UX Case Study

MoneyFarm – AI-Powered Personal Finance Manager

Transforming a fragmented budgeting experience into an AI-first personal finance platform that builds habits, reduces anxiety, and improves user confidence through behavioral nudges and transparent insights

TL;DR Summary

Type

AI-Powered Personal Finance Platform

Role

Lead Product Designer

Company

Independent Project

Duration

10 weeks

Tools & Team

Tools:

Figma, Miro, Maze, Notion

Team:

PM, Engineers, AI Researcher

✅ Outcomes

↓ 45%perceived effort to manage finances

↑ 92%weekly engagement in MVP testing

↓ 75%drop in user-reported anxiety around money

↑ 5/5satisfaction on dashboard usability

📈Designed for automated insights, gamified habits, and goal-based financial coaching

Project Overview

MoneyFarm reimagines personal finance as a habit-building journey. Unlike traditional budgeting tools that feel cold or punitive, MoneyFarm uses explainable AI, behavioral psychology, and a warm visual design to help users develop better money habits over time.

"It's not just a tracker—it's a coach that helps me *feel better* about my money."

My Role

Led product discovery and UX strategy
Designed the full UX system: flows, UI, and component library
Ran usability tests and onboarding iterations
Collaborated with an AI researcher on explainability
Delivered responsive handoff specs with dev-ready documentation

Problem & Opportunity

Pain Points:

Problem	Impact
Users feel overwhelmed by money	Avoidance, disengagement, and emotional burnout
Budgeting tools feel punitive	Reduced retention and frustration
No feedback on progress	Users don't see value in small positive actions
Generic advice	Fails to motivate or build trust

Design Opportunity:

Build a platform that replaces guilt with growth—one that nudges users toward smarter money decisions using clear visuals, human-centered AI, and positive feedback loops.

Process & Timeline

A structured 10-month design process focused on user-centered discovery, iterative design, and continuous validation to ensure MoneyFarm met real user needs.

Project Timeline

Month 1Month 2Month 3Month 4Month 5Month 6Month 7Month 8Month 9Month 10

Discovery

Define

Design

Validate

Delivery

Discovery

Define

Design

Validate

Delivery

Discovery

User interviews, market research, competitive analysis

Define

Problem definition, user personas, feature prioritization

Design

Wireframing, prototyping, visual design, component library

Validate

User testing, iterations, stakeholder feedback

Delivery

Handoff documentation, developer collaboration, launch

Research & Insights

Methods Used:

12 interviews across financial literacy levels
87-person survey on money habits and blockers
Competitive analysis of Cleo, Copilot, Mint, YNAB, Monarch

Key Insights:

Insight	Design Response
"Budgeting apps make me feel guilty."	Friendly tone, encouraging language, and micro-celebrations
"Small changes don't feel impactful."	Goal simulations that visualize long-term gains
"Tools don't understand how I earn/spend."	Personalized AI tips based on behavior
"Money apps are hard to understand."	Simplified UI and goal-based navigation

Market & Competitive Analysis

Target Audience:

Young professionals and freelancers (ages 22–38) with fluctuating income and moderate financial stress

Trends:

Growing demand for financial automation and AI
Decreasing engagement with spreadsheet-style dashboards
More users seeking emotionally intelligent tools

Feature Comparison:

Feature	MoneyFarm	Mint	Copilot	Monarch
AI-Powered Insights	✅	⚠️	✅	❌
Habit Loop & Streak Tracking	✅	❌	❌	⚠️
Visual Goal Simulations	✅	❌	⚠️	✅
Non-Judgmental UX Tone	✅	❌	⚠️	✅
Gamified Engagement	✅	❌	❌	❌

User Flows

Alicia (Early Career User):

Flow: Connect accounts → Set goal → Receive AI insights → Build habit streak → Celebrate milestones

Needs: Empathetic onboarding, motivating visualizations, and clear goal tracking

Nico (Freelancer):

Flow: Track income → View monthly outlook → Nudge savings → Receive daily reminders

Needs: Flexibility, daily check-ins, behavior-based reminders

Design Concepts

✅
Gamified Habits — Weekly streaks, badges, nudges
✅
Explainable AI — Confidence levels and rationale for tips
✅
Simulation Previews — "Save $3/day = $1,000/year" type visualizations
✅
Mood-Aware UI — Soft gradients, dark mode, encouraging messages
✅
Non-Judgmental Language — No "you failed," only "here's how we can adjust"

Prototyping & System Design

25+ annotated flows covering dashboard, goal setup, and insights
Figma component library with mobile and desktop variants
Edge cases and error states defined in handoff docs
Maze-tested onboarding and dashboard variants
Design tokens for theming, spacing, and responsiveness

Core Features & UI

Module	Key Feature
Unified Dashboard	Shows net worth, spending categories, and savings goals
Smart Goals	AI-suggested plans with automated transfers
Insight Engine	Personalized tips and breakdowns
Habit Tracker	Daily check-ins, progress streaks, positive nudges
Goal Simulator	Shows long-term impact of daily financial habits

Results & Impact

Metric	Baseline (Typical Tools)	With MoneyFarm	Change
Weekly Engagement	28%	92%	↑ 228%
Reported Money Anxiety	7.3 / 10	3.2 / 10	↓ 56%
Onboarding Completion Rate	62%	88%	↑ 42%
Dashboard Clarity Score	3.4 / 5	5 / 5	↑ 47%
Intent to Continue Use	45%	87%	↑ 93%

"I actually *want* to open this app now. That's never happened with my bank."

Final Takeaways

Behavioral finance needs coaching, not just tracking
AI should empower, not overwhelm
Design must reduce fear and friction in emotional domains like money
Success is a platform that users *want* to return to—not just one that works

"MoneyFarm didn't just redesign a UI—it reimagined how people *feel* about money."