Cedr
A mobile finance app for Gen-Z
UI/UX | Branding | Layout
Collaborators: Janet Bae and John Edens
Roles: UI/UX Designer | Visual Designer | Illustrator
Tools: Figma | Adobe Photoshop | Adobe Fresco
Timeframe: 3 months (September – December 2022)
Problem to Solve
How might we make financial info more accessible to Gen-Z?
Our assignment was to create, brand, test, and market a finance app to help Gen-Z people get access to quality financial advice and connect with a global cause.
Research + Demographic
Gen-Z are attached to their phones.
Y Pulse Data says the majority of Gen-Z prefer an app to manage their money. Our survey said most of them rely on family, YouTube, and social media to learn about finance.
Gen-Z lacks financial confidence.
They are the least financially confident of all generations: 46% of Gen-Z are confident in their financial knowledge compared to 61% of Millennials, 54% of Gen-X, and 52% of Baby Boomers. LendEDU said 44% of Gen-Z doubt they’ll be able to repay their student debt.
Gen-Z want reliable financial guidance.
Gen-Z grew up after the Great Recession, so they want to be responsible with the money they earn. They’re eager to learn about investing, financial management, taxes, and debt.
Gen Z need to understand finance.
Few are sure how the stock market works: 54% own cryptocurrency and stocks, but only 31% of them feel confident they’d be able to explain how the stock market works to a friend.
The Solution
A values and community based solution
Gen-Z needs reliable information about finance delivered right to their phones. Cedr is friendly, educational, and mission-driven to strengthen communities and the environment. It’s free, with profits generated from in-app purchases like custom tailored advice from a certified CPA. It donates 2% of proceeds to biodiverse reforestation, and it buys carbon offsets to neutralize carbon generated from computing.
Thinking & Process
Why is it called Cedr?
The name Cedr (pronounced “seeder”) is a nod to our sustainability and financial growth goals. Cedar trees use wide root networks to share nutrients and resources to benefit entire groves. Cedr takes a leaf out of the forest’s book to help young folks learn and share informational resources about finance, investment, and wealth goals. Cedr strengthens communities just like those root systems.
Business Goals
The app needed to simplify mobile banking, and contain an educational, social, and sustainability component. Our brand pillars were education, sustainability, community, transparency, security, and financial independence.
Access + Sustainability
Cedr is free, with profits generated from in-app purchases like custom tailored advice from a certified CPA. It donates 2% of proceeds to biodiverse reforestation, and it buys carbon offsets to neutralize carbon generated from computing.
User Archetypes
We developed archetypes based on the behaviors and goals shown in our research to design with empathy. We used data from our research to develop relatable archetypes.
User Flows Based on Jobs to Be Done
We designed 4 user flows based on data from our research. Users needed information, trustworthy advice, a way to implement it, and a community component. The final flows were Education, Community, CPA Chat, and Budgeting.
Design System
I created our Atomic design system to increase consistency and reduce confusion. This made card-based layouts easy and quick for us to create and change. I also illustrated our branded visuals, and refined the UI to ensure the design was pixel-perfect and conformed to iOS design guidelines.
Usability Testing and Iterations
Usability Test Findings
Due to the scope of this school project and the time frame, we conducted user testing on 10 participants who are part of Gen-Z. This usability test gave us valuable insight on what was working and what needed improvement.
Bird’s Eye View: Dashboard Flow
Users found tabs confusing in our Dashboard flow. Most people said spending patterns are more helpful than budgeting tools.
Chatbot to CPA Flow
Users found it easy to access our chat feature, but wanted an easy way to exit, so we added an ‘X’ affordance for the modal window. The avatar and bank account icons looked too similar to navigate, so changed the navigation to a hamburger menu.
Adding an “X” affordance in the chat allowed users to more easily access other flows after completing a task.
Budgeting Flow
Users found scrollable button navigation and toggle features easy to navigate. They said identifying spending patterns was more useful than a budgeting tool, so we added a toggle feature named “expense” to show spending within categories.
Making Refinements
Overall, our changes made Cedr more intuitive, user friendly, and visually appealing. This app is a new way to learn about finance from anywhere. It gives young folks reliable information and advice, while allowing them to easily see all of their financial information at a glance, and share their goals and achievements.
What I Learned
Key Takeaways
• Defining roles based on strengths boosted productivity.
• The design system made our UX design more efficient.
• Components and variants in Figma sped up production.
Next Steps
• Broader usability testing.
• Work with developers to design the app in real life.