Fostering monetary independence amidst financial emergencies.
Living paycheck to paycheck is stressful. Nearly half of Canadians feel the weight of financial uncertainty, struggling to handle unexpected expenses while it impacts their mental health.
This project is about creating a solution that helps people feel more secure and in control of their finances and prepares them for any financial emergency.
Project Overview
Project Details: Capstone Project
Timeline: 10 weeks
Role: UX Designer, UX Researcher,
Product Designer & Product Manager
Tools: Figma, Photoshop
Trying to solve this problem for more than 40 million + Canadians needs planning and lots of research. So, I decided to start with those impacted by this problem space around me.
Getting started with research
User Surveys
Card sorting to understand user’s pain points, frustration and goals
I conducted User Interviews with open-ended questions to dive deeply into my interviewees' behaviour, preparedness and how they deal with a financial emergency
Key findings and insights from User Interviews & card sorting
Users often depend on loans or payday advances for financial support, but they find the application and
approval processes overly complicated and slow.
This frustration leaves them unable to access timely help, forcing them to rely on maxed-out credit cards
and fall deeper into debt.
Problem Statement
"How might we provide valuable resources and tools to Canadian working professionals living paycheck to paycheck, allowing them to access emergency funds?”
Journey Map
So I compiled all the user interview findings into one persona and then mapped out the Journey of Amanda for what she will do when she faces a financial crisis!
Outcome
The insights from this journey map guided me toward finalizing my solution. By pinpointing key opportunities, I explored potential solutions and selected the one that effectively addresses the majority of my users' pain points and frustrations—not just their current challenges, but also anticipating future issues they might face.
The actual Problem
The problem is that existing loan or payday applications cause stress, confusion, and frustration due to complex processes, lack of clarity about terms, and emotional overwhelm. This drives users to avoid seeking help or rely on maxed-out credit cards, deepening their financial struggles. For the business, this is a missed opportunity to build trust, simplify the experience, and provide clear, supportive solutions that empower users to make informed decisions.
Introducing Dash a digital solution that gives you access to instant cash with 0%* interest rate!
Giving users their helping hand
Here is a break down for what DASH is capable of and how it helps users during their financial emergencies.
Outcome
Dash is a product that gives you access to instant cash during a financial emergency based on your paycheck with 0% interest rates.
User Testing
Going back to the users
I did 2 rounds of User testing overall, including 10 participants
This helped me ensure that the most critical and impactful features are addressed early, providing the maximum benefit to users and aligning with project goals.
I asked users to complete a number of tasks and then documented the summary of each task analysis and each user's feedback.
Each user completed all the tasks successfully, however, there was some overall feedback about some cosmetic changes.
Link to User Testing Document
Full Hi-Fi Prototype
Deliver
Inclusivity & Accessibility
After choosing my colours I wanted to make sure that they met the accessibility standards and were WCAG-compliant
By incorporating these considerations into the colour scheme, I aimed to create an inclusive user experience that caters to a diverse audience, aligning with ethical design principles and making the app more user-friendly for all.
Launching Dash as a business
I wanted to create a marketing website to promote my product.
The marketing website outlines my product features and offers various subscription options that help Dash as a business to grow and in return provide elevated services to its users
