Junie app

About the Client

The client will be kept confidential, as the product has not yet been launched and is being evaluated by the innovation and development team. What can be shared is that it is a client in the financial sector and is interested in expanding its product portfolio for Generation Z and Alpha.

Project Objective

Design project for exploring new capitalization concepts focused on younger generations.

What Was Done
Phase 1 – External Contextual Analysis: Desk research, benchmarking and trend research
Phase 2 – User perspective Exploration (qualitative research - in depth interviews)
Phase 3 – Ideation and prototyping
Phase 4 – Product Concept Validation with user and final results

Phase 1 - External Contextual Analysis

Desk research is a research method that involves gathering, analyzing, and interpreting information that is already available, with the aim of answering a question or supporting the development of a project. It is based on secondary sources, that is, data and content that have already been published.

For this research, we used online sources such as academic reports, institutional and market data, reliable media publications, internal client information, and digital content available on the internet.

We began the investigation by seeking to better understand the client's products and their particularities. We also analyzed the company's context within its ecosystem, the relationship between brands and products, as well as possible barriers and significant impacts for the development of the final solution.

In the second stage, we researched actions already taken by the client and the market as a whole, with the aim of finding similar initiatives or those that could inspire the creation of the new solution, especially in the realm of capitalization titles.

Finally, we deepened the study on generations Z and Alpha, focusing on understanding their characteristics, behaviors, habits, language, and identity. The intention was to ensure that the solution is aligned with the expectations and needs of this audience.

Benchmarking is a strategic practice used to compare a company's processes, products, or services with those of other market leaders. The goal is to understand what is working well in other organizations, adapt these best practices to one's own reality, and thus improve efficiency, quality, and competitiveness.

In our project, we combined two types of benchmarking:

Competitive benchmarking, looking at the strengths of direct and indirect competitors;
Functional benchmarking, analyzing features and functionalities of similar solutions, even from other sectors.

We noticed that our client's direct competitors did not present relevant differentiators that could be directly applied to our solution. Therefore, we expanded the scope of analysis to the financial market in general, including digital banks, betting platforms, financial organization apps, and other services that stand out in user experience, usability, and gamification.

This approach allowed us to explore innovative ideas and find inspirations outside the obvious for the development of the final proposal.

Among the references in the financial sector, we highlight:

Family financial organization: Noh app
Digital banks: Nubank, C6 Yellow, NG.Cash, and Next Joy (Bradesco)
Investments and financial education: B3

We also sought inspiration in areas related to our project goal, such as:

The world of games
Betting platforms, with a highlight on the Wanna app
Relationship apps, like Tinder
And e-commerce platforms, like Shopee, with its use of gamification in the user experience

Trends

To deepen the analysis and provide more context to the behaviors observed in the interviews, we cross-referenced the collected insights with the Sociocultural Trends Report for 2023, developed by the University of Lisbon.

The goal was to verify whether the behavior patterns identified in the interviews were aligned with the emerging mindsets highlighted in the report. By associating the insights with the trends, we found new ways to interpret the data and identify opportunities for innovation in products and services.

Some trends showed greater affinity with the project's insights, indicating more relevant opportunities that were well aligned with the studied context.

Phase 2 - User perspective exploration

Interviews

In the project, we used a qualitative approach to conduct the interviews, following common practices in design processes. This type of method allows us to better understand user behavior, exploring both positive and negative experiences in greater depth.

The qualitative methodology is ideal for this type of project because it helps to quickly identify the main themes that deserve investigation. Through the interviews, we were able to better understand the participants' life context, grasp what motivates or influences them in their daily lives, and, from the repeated statements, identify important points of attention for analysis.

Sample

We conducted 8 interviews based on a previously defined profile: parents or guardians of children and adolescents aged 8 to 17, belonging to classes B, C, D, and E, located in the Southeast and Northeast regions.

Guide/Script

The interview script was constructed based on hypotheses derived from desk research data, benchmarking, and conversations with stakeholders. The questions aimed to understand themes such as:

Family connection
Financial education
Self-confidence in managing money
Interest in financial products
Relationship with financial institutions
Knowledge about capitalization

*The recruitment of the sample was the client's responsibility, and the application of the interviews was the responsibility of our design team, and all were conducted remotely.

Analysis and research results

The interviews generated notes on various aspects, such as:

the profile of the caregiver and the child/adolescent,
the family's relationship with money,
the role of technology in daily life,
the channels and content most consumed,
and how each family understands and deals with financial education and organization.

After the collection, all notes, statements, and insights were organized into clusters (thematic groupings). This organization facilitates the reading and understanding of the identified categories, being an essential step to begin the in-depth analysis of the data.

From this, the insights were reallocated and combined to compose the project's delivery materials.

700 post-its

06 hypotheses - 2 confirmed and 4 partially confirmed

06 insight cards

3 profiles

Based on the interviews, we identified different profiles of guardians and children/adolescents, which differed in aspects such as consumption behavior, dreams for the future, relationship with money, among others.

Based on these patterns, we created representations of these profiles, with the aim of gathering common behavioral characteristics and facilitating both data analysis and the construction of the final solution.

About the Profiles

The profile of the caregivers shows a clear shift compared to the previous generation (baby boomers), with different behaviors and concrete evidence of this transformation. We also identified the main concerns regarding education and the future of their children, bringing important reflections on these challenges.

In the interviews, striking characteristics of Generation Z and Alpha emerged. We analyzed their routines, aspirations, and consumption habits, helping to better understand their behaviors and expectations.

Another important point was the role of grandparents, who appear as central figures in family life. They go beyond daily support and have a significant influence on the transmission of values and the education of their grandchildren, becoming key players in this process.

The insight cards were built from major themes identified throughout the project, which stood out due to their certain repetition during the analysis.

The insight cards were organized based on an illustrative figure, an explanatory text, various phrases collected in the field to support the understanding of the theme and exemplify how it was approached by the different interviewees.

General themes of the insight cards:

01 - Money

02 - Junior's account

03 - Capitalization

04 - Educating about money

05 - Technology is no longer the villain

06 - Social media and content consumption

Phase 3 - Ideation and prototyping

After the integrated analysis of all materials, we moved on to the ideation phase, focusing on generating ideas for the final solution.

We organized a collaborative workshop with no creative restrictions, aimed at exploring new opportunities tailored to the capital raising business environment. The prioritized ideas were aligned with the profiles identified in the immersion phase, ensuring that the proposals reflected their needs and expectations.

Ideas emerged through the active participation of the client's team, in a structural dynamic that encouraged creativity and allowed for the free exchange of proposals without barriers.

In the second phase, the design team organized these ideas into main themes, which the client later prioritized to guide the next stages of the project.
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The ideas generated during the ideation workshop were organized by affinity, resulting in the Idea Cards.

In addition to the suggestions prioritized by the client's team, the project team identified other strategic ideas — based on insights from the immersion phase — deemed essential for building the final solution.

The Idea Cards were organized by main themes (macro themes), with a specific card highlighting the prioritized ideas at the end of the workshop.

Summary of results:

180 ideas generated
10 classification macro themes
13 prioritized ideas

Phase 4 - Product concept validation with user and final results

Products and flows

This stage aimed to bring to life a new value proposition centered on financial education — a differentiator compared to current offerings. To achieve this, we considered two main profiles:

The New Responsible, the main buyer and decision-maker
The Junior, the main user of the solution

Based on the prioritized ideas during the workshop and insights from research and interviews, we developed two products, along with their usage flows. Both were designed based on adaptations to the current parameters of capitalization, incorporating new features and functionalities aimed at enhancing the experience and engagement of the young audience.

We developed two products for the Junior audience, with distinct natures:

An individual product focused on financial autonomy
A collective product that encourages group engagement (a market differentiator)

Both share the same entry channel (sales), but offer different experiences throughout the flow, considering the interactions between the New Responsible, the Junior, and a third character: the Ally.

Value Proposition

The value proposition was built on two pillars:

Financial education as a tool for transformation
Organization and discipline to save and achieve dreams

This proposal meets the needs of both the New Responsible, who seeks security and education for their children, and the Junior, who desires autonomy and recognition.

Prototype

To test the value proposition and the two product concepts, we created a prototype landing page. It was designed to:

Show how the solution meets the users' needs
Illustrate the experience within the service, highlighting the main differentiators

The prototype was evaluated through qualitative interviews, conducted in two stages:

First, an exploratory phase to better understand the user profiles
Then, a guided navigation of the prototype, encouraging reflection on the overall experience

The insights gathered were organized into three main categories:

Brand appeal
Product dynamics
Interface and usability

At the end of the project, a strategic future vision was developed for the client, based on all the insights generated.

Additionally, the key development principles for the new solution were outlined, ensuring alignment with user needs and business objectives.

Tools and softwares used: Figma, Miro, Google Meet.

Team: Ana Paula Torquato (Project Lead), Raffael Costa (UX Designer), Laíslla (Service Designer)