Pocket Watch Mobile App
A mobile app concept designed to improve management and tracking of finances.
Duration: December – January
Role: UX/UI Designer, Graphic Designer
Tools: Figma
OVERVIEW
Simple Fin-tech Solution
Pocket Watch is a concept mobile finance app designed to help people better understand their spending, budgets, and subscriptions in one place. I created this project as a product design case study to explore how financial data can be simplified without losing meaning. The work covers problem definition, competitive research, ideation, and high-fidelity UI designs.
PROBLEM
Keeping track of personal finances is harder than it should be
I’ve personally struggled with staying aware of recurring expenses and understanding where my money was going month to month. Many finance apps try to do everything at once, which often results in cluttered dashboards and confusing experiences that make users disengage instead of feel in control.
RESEARCH
Reviewing existing market solutions
I reviewed several existing finance apps, including Mint, YNAB (You Need A Budget), and Wally. I looked closely at how these products present financial information, structure dashboards, and support budgeting behaviors. This process helped me identify component similarities and information hierarchy which shaped the direction of my design.
- Mint automatically connects to thousands of banks to pull and categorize transactions, provides bill reminders, credit score monitoring, and gives a broad overview of financial health.
- Wally combines automatic syncing with customizable budgets, multi-currency support, and receipt scanning to help users track spending and goals with flexibility and real-time insight.
- YNAB centers around proactive, zero-based budgeting that encourages users to assign every dollar a job and teaches disciplined spending through its philosophy and educational resources.
- Mint and YNAB are largely focused on automation and broad financial visibility and Wally blends automated tracking with goal-oriented tools.
IDEATION & PLANNING
Site map and wireframes
- Created initial site map to plan out the different screens and interactions.
- Designed wireframes for layout reference.
SOLUTION
A simple manual approach to tracking transactions
Pocket Watch brings key financial information into a single, focused experience. The design emphasizes clear hierarchy, modern navigation, and a visual feedback that helps users quickly understand their financial situation. Rather than overwhelming users with raw data, the design highlights what matters most.
FINAL DESIGN
Pocket Watch offers control over your finances
The final design uses a dark, teal-based color palette chosen to feel calm, trustworthy, and appropriate for frequent use. Teal tones were paired with subtle accent colors to separate categories and highlight important data without distracting from the content. Consistent components, spacing, and iconography were used across screens to create a cohesive and scalable system.
REFLECTION
Key Takeaways
- Strengthened product thinking: This project enhanced my ability to prioritize and present complex, data-heavy information clearly, balancing user needs with business goals.
- Designing for real user behavior: I was reminded that effective interfaces are shaped by users interaction, emphasizing the value of problem definition and feedback ideation.
- Consistency and design systems: Following a design system reinforced the importance of maintaining visual and functional consistency, ensuring scalability and a cohesive user experience.
