Inspiration
Irresponsible younger siblings need to transition into adulthood and its responsibilities, like saving money. They need motivation to save the money, and gamifying money saving would encourage people to save by simplifying the process.
What it does
A money-saving app gamified to encourage people of all ages to save money by changing people's perception of financial responsibility. My Bonsai Pet gives a person a virtual pet they need to keep healthy and happy through feeding it money in increments, increments eventually adding up to the original goal of the user. The user gets to initially choose how much money they want saved over how much time, and they get to see a visual representation of their progress on their profile page. With the added incentive of nurturing an adorable virtual pet, one which will be devastated if they stop getting fed regularly, saving money becomes more enticing.
How we built it
We built this app using Java for Android Studio, and we used gifs we found online for the pet.
Challenges we ran into
Login system and actual payment requires more complex knowledge that we need time to become familiar with.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
-The user interface looks gamified and follows an aesthetic, which is easy for the user to follow. -We learned how to make an app over the last two days, none of us having made one before.
What we learned
We learned how to use Android Studio, and how to code in Java and XML.
What's next for My Bonsai Pet
-Fully functional integration and a possible partnership with a bank. -The possibility of investing in stocks with the deposited money. -With regular deposits, the user will reach milestones that will unlock different customization for the pet, which they will be able to share with their friends and see their friends' pets to compare who's better at saving. -The user gets to choose what pet they want, or if they want a bonsai tree instead. -The app will decided on the amounts the user should deposit and how often they should deposit based on the original goal set by the user, taking away the planning.
