FIN:WY$E

FIN:WY$E UX Design

Inspiration:

Managing finances can be challenging, as most of us were never taught how to properly deal with taxes, loans, credit, etc. We all have gaps in our financial knowledge, and studying this material is often boring. That's why we created FIN:WY$E - a financial literacy web app that gamifies the learning experience.

What it does:

Our web app challenges users to set goals and practice different financial modules daily. By teaching relevant, useful skills for taxes, car loans, and more, it builds confidence in taking on the financial world.

How we built it:

We built FIN:WY$E using JavaScript, React, Spring Boot, Spring Security, Auth0(Okta), MongoDB, Figma, Maven, Git, and REST APIs. Each technology played a key role in developing the front end, back end, and database.

Challenges we ran into:

We encountered two main problems:

1.Database management - Lack of organized sample data. We collected, validated, and deserialized data to solve this.

2.Security - Implementing authentication with Auth0. We leveraged documentation and built on basic Spring Security.

Accomplishments that we're proud of:

Given the limited timeframe, we are thrilled with what we were able to accomplish during this hackathon. Highlights include scoping an idea from scratch and designing an effective user experience, rapidly learning and implementing new technologies like React and Auth0, building a functional web application with authentication, a database, goals modules that improves financial literacy through gamification, and overcoming issues as a team via persistence and creative problem-solving. Being able to take an idea from conception to a working product with real user value in such a short period was an invaluable learning experience, providing hands-on practice with cutting-edge technologies that will empower our future careers. We could not be more proud of pouring our energy into making the most of this opportunity.

What we learned:

Working within the tight time constraints of a hackathon showed us firsthand how to prioritize and move quickly as a team while still producing quality work. We gained invaluable hands-on experience with new technologies like React, MongoDB, Spring Boot, and Auth0 that will be extremely useful in our future careers. Collaborating closely on scoping, designing, and building an entire application in a short period strengthened skills like dividing up tasks, communication, and resolving conflicts that will serve us well. We also ran into issues like messy sample data and implementing authentication, which forced us to troubleshoot together and find creative solutions. Seeing our idea come to life through the app was incredibly exciting and motivational, fueling our passion for using technology to create positive change. Overall, this experience accelerated both our technical and interpersonal skills.

What's next for FIN:WY$E:

Moving forward, we are committed to refining FIN:WY$E and achieving real-world impact. Next steps include optimizing the UI/UX for maximum user engagement and educational value, expanding content with more financial literacy modules, quizzes, and games, marketing to high school and college students to provide financial education when it matters most, partnering with nonprofits serving minority and underprivileged groups to broaden reach, continuously improving the app by analyzing usage data, making it accessible via web and mobile to reach more people, exploring monetization models to sustain operations, and ultimately equipping the next generation with essential financial skills to unlock their potential. We could not be more excited to take this product to the next level and start empowering young people to take control of their financial futures.