As part of a two-month design sprint, I worked as the Product Designer on a project for First Direct, aimed at creating a flexible, easy-to-use banking app for 16-18-year-olds. The goal was to create an app that would attract this younger demographic and create long-lasting relationships with them by making core banking functions—like saving, transferring money, and budgeting—feel approachable and intuitive.

To get started, we looked at existing research and data that First Direct had on the target audience, as well as doing our own user research. We ran focus groups with 12 participants, all within the 16-18 age range, to better understand how they used banking apps and what features they found helpful. From this research, we discovered that young people wanted an app that was easy to navigate, without unnecessary financial jargon. Money organisation tools, like “jars” or “pots” for saving, were really popular with the target audience.

We also had access to existing quantitative data from First Direct existing services, which helped us understand the behaviours of users already familiar with their digital platforms. This gave us a solid foundation to build from.

We created multiple wireframes and user flows based on our research. The aim was to make the app feel approachable, with a clean, modern design that also had elements of fun. The central feature in the app was the "jar" system for saving. This tool allowed users to visually track their savings across different categories—like holidays or emergency funds—and gave them the flexibility to personalise each jar with images.

I translated our wireframes into high-fidelity prototypes, focusing on creating a clean and playful interface. The design featured bright, engaging colours, simple icons, and intuitive navigation, all while keeping the app functional and professional. We wanted the app to appeal to the target audience by being both fun and practical.