HerFund Logo
Prototype
Prototype Page 2

Empowering the Next Generation: A Financial Journey

What Inspired Us

Students, especially young women, have various responsibilities to juggle, so managing and investing money is often the last thing on anyone's mind. Given that most Gen Z women have $0 dollars invested by 22, we wanted to develop a youth-forward solution that made working with money and building wealth easy.

How We Built Our Project

Our prototype was sketched using Balsamiq and coded utilizing FastAPI (Python) and React + Vite (Typescript). Furthermore we used the Plaid API and the AlphaVantage API to connect bank account information and get live stock data. We focused on visibility and an easy understanding of what financial decisions are being made, particularly:

Income Streams: Building a user's understanding of how they earn.
Spending Habits: Creating better awareness to improve daily choices.
Financial Goals: Helping users work towards milestones like paying off loans.

What We Learned

We learned how vital it is to translate complex financial concepts into a visual language that resonates with our generation. By focusing on visibility and accessibility, we discovered that the right design can transform financial management from a chore into a manageable part of a student’s lifestyle.

Challenges We Faced

Brand Identity: A major struggle was finding the balance between functionality and character. We chose a color palette of green and pink to emphasize security and a more relaxed energy while still being visually accessible and professional.
Technical Issues: We ran into minor errors with the stock aspect of the code as well as pushing and pulling from GitHub. However, we successfully resolved these issues through dedicated research and effective teamwork.

Whats Next For HerFund

Work on our current website to match the design of our prototype
Have a mobile app version (IOS/Android) for better platform accessibility
Build out the investing aspect to include bonds, commodities, etc., as well as other investing platforms like Charles Schwab
Having a more personal connection like a financial mentor