Mindbud
An overwhelming majority of Americans cite finances as their main cause of stress, and an even higher percentage of college students are plagued by their financial situation. Stress has devastating and lasting effects on all of us, and mindfulness is one of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal to combat these outcomes.
With the rise of student loan debts, greater percentages of college students are working full-time jobs while being full-time students, struggling under the pressure of making payments, and are forced to neglect their studies as well as their own health.
Mindbud was formulated as a tool for college students, a demographic disproportionately stressed out and overwhelmed about their futures. After cursory research, it was clear that finances were a powerful stressor for the average college student, and thus MindBud was born— a new and enriching way to think about money and personal spending.
TIMELINE12 weeks
AREAUI/UX Design
User Research
Mobile UI
Project Goals
OBJECTIVE #1Design a space that allows students to keep track of their finances while simultaneously practicing mindfulness with every purchase.
Create paths to revolutionize how we think about money, utilizing mindfulness as a lifelong tool to overcome stressors in positive ways.
User Centered Design
This project was primarily structured around following and learning from the user centered design framework. The goal was to only solve problems that real people are facing, meaning there was a continuous strong focus on the user and their story, emotions, feedback, and insights. Ultimately I wanted to create something that had the potential to deliver real value and make a difference in the lives of those living with financial stress.
1. Understanding the problem
Initial market research helped me understand the market platform that MindBud would ultimately be competing in, and it provided meaningful insights about current trends, demographics, and any other relevant information before moving forward. MindBud is unique in that it sits at the intersection of both the health and wellness market, as well as the financial technology market.
Health and Wellness
The health and fitness app market is growing rapidly, currently valued at USD 5.7 billion and projected to reach USD 25.2 billion by 2028 (MarketWatch)
A growing interest in health consciousness and an increasing demand for health assessment options are both factors driving the market growth (MarketWatch)
Healthcare as a whole is transitioning from traditional delivery models to patient-centric models, and consumers are relying more on wellness apps than ever before (Statista)
Financial Tech
The personal finance market has been boosted by the majority of banks shifting into the world of online transactions, and a plethora of startups have capitalized on this trend in recent years (CB Insights)
Millennials have overtaken baby boomers as the largest generational group in the country, and they are currently entering their “prime spending years.” (Goldman Sachs)
Although there is some overlap between the wellness and finance mobile app industries, MindBud does not currently have any exact direct competitors. However, the platforms researched here have been successful forerunners in their industries. Analyzing their strengths and weaknesses can provide valuable insight to features and solutions relevant to MindBud. The competitive analysis is also a valuable part of the user centered design framework because it helps me understand how users experience similar products that exist today.
INSIGHT #1Most competitors range from a 'freemium' model to high subscription costs.Banking apps tend to be geared towards higher-income users, who are capable of paying fees and subscriptions. Given that MindBud is for young adults and college students with finance-based stress, a completely free model gives MindBud a competitive advantage.
Gamification elements are highly effective.
Apps that incorporated elements such as 'streaks,' community-based social obligations, and goal-setting, tended to be more popular amongst younger generations. These highly interactive features help keep the user engaged on a daily basis.
Mindfulness can be incorporated at various stages.
Wellness apps, such as Headspace, aim to teach beginners about meditation and mindfulness, providing guided sessions and learning materials. Budgeting apps, such as YNAB, utilize elements of mindfulness when forcing users to make decisions and be intentional about their spending.
2. Specifying user needs
I interviewed 6 college students on their habits regarding budgeting and personal finances, as well as their relationship to stress and its effect on their lives. In order to synthesize the data gathered from these interviews, I created an empathy map and grouped the interview notes by the insights and patterns that were found. From those insights, I prioritized those most feasible and most common, and used them to generate user needs.
INSIGHTUsers rely on habit tracking, progress overviews, and feedback.
INSIGHTUsers feel stress related to opening budgeting apps.
INSIGHTUsers value seeing insights into their spending habits.
INSIGHTUsers don't have any prior experience with mindfulness or meditation.
NEEDUsers need a way to connect with their data and feel a sense of accomplishment with their progress.
NEEDUsers need ways to incorporate mindfulness into their relationship with money so that it is no longer inherently stressful.
NEEDUsers need a visual overview to simplify meaningful insights from their spending habits.
NEEDUsers need a way to learn as they go, and educate themselves on the values of mindfulness to achieve desired results.
2.2 User Persona
3. Designing solutions
3.1 Information Architecture
The application sitemap is the backbone of the design. It lays out the structure of the app and the relationships between different segments of content, allowing us to visualize various user flows and task flows. The information architecture ensures that the user doesn't struggle finding their way around, and the overall experience is enjoyable and simple with a reduced cognitive load.
3.2 Low Fidelity Wireframes
Low Fidelity wireframes are the perfect way to iterate rapidly through ideas. Keeping these initial mockups as bare-boned as possible ensures that we don't get distracted by the details and miss any hidden defects in the user flow. After figuring out the basic look and feel of the layout, MindBud was ready to undergo another round of user feedback.
4. Evaluating solutions
I tested my low fidelity wireframes with 10 participants, using a detailed rubric and test objectives to ensure consistent and accurate data. Similarly to the affinity map I created from my initial user interviews, I grouped together similar concerns, frustrations, and patterns that my interview participants faced when using my prototype. From each pattern, I noted what insights I could learn, and whether there were any valuable recommendations that I could incorporate into my final product.
INSIGHT #1
Introductory screens help initiate users and establish the core beliefs behind the product.
Introductory screens during the sign-up process help fill in any gaps in understanding. Calming gradients help create a positive first impression for new users.
INSIGHT #2Users want to see their balance as they set intentions.
INSIGHT #3Users expect to view their recent transactions.
Although the balance was previously intentionally left out of this page in order to create a more distraction-free sentiment, the high prevalence of users who were frustrated by this indicates it as necessary.
As another holdover from traditional banking apps, recent transactions can be added to the Insights page, with the option to view more if desired.
INSIGHT #4The 'Deep Breath' button is ineffective.
INSIGHT #5Setting intentions needs to be a central part of the app.
Users tended to ignore the 'Deep Breath' suggestion and did not understand it's purpose. While it is an important part of mindfulness, it may be neglected by the average finance app user, so it could be removed or moved to a less prominent location.
90% of users believed that setting intentions was optional, especially since other functions do not depend on it. Since this is a core functionality, it should be more prominent in the user flow.
5. Conclusions
MindBud was the first project in which I oversaw the entire design process from start to finish. The one huge takeaway I learned from this experience was the power that user-centered design had. There was a big difference between learning about design frameworks in a theoretic sense at lectures, and actually getting to see how it influenced the course of a project.
The empathy created in the relationship between designer and user is a metric that’s hard to track, but plays a highly influential role in the overall success of the project.