Case Study — 2024
01 —
Most personal finance apps overwhelm users with data. Charts, categories, alerts, percentages — a flood of numbers that creates anxiety rather than clarity. Users know they should track their money. They just don't want to feel judged while doing it.
Monto was designed from a single premise: what if a finance app felt like a trusted friend, not an accountant?
The goal: design a zero-to-one mobile product that helps young professionals (25–35) understand their financial health at a glance, set meaningful savings goals, and build better habits — without the guilt spiral.
As the lead designer, I owned the full process: discovery, information architecture, interaction design, visual system, and prototype testing.
"I open my bank app, feel immediately stressed, and close it. I know I need to do better but I don't even know where to start."— Interview participant, 28, Marketing Manager
02 —
I conducted 8 in-depth interviews with young professionals aged 25–35, combined with a survey of 62 respondents. I also ran a competitive analysis of Mint, YNAB, and Copilot.
Three core insight themes emerged that shaped every design decision in Monto.
Sofia represents the primary user archetype — capable, financially aware, but emotionally avoidant when it comes to money. She doesn't need more data. She needs a calmer relationship with it.
03 —
Core User Flow
Replaced red/alert colors with warm neutrals and soft greens. Financial data shouldn't trigger a stress response.
The dashboard shows a single "safe to spend" number — not charts, not 12 categories. Progressive disclosure for depth.
Before showing any data, we ask: "What are you saving for?" This anchors the entire experience emotionally.
04 —
After 2 rounds of usability testing with 10 participants, Monto achieved significant improvements. Users described the experience as "refreshing," "actually calming," and "the first finance app I wanted to open again."
The prototype was tested against Mint as a benchmark, showing substantial advantages for Monto across every user archetype.
05 —
Finance apps fail not because they lack features — they fail because they make people feel bad. Designing for emotional response first shaped everything in Monto.
Every time I was tempted to add more information, I asked: does the user need this right now? More often than not, the answer was no. Restraint is a design skill.
A spending wheel visualization I was proud of tested terribly. The first round of testing killed it at week 5, saving weeks of hi-fi work on the wrong direction.