FiscalFriend

OVERVIEW

Despite a crowded market of financial tools, users still face major barriers: complexity, lack of personalized guidance, and information overload. Many solutions leave users overwhelmed, leading to poor financial decision-making.

APPROACH

• Conducted competitor analysis across leading financial management apps

• Led one-on-one user interviews to uncover real-world budgeting and investing pain points

• Wrote detailed system requirements for AI, natural language processing (NLP), and financial recommendation features

• Designed wireframes and iteratively tested prototypes through multiple user feedback rounds

• Developed a high-fidelity clickable prototype incorporating NLP chat, financial reporting dashboards, and automated tracking

BUSINESS IMPACT

• Addressed critical market gaps in personalization and proactive financial guidance

• Delivered a user-friendly, ethical AI product concept with strong competitive differentiation

• Developed a prototype positioned for real-world launch viability after academic testing

OPPORTUNITY

Create a user-centric, AI-driven financial app that simplifies budgeting, provides tailored investment advice, and automates expense tracking — improving users’ financial stability and literacy.

SOLUTION

FiscalFriend empowers users to:

• Budget Smarter: Automated expense tracking and predictive budgeting

• Invest Intelligently: Tailored investment suggestions based on user risk profiles

• Interact Naturally: Chat with an AI assistant ("Penny") for personalized advice

• Stay Informed: Receive digestible insights and transparent financial reports

Special care was taken to integrate ethical AI principles — prioritizing data security, transparency, and environmental sustainability concerns.

KEY LEARNINGS

• Personalization and trust are make-or-break factors in financial UX design

• Transparency and ethical AI usage must be embedded from the start

• Balancing automation with human-like communication significantly improves user adoption