​(This case is currently being developed. Below is the product thinking framework guiding the upcoming study.)

 

Overview

SpendWise is a personal finance concept app designed to help individuals gain clarity over their spending habits, set realistic budgets, and stay aligned with long-term financial goals.
While the full case study is still in progress, this section outlines the product thinking behind the concept — how problems are defined, what opportunities exist, and how strategic product decisions shape the upcoming UX and feature exploration.
 

The Problem Space

Many people struggle to maintain financial awareness in daily life. Common pain points include:

• Difficulty tracking where money actually goes

• Limited visibility into spending patterns

• Budget tools that feel overwhelming or too rigid

• Lack of helpful signals that warn users before overspending

• Tools that display information, but rarely guide decision-making
   

Product Opportunity
Create an experience that not only tracks spending, but supports financial decision-making, reduces cognitive load, and helps users build long-term financial discipline.
 

Target Users

Early thinking identifies two core user groups:

• Early-career professionals

Trying to build healthy money habits, but often lack structure.

• Busy individuals managing multiple accounts

Want a simple, consolidated view of their finances without spreadsheets.

Across both groups, users want tools that are:

• Simple

• Predictive instead of reactive

• Encouraging instead of guilt-driven

• Clear and visually digestible
   

Product Goals (Initial Hypothesis)

The upcoming case will explore how SpendWise can help users:

1) Build awareness

Provide a clear, digestible overview of where money goes each week/month.

2) Set achievable budgets

Guide users toward realistic spending limits based on past behavior.

3) Make better decisions

Offer insights such as:

• “You’re on track”

• “You may exceed your dining budget by Friday”

• “Your transportation spending is trending lower than usual”

4) Reduce user friction

Simplify onboarding, category editing, and monthly resets.
 

What the Future Case Study Will Cover

This upcoming project will dive into a structured PM + UX approach:

• Problem Definition

Identifying user segments, needs, and behavioral patterns.

• Competitive + Comparative Analysis

Understanding where existing financial tools fall short in clarity and motivation.

• User Journey Mapping

How users currently manage finances and where they struggle.

• Feature Prioritization

Using impact/effort frameworks to define what matters most:

• Smart budgeting assistant

• Spending forecast

• Weekly insight cards

• Category auto-tagging

• UX Exploration

Early sketches and flows demonstrating how to reduce cognitive load and help users take action.

• Outcome Hypotheses
 

What improvements could meaningfully influence behavior:

• Higher budget adherence

• Increased weekly engagement

• Reduced financial anxiety