Workflow diagram

Nudge — The Financial Mind Companion

Empowering users to discover, understand, and make the most of their financial benefits through AI-driven clarity.

Inspiration

We noticed that in today’s banking system, there is a massive communication gap between banks and their customers.
Financial institutions like Sound Credit Union already have advanced technology and countless resources to help members succeed, yet customers often don’t know these benefits exist or how to access them.

We started by looking at how much value goes unused: credit card perks, loyalty rewards, small business incentives, or member discounts that most people simply forget about. Sound Credit Union’s challenge pushed us to ask:

What if your bank could surface every benefit you qualify for, right when you need it, automatically?

That question became Nudge, an integrated AI-powered “Deals & Benefits” hub built directly into the Sound Credit Union mobile app.
Nudge helps people save money, reduce financial stress, and finally make the most of their relationship with their bank.

How we came up with it

When studying Sound Credit Union’s existing digital experience, we noticed a gap in how information and benefits were being communicated to members.

The credit union has strong community programs, loyalty incentives, and specialized accounts, but members often have to dig through multiple pages, emails, or customer service interactions to learn about them. This creates friction and missed opportunities.

We realized that many users weren’t taking advantage of the tools already available to them simply because those benefits weren’t being surfaced in real time or explained in a way that felt relevant to their daily lives.

That observation inspired us to design Nudge — a bridge between Sound Credit Union’s ecosystem and its members. By embedding an AI assistant directly into the app, we could deliver clear, conversational, and personalized guidance that helps people unlock hidden value without having to search for it.

What it does

Nudge adds a smart, conversational “Nudge” tab inside the Sound Credit Union mobile app.

Through this tab, users can:

Chat with an AI assistant to get instant, human-like financial advice, from “How can I save for a trip?” to “What memberships do I qualify for?”
Receive personalized recommendations based on spending patterns and transaction behavior.
Discover local deals with distance indicators and limited-time offers.
See curated perks across categories like food, travel, credit or debit cards, and subscriptions.
Track total monthly savings in a live “You saved $___ this month!” card.
View detailed breakdowns and analytics, including savings by category and progress over time.
Activate deals in one click, instantly applying rewards or discounts through Sound Credit’s ecosystem.

It turns complex banking data into clear, personal, and timely guidance that helps people save without even trying.

Challenges we ran into

Building Trust with AI

Our early concept involved a standalone AI app. We realized users would hesitate to share sensitive data outside their bank’s ecosystem.
The solution was to integrate directly into Sound Credit’s existing mobile app, creating trust through familiarity.

Clear and Calm Communication

Designing a financial assistant that feels approachable required balancing precision with empathy.
We focused on making advice sound human, not technical: clear, concise, and supportive.

Data Privacy and Transparency

Nudge learns from user patterns and locations to make smarter recommendations, which required creating a data control dashboard where users can view and delete what the AI knows about them. This builds confidence through transparency.

Multi-Feature Simplicity

Nudge combines AI chat, savings analytics, deal carousels, and geolocation alerts.
Keeping everything intuitive and easy to navigate required multiple wireframes and design iterations to find the right flow.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Seamless integration within the Sound Credit app instead of building another platform.
A user-centered design that balances several features in one clear and functional layout.
An AI assistant that communicates with empathy and builds trust instead of confusion.
A system that directly helps users save money and uncover value they already have access to.
A product that supports Sound Credit’s mission to make financial wellness accessible for all, including low-income and underbanked members.

What we learned

Trust is the foundation of any fintech product. Users must feel safe before they engage with AI-driven tools.
Clarity is more valuable than complexity. The best assistants explain clearly and guide simply.
Personalization must respect privacy. Transparent consent and editable data logs are essential for credibility.
Visual feedback matters. Real-time savings analytics and one-click actions give users visible wins and increase satisfaction.
Iteration is key. Prototyping helped us refine tone, hierarchy, and user flow long before coding.

What’s next for Nudge

Step 1: Deep AI Integration and Trust Building

Connect Nudge’s chatbot to a secure backend that can process user queries without exposing sensitive data.
Add privacy and consent settings where users explicitly choose what data to share.
Run user testing to refine the assistant’s tone and ensure advice is easy to understand.
Implement feedback loops for continuous improvement.

Step 2: Enhanced Personalization and Proactive Experiences

Use transaction patterns to refine deal and perk recommendations.
Add goal-based savings guidance, such as “Save for a trip” or “Cut monthly coffee costs.”
Enable location-based deal nudges with opt-in controls for real-time local rewards.
Expand analytics dashboards for long-term insights and goal tracking.

Nudge redefines banking as something personal, proactive, and human.
It helps Sound Credit Union move from being just a financial institution to becoming a financial partner that guides users with confidence, clarity, and care.