Project Overview

Helping Students Succeed Financially.

Navigating personal finances for the first time can be a big challenge for students balancing tuition, living expenses, and often, limited funds. Cents is a mobile student finance app designed to provide an easy-to-use solution for tracking expenses, setting budgets, and helping to achieve financial goals, coupled with a brand identity that seeks to connect with the student demographic.

Research and Discovery

In order to establish a baseline foundation for Cents, research was undertaken to understand the financial habits and needs of university students:

• User Interviews: In-depth conversations with a diverse group of students revealed key pain points, including the difficulty of tracking small, frequent expenses, a lack of clear visibility into where their money was going, and a desire for more personalized guidance on budgeting. Students expressed a need for tools that were simple to use and visually appealing.
• Usability Surveys: Web-based surveys provided statistical validation of the interview findings. The data highlighted common budgeting challenges, preferred features in finance apps (simplicity, visual summaries), and the prevalence of financial stress among students.
• Competitive Analysis: An examination of popular finance appls indicated both strengths and opportunities in the market. This analysis revealed a noticeable gap in apps specifically tailored to the student demographic.