I recently embarked on a project to design an iOS expense tracker app called FinX. The idea stemmed from a noticeable gap in many markets where digital banking services are not fully developed. Many people, especially those who have become accustomed to tracking their expenses through banking apps, find themselves without such tools due to the lack of functionality or absence of apps tailored to their specific markets. At the same time, there's a growing trend of individuals wanting to manage their finances more proactively, with more people each year seeking ways to track their expenses and incomes effectively.

Given the limited time and resources for extensive research, I decided to focus on qualitative insights by interviewing five individuals from our target audience. These conversations were invaluable. They shared their frustrations with existing apps—citing complicated multi-step processes, lack of customization, and insufficient features that didn't align with their financial habits. They expressed a strong desire for a simple, secure, and personalized expense tracking solution.

FinX differentiates itself by addressing these pain points with full-feature access, local data storage for enhanced privacy, and a user-friendly, streamlined interface. This analysis provided valuable insights to position FinX as a secure, cost-effective, and customizable solution for personal finance management.

To complement these insights, I delved into industry reports and best practices. This helped me understand the broader landscape of financial management apps and identify key features that resonate with users. Simplicity, security, and customization emerged as crucial elements that users valued the most.

With this understanding, I began designing the user flow for FinX. My primary goal was to simplify the process of adding transactions. I achieved this by placing all key fields on a single screen. This meant users wouldn't have to navigate through multiple steps to record an expense or income, reducing friction and making the app more user-friendly. For those who wanted to add more details, optional fields were readily accessible but didn't clutter the main interface.

After creating the initial design, I shared it with the potential users I had interviewed earlier. Their feedback was instrumental. They appreciated the streamlined transaction entry but suggested improvements like more visible icons and easier navigation between different sections of the app. Taking their feedback to heart, I made adjustments to enhance the overall user experience.

Collaboration played a significant role in refining FinX. Working closely with developers, we brainstormed ways to implement features efficiently without incurring extra development costs. Their technical insights helped me understand certain constraints, which informed further iterations of the design. Together, we found innovative solutions that balanced user needs with technical feasibility.

FinX's final design is modern and minimalistic, aligning with industry best practices and the insights gathered during research.

Throughout the development process, usability testing remained a priority. By involving users at different stages, we ensured that FinX remained aligned with their needs and preferences. Their feedback confirmed that the app was intuitive and that the features added genuine value to their financial management efforts.

Now, as FinX moves into the final stages of development with a planned release in 2025, I reflect on the journey with a sense of accomplishment. Despite the challenges of limited time and resources, focusing on the users' core needs led to a product that genuinely addresses a gap in the market. FinX empowers users to take control of their finances with ease and confidence, embodying the principles of user-centered design that I strive to uphold in all my work.