UXATHON
An engaging tool for managing credit, enhancing financial literacy, and rebuilding trust in banking systems.
MY ROLE
UX Design, UX Research
TEAM
3 UX Designers, 1 UX Researcher
TIMELINE
24 hours (January 2025)
⚠️ PROBLEM
For Gen Z, stepping into financial independence often comes with uncertainty. Banking feels complex, credit scores are a mystery, and financial institutions can seem distant and unapproachable. The result? A generation that struggles with financial confidence and trust in banks.
✅ SOLUTION
PiggyPoints reimagines credit score management for Gen Z, turning an intimidating system into an engaging, transparent experience. By making financial literacy more accessible, this solution helps Gen Z build confidence, improve their credit, and establish a more informed relationship with financial institutions.
SOLUTION OVERVIEW
Credit scores are crucial for financial growth yet operate like a “black box” — governed by unclear algorithms, confusing terminology, and little transparency. Without accessible guidance, newly-independent young adults can lack confidence about their financial futures.
The Credit Companion That Grows With You
A mascot evolves alongside your credit journey, visually reflecting your progress and reinforcing positive financial habits in a rewarding way.
Bite-sized, Visual Learning
Financial concepts are broken down into quick, digestible insights in a "story" format, making learning about credit simple, engaging, and easy to retain.
A Clear Path to Improvement
PiggyPoints takes the guesswork out of improving your financial health. Users receive clear, actionable insights on what’s impacting their credit score, a goal tracker, and a step-by-step roadmap to help you reach your financial goals.
PROCESS
84%
of Gen Z adults rely on their parents to manage their money (Forbes)
56%
of Gen Z adults lack confidence in their financial knowledge (Investopedia)
1 in 3
Gen Z adults report lacking knowledge about credit (Academy Bank)
Credit scores are crucial for financial growth yet operate like a “black box” — governed by unclear algorithms, confusing terminology, and little transparency. Without accessible guidance, newly-independent young adults can lack confidence about their financial futures.
USER RESEARCH
After surveying 20+ Gen Z adults, the following themes emerged:
Confusion about how credit scores are calculated
Lack of trust that credit scores are calculated fairly
Reliance on social relationships as a source of financial information
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
IDEATION
Based on the information we collected so far, we explored areas where we could really create a meaningful impact. We identified key design opportunities and held a brainstorming session to generate potential features.
There's only so much we could accomplish in 24 hours…
DESIGN ITERATION
Woah… TMI!
In our early rapid iterations, time constraints pressured us to place all of our features on the home page. Stepping back, we realized we needed to reevaluate our approach based on our target audience: individuals who aren’t well-versed in personal finance and may get overwhelmed easily.
We revised the landing page to reduce information overload and promote learning. Using progressive disclosure, we moved visualizations further down or deeper into the app, and focused on improving the visibility of more intuitive action cards and features that users can easily interact with.
V1:
Information overwhelm due to large number of sections on the home page
Lack of focus on key intuitive, beginner-friendly features
V2:
Reduced number of sections reduced to prevent information overwhelm
Progressive disclosure reveals information gradually as users engage with the app.
FINAL DESIGNS
REFLECTION
Striking the right balance between professionalism and creativity was crucial.
A design that felt too formal risked being unapproachable to Gen Z, while something too playful could undermine trust. Thoughtful typography, color choices, and the mascot’s role all contributed to creating a financial tool that felt both reliable and welcoming.
Product Scoping in 24 hours
One of the biggest lessons was the importance of sticking to what we could realistically achieve. We got a little excited about all the possibilities, but in the end, focusing on a few key features and really making them work would have been more effective. If we had been more mindful of time constraints from the start, we could have delivered a more refined product with better usability and accessibility for users.
UP NEXT…
