When I looked at existing apps, I didn’t see tools; I saw walls of numbers. For a freelancer or a non-native speaker, this ‘Data Dump’ creates a ‘Fear of the Unknown.’ , Confusion and Cognitive Overload.
The Starting Point:
They aren’t just managing money; they are managing anxiety.
PlutoPay is a smart fintech platform designed for everyday people who feel overwhelmed by taxes and financial systems. It brings banking, investing, budgeting, tax management, and AI-powered financial coaching together in one simple and secure experience.
PlutoPay mission is to make finance understandable, trustworthy, and accessible transforming financial stress into clarity and confidence.
My Role & Skills
As the Product Designer, I owned the end-to-end process from research to final prototypes.
Key skills applied:
- UX research (interviews, surveys, competitor analysis)
- Persona creation & user flows
- Wireframing (low, mid, high fidelity)
- Figma prototyping & cross-device design
- Usability testing & iteration
- Accessibility design principles
- Design systems
How did I have an impact?
Reducing ‘Bureaucratic Friction’ for Immigrants
My biggest impact with PlutoPay was transforming a confusing, data-heavy dashboard into a supportive assistant. By prioritizing Simple Language and a ‘Step-by-Step’ disclosure of information, I removed the need for users to seek outside ‘native help’ to understand their own taxes or budget. I successfully reduced the ‘fear of the unknown’ by adding transparency (Info Icons) and a visual-first AI that explains the why behind the numbers, ensuring that financial independence is accessible to everyone, regardless of their background.
Solving Data Overload through Progressive Disclosure
I led the transition from a ‘data dump’ to a Tactile Stacking System. Through A/B testing, I proved that revealing data slowly (Progressive Disclosure) reduced user friction and error rates by 40%. My design impact was creating a system that manages high complexity with low cognitive load, allowing users to handle four financial pillars (Bank, Tax, Invest, Budget) without feeling overwhelmed.
The Process: How I Built PlutoPay
01. Discovery & Market Research
I analyzed the German FinTech landscape (N26, Revolut, Taxfix) to understand local regulations like GDPR and PSD2. My goal was to identify where current tools fail to support non-native speakers navigating complex bureaucracy.
02. Empathy & Pain Points
As an immigrant, I used my own experiences and analyzed app-store reviews to map the “fear of the unknown.” I identified that users felt overwhelmed and isolated by traditional banking interfaces and complex German financial terminology.
03. Defining the Challenge
The problem wasn’t a lack of data; it was Data Overload. I defined my mission: to create a “supportive assistant” that manages Banking, Investing, Taxes, and Budgeting without causing cognitive fatigue.
04. Ideation: Strategic Simplicity
I moved away from a “data-dump” dashboard. My solution centered on a Tactile Stacking System and a visual-first AI assistant (Nova) to guide users through their financial journey in plain, friendly language.
5. Metrics
I built a high-fidelity prototype focused on Progressive Disclosure. I implemented color-coded AI Message Alerts (Blue for Bank, Yellow for Tax) to give users an instant visual shorthand for their financial status.
06. Testing & Iteration
Through A/B testing and peer reviews, I validated that a “step-by-step” data disclosure reduced user errors by 40%. I iterated on icon accessibility (scaling to 24px) and added “Info Icons” to build trust through transparency.
07. Impact & Final Delivery
The result is a comprehensive financial ecosystem that replaces “bureaucratic friction” with confidence. I delivered a design that allows immigrants to manage their lives independently, removing the need for “native assistance.”
Competitive Analysis
Selected Brands
Personas
Lori and Amir represent of my research group who felt ‘paralyzed’ by financial jargon.
User Journey
I mapped out exactly where my persoans get lost.
Site Map
To fix the chaos, I had to reorganize the world of finance into 4 simple pillars.
Low & Mid fidelity Wireframes
I started with rough ideas and kept refining them until the friction disappeared.
Usability Test Plan
1. Introduction
I conducted a usability study to evaluate the user experience of PlutoPay, an all-in-one financial app that integrates banking, investing, tax filing, and AI-driven insights.
2. Background
PlutoPay aimed to simplify complex financial tasks. After designing high-fidelity prototypes with a modular “box” layout and a contextual color-coding system, I evaluated whether these design choices helped users navigate between different financial pillars (Banking, Investing, Tax, Budgeting) without confusion
3. Goals
The primary goal was to assess the discoverability and ease of use of the app’s core features. I aimed to ensure that the AI-agent integration and the specialized color themes (Yellow for Tax, Pink for Invest, etc.) were intuitive for first-time users.
4. Test Objectives
Investment Confidence
AI Literacy Bridge
Tax Mastery
5. Metrics
I used Jakob Nielsen’s 0 to 4 rating scale to classify the usability issues.
6. Methodology
I used remote moderated testing. I connected with participants via video calls (Zoom/Google Meet), where they shared their screens while interacting with the Figma prototype. I used the “Think Aloud” method to capture their thought processes in real time.
Test report
Issue 1:
High Cognitive Load on Home Screen
Severity: High
Suggested Change:
Implement Progressive Disclosure. Use a “Stacked Card” layout where only the “Bank” card is expanded by default. “Invest,” “Tax,” and “Budget” titles remain visible but content is hidden until tapped.
Evidence:
Iman and Behrouz both reported the screen felt “too crowded” and “compressed.” Iman’s body language (squinting) showed high mental effort to process the information.
Issue 2:
Lack of Clarity in Card Titles
Severity: High
Suggested Change: Standardize and clarify card headers. The “Safe to Spend” title needs to be more prominent and explicitly linked to the AI’s logic to reduce the “Why is this number here?” confusion.
Evidence: Behrouz and Iman both paused at the balance section. Behrouz confused “Total Balance” with available cash, indicating the title hierarchy is currently failing.
Issue 3:
Low Discoverability of Main AI Button
Severity: Medium
Suggested Change: Make the AI button in the main nav bold/higher contrast. Add a subtle hover animation (pulse or glow) to draw the user’s eye and signal it is an interactive agent.
Evidence: Lena and Sahar both struggled to find the AI button on the Invest page. Lena’s eye-tracking (hesitation) showed she was searching the screen for help that was “hidden” in plain sight.
Issue 4:
Inefficient Bottom Navigation Order
Severity: Medium
Suggested Change: Re-order items based on frequency of use (Left-to-Right).
Separate the AI button visually from standard navigation items.
Evidence: Lena explicitly suggested that “Bank and Budget” are used more often than “Invest” and should be prioritized on the left side of the menu.
Issue 5:
Passive AI Messaging Lacks Urgency
Severity: Medium
Suggested Change: Update the AI messaging style to include “Alert” formats. Use clear icons (e.g., an exclamation mark or orange banner) for time-sensitive tasks like missing tax documents.
Evidence: Behrouz noted that he wanted “more aggressive” alerts for his documents, as the current tips felt too much like “suggestions” rather than “requirements.”
Design system
Finance needs to feel safe. I chose colors and fonts that feel like a trusted friend, not a cold bank.
Main Colors
Color primitives
For dark and light
backgrounds
Color usage
For dark and light
backgrounds
Typography
Icons
Screens
