A self-directed study in UX design, BUDGEE was an opportunity to learn the principles of user research, interface design, and prototyping while tackling a problem I was personally interested in: making budgeting feel fun in a consumption-heavy society.
The result is a hybrid hobby-budgeting app designed to help users reach their savings goals without losing the excitement from shopping, inspired by the trending POPMART. I took on every role throughout the process, from UX research and ideation to UI design, prototyping, and iteration.
my role
Lead UX Researcher, Lead UX Product Designer
LOCATION
New York, New York
tools
Adobe Illustrator, Figma
sPECIAL THANKS
—
05
ux finance app study
BUDGEE
October 2025 - December 2025
Next project
This project was a special one. Sania Bhatia (Tisch ’26) and I were paired to create a music video for an artist from Clive Davis, NYU’s music school, incorporating generative AI into our creative process.
Created as our final project for First-Time Generative Filmmaking in the Age of Hypercinema, taught by NYC artist Gabriel Barcia Colombo, the project brought together everything we had been experimenting with throughout the semester, everything from generative AI models and prompt-based workflows to traditional filmmaking and immersive design tools.
View the project below as well as our testimonies to the process and our thoughts on generative AI as artists.
A self-directed study in UX design, Budgee was an opportunity to learn the principles of user research, interface design, and prototyping while tackling a problem I was personally interested in: making budgeting feel fun in a consumption-heavy society.
The result is a hybrid hobby-budgeting app designed to help users reach their savings goals without losing the excitement from shopping, inspired by the trending POPMART. I took on every role throughout the process, from UX research and ideation to UI design, prototyping, and iteration.
A self-directed study in UX design, Budgee was an opportunity to learn the principles of user research, interface design, and prototyping while tackling a problem I was personally interested in: making budgeting feel fun in a consumption-heavy society.
The result is a hybrid hobby-budgeting app designed to help users reach their savings goals without losing the excitement from shopping, inspired by the trending POPMART. I took on every role throughout the process, from UX research and ideation to UI design, prototyping, and iteration.
my role
VFX Generator, Assistant filmmaker
UX Designer, UI Designer, UX Researcher
LOCATION
New York, New York
tools
DaVinci Resolve, Generative AI tools used: MidJourney, Flora Fauna, Runway 2.0, Google Gemini, ChatGPT
Adobe Illustrator, Figma
sPECIAL THANKS
Sania Bhatia (NYU Tisch), Gabe Barcia-Colombo (Instructor ITP)
—
Next project
Next project
© 2026 Lisa Lei. All rights reserved.
I’m a designer who loves to talk through ideas and visuals. I believe the best way to understand my process is through conversation, so let me walk you through the full process and prototype.
LOOKING FOR THE COMPLETE PICTURE?
Expanding onboarding with more targeted questions allows the app’s AI to deliver more personalized goal suggestions and habit-building guidance.
Introducing social features—such as adding friends or viewing and comparing collections—can create friendly competition that collectively motivates users.
To strengthen engagement and better support users in reaching their financial goals, the app can evolve in 2 key ways:
LOOKING FOR THE COMPLETE PICTURE?
I’m a designer who loves to talk through ideas and visuals. I believe the best way to understand my process is through conversation, so let me walk you through the full process and prototype.
LOOKING FOR THE COMPLETE PICTURE?
I’m a designer who loves to talk through ideas and visuals. I believe the best way to understand my process is through conversation, so let me walk you through the full process and prototype.
findings & impact
My room is cluttered with enough POPMARTS, so this app would help me in both ways. The cutest finance app that’s not yet on the market.
Introducing social features—such as adding friends or viewing and comparing collections—can create friendly competition that collectively motivates users.
Expanding onboarding with more targeted questions allows the app’s AI to deliver more personalized goal suggestions and habit-building guidance.
To strengthen engagement and better support users in reaching their financial goals, the app can evolve in two key ways:
To strengthen engagement and better support users in reaching their financial goals, the app can evolve in two key ways:
Introducing social features—such as adding friends or viewing and comparing collections—can create friendly competition that collectively motivates users.
Expanding onboarding with more targeted questions allows the app’s AI to deliver more personalized goal suggestions and habit-building guidance.
My room is cluttered with enough POPMARTS, so this app would help me in both ways. The cutest finance app that’s not yet on the market.
A priority toggle option so users can differentiate between the saving goals that are more urgent.
Users were having trouble finding older goals once they had set a larger amount, as well as getting a clear view of their current account balances.
to combat this i added
first round of USER TESTING REVEALED
A feature to view the checking and saving balances of the linked account(s) immediately as users open the app.
Visual progress bars on each goal set, increasing user accessibility.
Visual progress bars on each goal set, increasing user accessibility.
A priority toggle option so users can differentiate between the saving goals that are more urgent.
Viewing the checking and saving balances of the linked account(s) immediately as users open the app.
first round of USER TESTING REVEALED
to combat this i added
Users were having trouble finding older goals once they had set a larger amount, as well as getting a clear view of their current account balances.
A priority toggle option so users can differentiate between the saving goals that are more urgent.
Viewing the checking and saving balances of the linked account(s) immediately as users open the app.
Visual progress bars on each goal set, increasing user accessibility.
first round of USER TESTING REVEALED
to combat this i added
Users were having trouble finding older goals once they had set a larger amount, as well as getting a clear view of their current account balances.
Budgeting habits, savings goals, and spending behaviors
collection page(s)
purchase tracker page(S)
purchase tracker page(S)
collection page(s)
collection page(s)
purchase tracker page(S)
user flow
Add a widget view that visualizes how far user is from their goal.
A virtual collection that keeps that element of excitement and anticipation.
Analysis page that organizes exactly what and how much user spends money on relative to the month.
Automatically organizes spending into categories and makes a visual chart.
A virtual collection that keeps that element of excitement and anticipation attainable after achieving a self-set savings goal.
Add a widget view that visualizes how far user is from their goal
Analysis page that organizes exactly what and how much user spends money on relative to the month.
user flow
Automatically organizes spending into categories and makes a visual chart
user flow
A virtual collection that keeps that element of excitement and anticipation attainable after achieving a self-set savings goal.
A central widget view that visualizes how far user is from their goal and subsequent "reward".
Analysis page that organizes exactly what and how much user spends money on relative to the month.
Automatically organizes spending into categories and makes a visual chart.
eXISTING buDGETING APP AUDIT & research
Who
How
College students aged 19–22
What
In-person questionnaires + competitive analysis of existing budgeting & hobby apps
College students aged 19–22
Budgeting habits, savings goals, and spending behaviors
eXISTING buDGETING APP AUDIT & research
In-person questionnaires + competitive analysis of existing budgeting & hobby apps
Budgeting habits, savings goals, and spending behaviors
College students aged 19–22
How
Who
What
eXISTING buDGETING APP AUDIT & research
Who
How
What
In-person questionnaires + competitive analysis of existing budgeting & hobby apps
Budgeting habits, savings goals, and spending behaviors
College students aged 19–22
Saving Money is Hard
Busy schedules make budgeting difficult to maintain, leaving many students caught between impulsive spending and long-term savings goals.
BUDGEE's Solution
A hybrid hobby-budgeting app that incentivize students and adults to reach their saving goals while keeping the thrill of novelty that comes with shopping.
Saving Money is Hard
Busy schedules make budgeting difficult to maintain, leaving many students caught between impulsive spending and long-term savings goals.
BUDGEE's Solution
A hybrid hobby-budgeting app that incentivize students and adults to reach their saving goals while keeping the thrill of novelty that comes with shopping.
Connecting savings to "shopping" increased engagement.
Consolidating banking and budgeting reduced friction.
One tester noted that tying savings goals to specific purchases gave them a similar anticipation of shopping, making the process feel more rewarding than traditional saving.
Combining account status, savings goals, and purchases in a single view eliminated the need to switch between financial apps, giving users a more cohesive view of their finances.
Consolidating banking and budgeting reduced friction.
Combining account status, savings goals, and purchases in a single view eliminated the need to switch between financial apps, giving users a more cohesive view of their finances.
One tester noted that tying savings goals to specific purchases gave them a similar anticipation of shopping, making the process feel more rewarding than traditional saving.
Connecting savings to "shopping" increased engagement.
Combining account status, savings goals, and purchases in a single view eliminated the need to switch between financial apps, giving users a more cohesive view of their finances.
Consolidating banking and budgeting reduced friction.
Connecting savings to "shopping" increased engagement.
One tester noted that tying savings goals to specific purchases gave them a similar anticipation of shopping, making the process feel more rewarding than traditional saving.
Busy schedules make budgeting difficult to maintain, leaving many students caught between impulsive spending and long-term savings goals.
Saving Money is Hard
BUDGEE's Solution
A hybrid hobby-budgeting app that incentivize students and adults to reach their saving goals while keeping the thrill of novelty that comes with shopping.
"My room is cluttered with enough POPMARTS, so this app would help me in both ways. The cutest finance app that’s not yet on the market."
USER PERSONA & PAIN POINTS
USER PERSONA & PAIN POINTS
findings & impact
findings & impact
USER PERSONA & PAIN POINTS
© 2026 Lisa Lei. All rights reserved.
© 2026 Lisa Lei. All rights reserved.
