Sivaji Kareti - Microsoft Certified UX Designer

UX/UI Case Study

wiseVault

WiseVault

"Save smarter, spend wiser."

Project Overview

WiseVault is a personal finance app designed to simplify spending, saving, and budgeting. Rooted in empathy and real user insights, it transforms financial stress into clarity through intuitive design and smart guidance. By focusing on usability, personalization, and real-time tracking, WiseVault empowers users to manage money with confidence. It’s more than an app — it’s a trusted financial companion.

Platform

iOS/Android

Industry

FinTech

Role

Product Designer

Duration

12 Weeks

Project Overview

In today’s fast-paced financial landscape, where many struggle to manage spending, save consistently, or stick to a budget, I set out to design wiseVault — a mobile application that transforms the way users approach personal finance.

From the beginning, wiseVault was shaped by empathy and deep user research. I spoke to real people navigating everyday financial stress, translating their frustrations into purposeful features and intuitive design flows.

The result is more than just an app — it’s a digital companion that empowers people to take control of their money with ease, clarity, and security. wiseVault reflects my belief in meaningful, problem-solving design — one that balances business objectives with real human needs.

Platform

iOS/Android

Industry

FinTech

Role

Product Designer

Duration

12 Weeks

Problem Statement

Managing recurring expenses like rent, EMIs, and bills often feels like juggling chaos — multiple apps, scattered spreadsheets, and missed reminders. Through research, I discovered that users weren’t just losing track of payments; they were losing peace of mind.

WiseVault was designed to solve this - a unified, intuitive platform that automates tracking, consolidates financial data, and offers real-time visibility. With user-centered design at its core, it simplifies money management and reduces financial stress.

This project reflects my ability to turn complex financial challenges into smart, scalable design solutions that resonate with modern users and align with business goals.

WiseVault isn’t just an expense tracker — it’s a thoughtfully crafted solution built from the ground up using the full Design Thinking process. By deeply understanding user pain points through interviews, surveys, and usability testing, I identified the stress and inefficiencies tied to managing daily expenses, recurring bills, and budgeting across disconnected platforms.

WiseVault creates a lasting impact by promoting healthier financial habits, reducing anxiety, and making budgeting feel effortless. With personalized insights, automation, and clarity at its core, it enables users to spend smarter, save better, and gain true financial confidence.

This case study showcases how a user-centered design approach, when aligned with business goals, can create digital solutions that are not only functional — but truly transformative.

The Impact

Objectives

From empathy mapping to wireframes and user flows, every design decision was driven by real user needs. The result? A seamless, secure, and intuitive mobile app that empowers users to take control of their finances without friction.

This case study showcases how a user-centered design approach, when aligned with business goals, can create digital solutions that are not only functional — but truly transformative.

Enhance Financial Management Efficiency: Simplify the process of tracking monthly expenses, reducing confusion and missed payments for working professionals.

Improve UI/UX Design: Redesign the interface to create an intuitive, user-friendly platform that streamlines financial tracking and control.
Consolidate Expense Tracking: Integrate all expense-related information into a single platform, eliminating scattered reminders and improving organization..

Project Timelines

Objectives

Enhance Financial Management Efficiency: Simplify the process of tracking monthly expenses, reducing confusion and missed payments for working professionals.
Improve UI/UX Design: Redesign the interface to create an intuitive, user-friendly platform that streamlines financial tracking and control.
Consolidate Expense Tracking: Integrate all expense-related information into a single platform, eliminating scattered reminders and improving organization.

Business Challenges

Limited user adoption due to outdated design and lack of essential features.

Low user retention rates due to poor UI/UX or lack of value.

Difficulty in scaling, resulting in increased operational costs &reduced efficiency.

Competition from other apps offering similar or better services to users.

Design Thinking Process

The WiseVault app was designed using the Design Thinking process, which guided the project through user-centered problem solving. This approach included empathizing with users, defining key challenges, ideating thoughtful solutions, and delivering an intuitive, functional product. Iterative testing ensured the design aligned with real user needs and expectations.

Business Challenges

Limited user adoption due to outdated design and lack of essential features.

Low user retention rates due to poor UI/UX or lack of value.

Difficulty in scaling, resulting in increased operational costs &reduced efficiency.

Competition from other apps offering similar or better services to users.

Limited usefulness to users if the WiseVault app does not integrate seamlessly with other

financial tools, banking services, or expense management platforms.

Design Thinking Process

Target Audience

Age group: 25-35 years old

Education: Graduation & above

Occupation: Professionals, business owners, entrepreneurs.

Location: Metro cities & Tier 1 cities.

Income: Middle to high-income earners

Gender: Male and female

Tech-savviness: Moderate to high level of comfort with technology.

Qualitative and Quantitative Research

User Research

To deeply understand our target users' pain points and behaviors around financial security and digital asset management, we employed a mixed-methods research approach:

Qualitative Research:
We conducted in-depth user interviews using open-ended questions to uncover user experiences with existing platforms, identify their challenges, and understand their expectations. These conversations provided rich insights that informed our user-centered design approach, focusing on trust, usability, and security.
Quantitative Research:
We distributed a structured survey to a diverse group of working professionals, collecting numerical data on spending habits, budgeting behaviors, and financial management challenges. This allowed us to identify key trends and pain points across demographics and income levels, guiding us to make informed, data-driven design decisions aligned with users' financial goals.

Age group: 25-35 years old

Education: Graduation & above

Occupation: Professionals, business owners, entrepreneurs.

Location: Metro cities & Tier 1 cities.

Income: Middle to high-income earners

Gender: Male and female

Tech-savviness: Moderate to high level of comfort with technology.

Qualitative and Quantitative Research

To build a strong foundation for WiseVault, I conducted both qualitative and quantitative research to deeply understand user needs. Through user interviews and open-ended questions, I explored real-life challenges users face in managing finances—uncovering frustrations with tools, lack of transparency, and emotional stress tied to financial uncertainty. These rich qualitative insights shaped the empathetic and user-centered design of the app. To complement this, I distributed surveys to a broader audience, collecting quantitative data on user behavior, preferences, and pain points.

Survey and Analytics

In addition to user interviews, we conducted a quantitative research study to collect numerical data on users' spending habits, budgeting behaviors, and financial management challenges. This involved distributing a survey to a diverse sample of working professionals across various demographics and income levels. The data gathered provided valuable insights into users’ needs, pain points, and expectations, helping us make data-driven design decisions. By analyzing spending patterns, budgeting trends, and common financial struggles, we were able to develop features that align with users' financial goals and enhance their overall money management experience.

Research Methods

Surveys: Conducted surveys and interviews with 80+ participants, including students, working professionals, and small family units, to understand diverse expense-tracking behaviors.

User Interviews: Conducted in-depth sessions with 5 participants (students, professionals, and families) to uncover pain points in expense tracking, including stress from missed payments and manual workarounds.

Competitor Analysis: Evaluated Snoop, and Emma (Money Manager. identifying key gaps: Splitwise lacks auto-categorization, Walnut misses spending forecasts, and Money Manager has an overly complex UI.

Key Insights - User Needs

Automated Tracking: Users need their expenses to be tracked automatically without manual input. Busy professionals often forget to record small purchases, leading to incomplete or inaccurate budgets.

Automated Tracking: Users need their expenses to be tracked automatically without manual input.

Smart Alerts: Current email or SMS notifications often get overlooked, resulting in late payments and penalties. Push notifications with advance warnings (e.g., three days before a due date) would help users stay on top of payments effortlessly.

Smart Alerts: Push notifications with advance soft warnings (e.g., three days before a due date) would help users stay

on top of payments effortlessly.

Visual Spending Insights: Users want quick, easy-to-understand summaries of their spending habits. Interactive charts and graphs (e.g., monthly trends, category breakdowns) would provide instant clarity on where money is being spent.

Visual Spending Insights: Users want quick, easy-to-understand summaries of their spending habits.

Possible - Features & Functionalities

Users need a simple and efficient way to search for their expenses and budget categories based on specific criteria, such as transaction type, amount, or time frame.

Users require real-time, accurate data regarding their financial transactions, account balances, and upcoming payments.

Users need to easily view key details about their expenses, such as transaction amounts, due dates, and payment status, without having to navigate through multiple screens or confusing layouts.

Competitor Analysis

Our analysis of budget apps like Emma and Snoop revealed key gaps like, Emma lacks customization while Snoop hides feature behind paywalls. WiseVault solves these by offering flexible budgeting, full feature access, and AI-powered insights - all through an intuitive interface. By combining real-time tracking with offline functionality, we deliver a more accessible and user-friendly financial tool. This positions WiseVault as the smarter, more transparent choice for modern budget management.

Emma – Budget Planner &

Expense Tracker

Strengths:

Smart AI gives saving tips and spending insights

Tailored alerts suggest financial actions

Friendly and conversational tones

Weaknesses:

Lacks deep customization in budget planning

Too advice-heavy for users wanting a quick overview

Key Takeaways:

Include personalized Insights, and user friendly.

Consider integrating a “smart alert system” for spend tracking and budget tips

Strengths:

Visual and intuitive interface.

Syncs with UK bank accounts.

Real-time budgeting suggestions.

Weaknesses:

Premium features are locked behind a paywall.

Some users find the UI a bit overwhelming at first

Key Takeaways:

Highlight subscription tracking.

Use color-coded visuals to show budget vs actuals.

Offer core value upfront before paywalls.

Snoop – Budget Planner &

Expense Tracker

User Persona

The User Persona section offers a detailed profile of WiseVault’s target users, including their background, financial goals, challenges, motivations, and key needs. These personas were developed using real-world insights from user research and interviews, ensuring that WiseVault effectively addresses user pain points while enhancing trust, usability, and financial confidence.

Tech-savvy

Budget-conscious

Future-focused

Personality:

Brief Story:

Hazel is a busy finance professional who juggles work, bills, and personal expenses while trying to save for the future. She often finds it challenging to track her spending, leading to unexpected expenses that disrupt her budget. With multiple accounts and financial commitments, she needs a simple yet effective tool to gain control over her money, stay on top of her finances, and plan ahead with confidence.

Goals

Efficiently track expenses and manage budgets using a simple, secure, and intuitive tool.

Automate budgeting and gain clear financial insights to support informed decisions.

Frustrations

Feels overwhelmed due to disorganized financial data and lack of clear spending insights.

Struggles with unexpected expenses, hidden fees, and difficulty staying within budget.

Needs

Needs a clear and intuitive budgeting tool to track expenses, manage savings, and avoid financial surprises.

Requires real-time insights and spending breakdowns to support informed, hassle-free financial decisions.

Motivations

Hazel is motivated by her desire for financial stability and control, aiming to avoid unnecessary expenses and maximize savings.

She values simplicity and efficiency, wanting a seamless way to manage her money without stress.

Hazel Aurora

Manchester

Masters

Employee

Ideate Phase

The ideation phase focused on transforming research insights into actionable solutions. We used "How Might We" questions to guide brainstorming and generate ideas that directly addressed user frustrations. The goal was to create simple, impactful features that would improve financial clarity, ease of use, and overall user experience for budgeting and expense tracking.

User Flow

The User Persona section paints a vivid picture of WiseVault’s core users — capturing their lifestyle, financial aspirations, daily struggles, and what truly drives their decision-making. Rooted in real user research and meaningful interviews, these personas serve as the foundation for every design choice. By reflecting genuine needs and behaviors, they ensure WiseVault delivers not just usability, but trust and long-term financial confidence.

Information Architecture

The Information Architecture of WiseVault was thoughtfully crafted to guide users effortlessly through essential features like expense tracking, bill reminders, and financial insights. By structuring content into clear, intuitive categories, we minimized cognitive load and made every interaction feel natural and efficient. This streamlined hierarchy not only boosts usability but also creates a frictionless journey that keeps users engaged and in control of their finances.

Low Fidelity Wireframes

After creating user journey maps and ideation, I translated key insights into a visual structure through low-fidelity wireframing. These simple wireframes focused on layout, navigation flow, and feature placement, allowing us to validate the core user experience early without visual distractions.

After creating user journey maps and ideation,

I translated key insights into a visual structure through low-fidelity wireframing. These simple wireframes focused on layout, navigation flow, and feature placement, allowing us to validate the core user experience early without visual distractions.

Home/Dash Board

Analytics

Cards & Add Cards

Transaction

Accounts & Cards

Bill Payments

High Fidelity Wireframes

After validating the foundational structure through low-fidelity wireframes, we brought WiseVault to life by evolving them into high-fidelity mockups—where design met detail. Every pixel was intentional, from carefully chosen typography and color palettes to realistic UI elements that echoed the final product. These high-fidelity prototypes weren’t just visual upgrades—they were interactive experiences, enabling users to engage with micro-interactions, flows, and content in a real-world context.

Usability Testing

To ensure WiseVault delivered a smooth and intuitive experience, I conducted unmoderated remote usability testing at various stages of the design process using the research tool Maze. I gathered both qualitative and quantitative data through online surveys, first-click tests, preference testing, and A/B testing.

I also designed a targeted study to better understand the financial habits and challenges of WiseVault’s key user groups. I collected responses from 25 active app users, including working professionals, students, and homemakers, as well as 5 financial advisors who support users in managing their personal budgets.

To refine specific pages and user flows like expense input, monthly budget setup, and savings goals, I ran additional surveys with a broader panel via Maze, receiving a total of 48 responses. I further incorporated feedback and design critiques from 4 experienced UX designers to ensure the app met high standards of usability and accessibility.

To create a seamless and intuitive mobile experience, I used Maze to conduct unmoderated remote usability testing throughout WiseVault’s design process. Through first-click tests, A/B testing, and targeted surveys, I gathered both qualitative and quantitative insights to refine key user flows like expense input and budget setup.

Feedback from 25 real users and 5 financial advisors helped me understand real-life financial habits, while 48 additional Maze responses and expert UX critiques ensured high usability and accessibility standards—making WiseVault a truly user-centered app.

These insights collectively shaped a thoughtful, user-centered product—built to reduce financial stress and enhance trust, usability, and long-term engagement.

UI Style Guidelines - WiseVault Mobile App

UI Style Guide

01. Colors

Brand Colors

Pixel Violet

#9164FF

Sunburst

#FFC256

Accent Colors

Black 2

#1A1A1A

Black 3

#1F1F1F

White

#FFFFFF

Gray 1

#363636

Gray 2

#4F4F4F

Gray 4

#BDBDBD

Gray 5

#E0E0E0

Line height and paragraph spacing for heading is 1.1 x font size

Heading

02. Typography

Google Fonts

Inter

Heading 1

Heading 2

Heading 3

Heading 4

48 px

56 px

24 px

32 px

20 px

24 px

16 px

24 px

Font size

Line Height

Line height and paragraph spacing for heading is 1.4 x font size

Body

03. Typography

Google Fonts

Inter

Body 1

Body 2

Body 3

Body 4

20 px

32 px

18 px

24 px

16 px

24 px

16 px

24 px

Font size

Line Height

Frame:

Mobile 320

Number of columns:

Column width:

130 px

Gutter width:

20 px

Grid options

MOBILE

Frame:

Tablet 768

Number of columns:

Column width:

88 px

Gutter width:

30 px

Grid options

TABLET

04. Grid Systems

My Learnings

✅ Empathy Unlocks Real Innovation
Talking to real users—students, professionals, homemakers—revealed pain points that data alone couldn’t show. This reminded me that great design always starts with empathy.

✅ Balance Between Business Goals and User Needs
I learned how to align business objectives (like user retention and feature adoption) with human-centered design principles to ensure WiseVault wasn’t just functional—but meaningful.

✅ Data-Driven Decisions Strengthen Design
Leveraging both qualitative insights and quantitative data from unmoderated Maze tests gave me clarity on what worked and what didn’t. Each data point helped validate or challenge design assumptions.

✅ Collaboration Elevates Design Quality
Feedback from fellow UX designers pushed me to think critically and improve my work. I learned the value of fresh eyes, diverse opinions, and open critique.

Conclusion

🎯 The WiseVault app began as a response to a widespread problem—financial disorganization and stress caused by juggling multiple tools, inconsistent tracking, and lack of real-time insight. Through depth qualitative and quantitative research, including user interviews, surveys, and usability testing, I uncovered the real needs of modern users.

🎯 With a user-centered mindset, I mapped empathy, created personas, crafted intuitive user flows, and designed meaningful wireframes and prototypes. Each design iteration focused on solving real user pain points—automating expense tracking, simplifying budget management, and offering personalized insights that adapt to individual goals and habits.

🎯 In the end, WiseVault is more than just an app—it’s a trusted financial companion. It empowers users to break free from stress, gain visibility into their finances, and build healthier financial habits with confidence. By aligning user needs with smart design and strategic functionality, WiseVault has the potential to make a lasting, positive impact in people’s everyday financial lives.

🎯In the end, WiseVault is more than just an app—it’s a trusted financial companion. It empowers users to break free from stress, gain visibility into their finances, and build healthier financial habits with confidence. By aligning user needs with smart design and strategic functionality, WiseVault has the potential to make a lasting, positive impact in people’s everyday financial lives.

Thank You for Reading