Fin-Tech
A playful fintech companion designed to teach kids basic money skills through gamified saving and spending. By blending financial literacy with fun interaction, Tiny Tycoon empowers young learners to build confidence and positive habits early.
One afternoon I asked my five-year-old niece where money comes from.
“It’s just there,” she said.
That answer stuck with me—not because it was wrong, but because it revealed how invisible money can feel to kids. If money is invisible, how do we teach its value without turning it into a lecture? Tiny Tycoon began as an experiment in making money feel alive—something you can nurture, celebrate, and understand through play.
Before diving into design, I began with secondary research — reviewing white papers and academic articles on goal-setting behavior, early-age financial education, and children’s developing sense of responsibility.
This synthesis helped me understand how cognitive and emotional factors shape how children perceive money. One particularly insightful finding from the University of Michigan stood out:
"…children as young as five already had distinct emotional reactions to spending and saving money, and that these translated into actual, real-life spending behaviors."
I analyzed four leading Canadian apps with a similar goal of teaching kids about money. Most were overcrowded with features, trying to do too much at once. Some were fun but lacked real educational value, while others felt realistic yet difficult for young users to navigate.
To move from assumptions to real insights, I spoke with the people who experience this gap firsthand - parents and children. Through five in-depth interviews, I explored how families talk about money, what motivates kids to earn or save, and where those conversations often break down
Across these sessions, a clear pattern emerged: users preferred apps that focused on one or two core functions instead of trying to do everything. Parents felt that too many features diluted the learning value, while kids engaged more deeply when the app had a single, clear goal. This reaffirmed the need for a simple, task-based design that could educate through action
The interviews were followed by affinity mapping, where I organized responses into emerging themes of motivation, challenge, and behavior. These insights became the foundation for Tiny Tycoon’s core experience — an app designed to make financial learning intuitive, hands-on, and meaningful
Parents found it challenging to instill the value of money and work ethic when apps felt overwhelming or multifunctional.
Kids, on the other hand, shared that clear motivation and visible rewards made it easier to understand the significance of money.
When I first began sketching ideas, I imagined creating a virtual reality “kids bank” where children could walk into a digital world, earn coins, and learn about money hands-on
But the deeper I went, the more I realized that complexity wasn’t the answer. Financial literacy for kids isn’t about building another world, it’s about making sense of the one they already live in
I also explored a feature-packed version: biweekly “salaries,” leaderboards to track friends’ progress, and gamified earning systems. On paper, it seemed engaging; in reality, it risked overwhelming the very audience I wanted to help
I realized that the complex nature of incorporating virtual reality or biweekly salaries might outweigh its benefits. To achieve my goal effectively, I opted for a smartphone app with an intuitive interface, aligning with my aim of facilitating financial understanding
Leveraging insights from feedback gathered from six peers and mentor's input, I embarked on a four-week journey of iterative design enhancements. Throughout this process, I focused on three core areas of improvement to elevate the user experience
After refining my wireframes, I brought the core screens to life in Figma, focusing on consistency, clarity, and a friendly tone keeping the experience playful, simple, and rewarding.
This project marks the culmination of my final portfolio project (Yay!! or maybe phew!! ?) and beyond the tangible output, I'm truly grateful and proud to have experienced the entire UX process. Here are some valuable takeaways from this exciting journey.
Embrace the Ideation and Iteration : In the initial stages, I was swiftly trying to find the perfect solution. Yet, as I delved deeper into ideas, I realised the importance of refining concepts. Although I had to restart multiple times :( , it became clear the designing with intent was key.
Prioritize Insights over Process : If I aimed to showcase all my UX knowledge through this project it would have been a 100 page case study. However, I understood that it's more discerning how each piece fits into the larger puzzle.
All in all this journey has been both enlightening and rewarding✨