Design Frontiers '24
FinQuest
1st Place Winner
April 13, 2024
This project is a gamified financial literacy app designed to teach high school students the fundamentals of money management, saving, and credit building in a fun, low-risk environment.
Partnering with schools, FinQuest integrates an ATM-style kiosk where students can redeem their in-game earnings for printable coupons, which are usable at campus stores for snacks, supplies, and more—reinforcing lessons with tangible incentives and encouraging daily engagement.
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The app bridges physical and digital experiences to turn the high school campus into an immersive, interactive learning space.
The Big Problem:
How might we enhance learning approaches to better align with modern needs?
Design Opportunity:
Young Adult Financial Literacy
The Solution:
FinQuest
Developed in a 5 hr design sprint
Target Audience
High school students (ages 14–18),
especially targeting those in public school settings with limited financial education resources.
Many high school students are under prepared for real-world money management. Existing tools are often too technical or adult-oriented, failing to engage young learners.​
Goals
1. Teach foundational financial concepts in an age-appropriate, interactive way​​​
2. Create a hybrid ecosystem where digital learning is reinforced by physical interaction
3. Make financial learning fun, personalized, and habit-forming
Research
After some article research we synthesized key insights.​
[ our most cited articles ]
2. Data shows that years down the line, young people who took financial literacy courses have a higher credit score.
3. 54% of teenagers feel underprepared when it comes to managing their financial futures.
Key Insights
1. Kids that grow up with more financial resources continue to be more financially literate, contributing to the economic divide of social classes.
Wireframing
Lofi Sketching
3.
1.
2.
We struggled to identify a viable idea under time constraints
4.
Kiosk Design
ATM styled kiosk to simulate the real world
App Design
Gamification to encourage consistency and interest.
Mid/ High Fidelity
Main Pages | Mobile
Insights, streak counter, leaderboards, and glossaries reinforce learning.
Main Pages | Kiosk
Check balance and print out physical voucher from the machine​
or​
Complete the quiz directly on the machine
Core Pages
Utilized a style guide to flush out the designs according to the architecture we laid out in the lofi sketches.
Home -
The most used features, the student ID and schedule, are easily accessible.
Map - ​
The map is relabeled as a UCSD landscape.
Calendar -
Provides clear event timelines and participation personalization.
Notification -
Relatively unchanged vertical format as the original.
Quiz Game
Progress and consistency will earn the user points that translate to currency.
Quiz Game
Final Deliverable
[ Stakeholder presentation to propose our idea to a panel of industry judges ]
Reflection
This project pushed me to think beyond digital screens and explore how technology can be embedded into real-world environments to create more engaging, memorable learning experiences. I came away with a deeper appreciation for cross-platform design—how a user journey can span digital and physical spaces in a way that feels seamless and human-centered.
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Presenting our product to a panel of industry judges was a defining moment, challenging us to not only communicate our design, but also the impact—why this tool matters and how it has the potential to fill a real gap in early financial education.
We won 1st place in this designation, but ultimately I gained a deeper understanding of effective teamwork, shared vision, and the passion to fight for an impactful idea.
Key Features
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Budgeting and credit score quiz modules
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Daily challenges and streaks to promote habit-building
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Progress tracking tied to game levels and leaderboards
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School-located kiosks for physical engagement
