💸 Budgie  

To better understand how users interact with the problem space, I conducted user interviews with some college students to learn about their habits and attitudes regarding money and budgeting.

Based on the user interviews, I learned that college is a unique financial environment where money movements can be unpredictable. Some students work hourly-pay jobs for the scheduling flexibility, meaning that their income can fluctuate based on how busy their academic life is; others do not have jobs (and as a result, no income) and rely on their savings or an allowance. Some students also described that their parents or financial aid cover some expenses, while they themselves will cover other expenses, which tend to also fluctuate as unexpected expenses pop up, such as grabbing dinner with a friend or buying a birthday gift. Existing in this stage of financial independence limbo, they express that they want to start budgeting and building up savings but are not sure where to start or lose motivation when confronted with confusing interfaces.

After hearing from students about their own experiences with budgeting and budgeting apps, I wanted to take a look at the offerings on the App Store to see how each of them approaches the money management experience. I also wanted to identify any gaps in the current market to uncover opportunity spaces.

Current budgeting apps operate on the premise that the user has an income and recurring payments such as rent, insurance, etc. While students are often fortunate enough to not have to worry about some or all of these types of expenses, they find it hard to fit their unique financial situation into the rigid mold of existing budgeting apps.