black tablet computer turned on displaying blue screen

Simple Invest- mobile platform for stock market

Role: UI/UX Designer


Team: Pranav Kulkarni, Samhitha Reddy, Sumedha Kasarla, Kshitij Tiwari, Anuja Kale (Me)


Duration: 4 weeks


Tools: Figma, Microsoft Teams, Google Docs


Methods: Survey, Informal User Interviews, Personas, Storyboard, Task Flow and Flowchart, Wireframing, High-Fidelity Prototyping, Design System, Reflective Heuristic Evaluation

Overview


Most investing apps seem made for people who already understand finance. Our challenge was to design something for beginners - people who want to start investing but feel lost or intimidated.


Simple Invest turns investing into a guided, goal-based journey that builds confidence step by step.
This was my final design project at Northeastern, focused on using user research and design thinking to simplify a complex experience.

Discovery – Understanding Why People Hesitate


I began with short surveys and informal interviews with people who had savings but had never invested.

Many were professionals in their twenties and thirties who said things like:

“I want to invest, but I have no idea where to start.”
“Those charts make me anxious.”


Key Insights

  • Most users felt overwhelmed by technical language.

  • They wanted to start small but feared losing money.

  • They preferred being guided instead of making decisions alone.

From these findings, three guiding principles emerged: Clarity, Confidence, and Guidance.
These became the foundation for every design decision.

Ideation: From Problem to Concept


To explore directions quickly, our team used Crazy 8s, sketching eight ideas in eight minutes.
Most sketches centered on the idea of goal-based investing - instead of choosing stocks, users would choose a purpose like Start Small, Build Wealth, or Save for Travel.

This idea resonated with everyone because it shifted focus from finance to life goals.
It became the foundation of the app.





Storyboard

To visualize the user’s emotional journey, I created a storyboard showing how a first-time investor moves from uncertainty to confidence.
It starts with hesitation, transitions into curiosity, and ends with a sense of control after using Simple Invest. This helped the team maintain empathy in design choices related to tone, color, and content hierarchy.



Storyboard

To visualize the user’s emotional journey, I created a storyboard showing how a first-time investor moves from uncertainty to confidence.
It starts with hesitation, transitions into curiosity, and ends with a sense of control after using Simple Invest. This helped the team maintain empathy in design choices related to tone, color, and content hierarchy.

Storyboard

To visualize the user’s emotional journey, I created a storyboard showing how a first-time investor moves from uncertainty to confidence.
It starts with hesitation, transitions into curiosity, and ends with a sense of control after using Simple Invest. This helped the team maintain empathy in design choices related to tone, color, and content hierarchy.



Task Flow and User Journey

Designed a complete flow showing every step from onboarding to tracking progress.
This included login options, goal setup, funding steps, confirmations, and feedback screens.
Mapping it early allowed the team to reduce friction and maintain a smooth, predictable experience.








Task Flow and User Journey

Designed a complete flow showing every step from onboarding to tracking progress.
This included login options, goal setup, funding steps, confirmations, and feedback screens.
Mapping it early allowed the team to reduce friction and maintain a smooth, predictable experience.

Design – Turning Insights into Interface

After finalizing the structure, I began creating wireframes and high-fidelity mockups in Figma.


Design Highlights

  • Onboarding: Short and conversational screens with friendly prompts

  • Goal Cards: Illustrated options that feel achievable, not abstract

  • Dashboard: Focused on progress tracking rather than complex metrics

  • Tone: Supportive, human, and reassuring

Usability Testing


I tested the interactive prototype with a small group of first-time investors.
They were asked to complete onboarding, choose a goal, and review their progress.

Results:

  • 80 percent successfully completed onboarding

  • Average time under 3 minutes

  • Most described the flow as clear, calm, and easy to follow


Testing confirmed that simple feedback and microcopy built user trust more effectively than complex tutorials.

Reflective Heuristic Evaluation

After testing, I evaluated the prototype using Nielsen’s 10 usability heuristics to identify small but meaningful improvements.


Findings included:

  • Adding clearer progress indicators during onboarding

  • Strengthening success confirmations after funding

  • Maintaining consistent terminology across screens

  • Simplifying error messages and guidance


This reflection step helped refine usability and align the experience more closely with real user needs.

Reflection

Designing Simple Invest reminded me that clarity is confidence.
Finance doesn’t have to feel intimidating when information is humanized and structure is intentional.
By focusing on empathy, trust, and visual calm, this project transformed complexity into confidence for first-time investors.

Anuja

© 2025 Anuja