2024
WanderWise is a financial app that combines spending plans, expense tracking, and personalized insights to help travelers stay in control of their finances while exploring the world.
Product
Travel Finance Mobile App
Skills
Product design
Interactive prototyping
Design systems
User research & testing
Timeline
2 weeks
Travel can be life-changing, but it’s also intimidating and stressful. I recently took an international trip with my parents, and I noticed that they experienced anxiety, struggling to plan for their trip’s expenses accurately—overestimating some costs, underestimating others. They loved their trip but they had to worry about overspending, and needing to miss out on plans they had later in the year.
I saw an opportunity to empower people to confidently plan and take control of their finances while they travel.
I reviewed published literature & data, existing tools used for travel budgeting, and conducted in-depth interviews to understand the financial pain-points people experience while traveling & planning.
People experience stress stemming from uncertainty about how much they’ve spent, how much is left, or whether they’re overspending while they are in a new, unfamiliar place.
From meticulous planners to carefree spenders. Existing apps don’t adapt to diverse habits, forcing users to conform to rigid structures, and alienating users whose needs don’t fit neatly into the app’s default mode.
Traditional budgeting feels punitive, discouraging consistent usage. Travelers don’t want to think about money while they travel
On-the-go travelers struggle to track their spending accurately in real time, especially when they are in a country with different currency.
First-time travelers may feel overwhelmed by the financial aspects of their trip, which can lead to stress or avoidance of travel altogether.
Unexpected costs such as illness, etc can also cause financial anxiety
WanderWise enables users to confidently plan, track, and enjoy traveling without constantly worrying about their finances. The experience adapts itself to each user’s planning/tracking style, and delights using an abundance of joyful color and inspirational imagery.
Core features
Co-created spending plans
Personalized dashboard
Real-time expense tracking
Multi-trip management
I had to melt and re-pour this design system after a first try ended up feeling too cold. I took a second attempt at the visual identity and focused on adding pictures and color to make the app feel more inviting.
