Liftoff
Case Study
An app that teaches Gen-Z about Financial Literacy.
Liftoff is a financial literacy app and website concept I designed and developed to help recent graduates build confidence in budgeting, saving, and investing. Many young adults feel overwhelmed by financial decisions, so the goal was to make learning accessible, engaging, and unintimidating. I led the project from start to finish, conducting research through surveys targeted towards Gen Z and literature review to uncover key pain points such as confusion around budgeting and fear of investing. Using these insights, I developed the concept and pitch for Liftoff, focusing on simplifying complex topics and creating a more supportive, approachable learning experience.
The process began with research, where I surveyed a population of 60 Gen Z (primarily women) to understand their financial concerns, while also reviewing current literature. This research highlighted key pain points, including difficulty understanding budgeting and the fear of investing. With this information I moved on to presenting the pitch, which focused on how Liftoff could address these challenges by simplifying complex financial concepts and making learning feel less overwhelming. I created user personas based on my research to better understand the target audience. This helped me refine the app’s features and be sure the design aligned with the needs of recent graduates. I then brainstormed different ways to present financial content in a way that would feel approachable and not overwhelm.
Next, I began developing the logo and branding for Liftoff. I started by sketching out ideas on paper, then made a variety of iterations and collected feedback before landing on the final. My aim was to make a logo that would be recognizable, clean and professional. The logo and brand identity used the theme of "lifting off" to symbolize starting a new financial journey, with a warm, calm aesthetic designed to resonate with the audience.
With the branding in place, I moved on to web and app wireframes, working in Figma. This phase was focused on creating a simple, intuitive user interface (UI) that made financial concepts easy to navigate. I incorporated simple, calming visuals, interactive elements, and a warm colour palette to make the experience engaging and not overwhelming. I then tranformed the wireframes into hi-fi mockups within figma, orgnaized and prepared as it would be to be handed off to a developer (in this case, future me).
Finally, I built out the website with Webflow. The website extends the brand and serves as a marketing tool to drive traffic to the app. It introduces visitors to the Liftoff concept and provides easy access to the app for download. With the website, I also created a case study booklet to showcase the process and results of the project, highlighting the app’s design, functionality, and branding touchpoints.
