managing budgets;
Interviews with users aged 20–35, focusing on habits and emotional triggers related to money.
Key insights:
Users prefer automation over manual entry;
Simplicity and clarity beat complexity;
Motivation and visualization encourage habit formation;
Security and privacy are non-negotiable.
Problem :
Many people struggle to maintain awareness of where their money goes each month.
Existing budgeting apps often feel too complex, overly data-heavy, or lack emotional connection.
We needed to design a product that would be:
Simple enough for beginners,
Functional for everyday use,
And motivational enough to build long-term engagement.
User Persona
“I live to enjoy life, not to count every penny.”
Hey, I’m Maria.
As a freelance consultant living in Munich, I have a stable income, but I’m not great at keeping track of my finances. I usually just save sporadically and avoid checking my account balance too often because it stresses me out.
I wish managing money didn’t feel so complicated. Most finance apps I’ve tried are either too technical or require me to manually enter every transaction — which I simply don’t have time for. I want a tool that’s intuitive and visually clear, something that helps me understand my spending without overwhelming me.
I’d love to see simple graphs, automatic organization, and reminders that keep me on track effortlessly. At the same time, I need to feel secure — I’m hesitant to connect my bank account unless I’m sure my data is protected.
Ultimately, I want to feel financially independent and in control of my money, but without spending hours budgeting. I want an app that helps me reduce unnecessary spending, save for future goals, and build confidence in managing my finances — all while keeping things light, friendly, and stress-free.
User Story
Meet Maria. She’s smart, independent, and trying to manage her budget. But every month, she finds herself wondering:
Where did all my money go?
That’s where our app comes in.
We’re here to help Maria (and people like her) take control of their finances without stress —with an easy, secure, and trustworthy budgeting experience.
Sitemap
The app offers two ways to enter: Sign Up and Sign In.
Onboarding for New Users: New users go through an onboarding process after signing up.
Dashboard as a Common Destination: Both entry paths lead to the dashboard, which includes key features (X).
Focus Areas & Insights: Research highlighted the onboarding and dashboard as crucial areas. We prioritised these and emphasised security to build user trust.
Low-fidelity Wireframes Template
Key Features
Smart Expense Tracking — Automatically categorizes expenses and visualizes spending patterns to help users see where their money goes.
AI-Powered Insights — Personalized suggestions for saving and balancing monthly budgets based on user habits.
Custom Budget Goals — Allows users to set individual saving goals and receive progress notifications.
Simple, Intuitive Interface — Minimalistic design with clear visual hierarchy for effortless navigation.
Data Security & Privacy — Bank-level encryption and optional manual entry for users concerned about linking accounts.
Visual Analytics Dashboard — Easy-to-read charts and graphs showing income, expenses, and savings over time.
Reminders & Notifications — Smart alerts for bill due dates and overspending prevention.
Outcome
During this two-week project, our team focused on building the information architecture, user flow, and wireframes for a mobile budgeting app aimed at simplifying personal finance management.
Rather than developing a full prototype, our goal was to conceptualize a clear and functional user experience — defining how users navigate, track their spending, and set financial goals.
Through user interviews and competitor analysis, we identified the most common frustrations users face with budgeting apps, such as complexity, lack of automation, and poor categorization.
Our final wireframes reflected these insights — emphasizing clarity, simplicity, and user confidence.
This project strengthened our skills in:
UX Research & Analysis — extracting insights from qualitative data;
Information Architecture — organizing financial data into intuitive structures;
Wireframing & Ideation — visualizing early design concepts with usability in mind;
Team Collaboration — working collectively in Figma and Notion, sharing feedback and ideas efficiently.
Overall, this project helped us understand how to design a budgeting experience that feels supportive, not stressful — giving users a sense of control and ease from the very first interaction.
More Projects
UI / UX Design
Budget Planner App
Design a mobile app that helps users manage their finances and budget.
Year :
2025
Industry :
FinTech
Client :
Case Study
Duration :
2 weeks
Team :
Max, Virginia, Svenja, Marisa
Overview
This project was originally introduced as a challenge to design a mobile app for personal finance management.
Instead of creating a standard budgeting tool, our team decided to build a holistic financial experience — an app that not only tracks expenses but also helps users develop a healthy relationship with money through clarity, motivation, and emotional balance.
We focused on designing an interface that simplifies complex financial data and makes users feel empowered, not overwhelmed. The goal was to transform budgeting from a stressful task into a mindful daily habit.
Skills developed: UX Research, Wireframing, Design System, User Testing, Data Visualization.
Idea
What do people really need?
We are developing a Budget Planner App that not only tracks your money but helps you spend wisely (and without tears at the end of the month). ”
“Before building anything, we first wanted to find out: what do people really need?”
Research
Our research included:
Competitor analysis (EveryDollar, PocketGuard, Spendee, Splitwise, Mint, Finanzguru, YNAB) to understand usability and aesthetics;
User surveys to identify frustrations and needs in managing budgets;
Interviews with users aged 20–35, focusing on habits and emotional triggers related to money.
Key insights:
Users prefer automation over manual entry;
Simplicity and clarity beat complexity;
Motivation and visualization encourage habit formation;
Security and privacy are non-negotiable.
Problem :
Many people struggle to maintain awareness of where their money goes each month.
Existing budgeting apps often feel too complex, overly data-heavy, or lack emotional connection.
We needed to design a product that would be:
Simple enough for beginners,
Functional for everyday use,
And motivational enough to build long-term engagement.
User Persona
“I live to enjoy life, not to count every penny.”
Hey, I’m Maria.
As a freelance consultant living in Munich, I have a stable income, but I’m not great at keeping track of my finances. I usually just save sporadically and avoid checking my account balance too often because it stresses me out.
I wish managing money didn’t feel so complicated. Most finance apps I’ve tried are either too technical or require me to manually enter every transaction — which I simply don’t have time for. I want a tool that’s intuitive and visually clear, something that helps me understand my spending without overwhelming me.
I’d love to see simple graphs, automatic organization, and reminders that keep me on track effortlessly. At the same time, I need to feel secure — I’m hesitant to connect my bank account unless I’m sure my data is protected.
Ultimately, I want to feel financially independent and in control of my money, but without spending hours budgeting. I want an app that helps me reduce unnecessary spending, save for future goals, and build confidence in managing my finances — all while keeping things light, friendly, and stress-free.
User Story
Meet Maria. She’s smart, independent, and trying to manage her budget. But every month, she finds herself wondering:
Where did all my money go?
That’s where our app comes in.
We’re here to help Maria (and people like her) take control of their finances without stress —with an easy, secure, and trustworthy budgeting experience.
Sitemap
The app offers two ways to enter: Sign Up and Sign In.
Onboarding for New Users: New users go through an onboarding process after signing up.
Dashboard as a Common Destination: Both entry paths lead to the dashboard, which includes key features (X).
Focus Areas & Insights: Research highlighted the onboarding and dashboard as crucial areas. We prioritised these and emphasised security to build user trust.
Low-fidelity Wireframes Template
Key Features
Smart Expense Tracking — Automatically categorizes expenses and visualizes spending patterns to help users see where their money goes.
AI-Powered Insights — Personalized suggestions for saving and balancing monthly budgets based on user habits.
Custom Budget Goals — Allows users to set individual saving goals and receive progress notifications.
Simple, Intuitive Interface — Minimalistic design with clear visual hierarchy for effortless navigation.
Data Security & Privacy — Bank-level encryption and optional manual entry for users concerned about linking accounts.
Visual Analytics Dashboard — Easy-to-read charts and graphs showing income, expenses, and savings over time.
Reminders & Notifications — Smart alerts for bill due dates and overspending prevention.
Outcome
During this two-week project, our team focused on building the information architecture, user flow, and wireframes for a mobile budgeting app aimed at simplifying personal finance management.
Rather than developing a full prototype, our goal was to conceptualize a clear and functional user experience — defining how users navigate, track their spending, and set financial goals.
Through user interviews and competitor analysis, we identified the most common frustrations users face with budgeting apps, such as complexity, lack of automation, and poor categorization.
Our final wireframes reflected these insights — emphasizing clarity, simplicity, and user confidence.
This project strengthened our skills in:
UX Research & Analysis — extracting insights from qualitative data;
Information Architecture — organizing financial data into intuitive structures;
Wireframing & Ideation — visualizing early design concepts with usability in mind;
Team Collaboration — working collectively in Figma and Notion, sharing feedback and ideas efficiently.