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Afini: Financial Education Game App

Afini is an educational game app aimed at tackling the lack of financial literacy among university students. The app combines theoretical learning with gameful, interactive experiences, allowing users to build financial knowledge and apply it in a low-stakes, engaging environment that encourages practical understanding and confidence.

Timeline

January - April 2025

Role

UI/UX designer, Branding Designer

Tools

Figma

Problem Discovery

What problem am I trying to solve?

7 in 10 Canadians consider themselves to be financially illiterate, and 63% of Canadians were never taught financial management in school.

Article by CPA Canada

Problem Validation

Why is this problem important?

Without clear guidance, people are more likely to make poor financial choices– something banks profit from. In uncertain times, this lack of confidence leads to long-term instability.

Finding the Gap

What is the gap in the current system?

It isn’t the lack of resources to learn but rather the overwhelming abundance of information and the absence of clear starting points.

The Solution

The app and its components

The app should act as a starting point.

By asking a few simple questions upfront, I created personalised learning paths tailored to each user’s needs. This approach removed the pressure of a one-size-fits-all curriculum and gave users the freedom to learn at their own pace, without missing the basics.

01

Repair Scheduling

To integrate the repair service, I have designed a section with the features necessary to schedule the service. Users can book a pickup for their electronic items needing repair, select available time slots, and provide details about the device.

02

Progress Tracking

Real-time updates notify users at every step, from pickup to repair completion and return delivery.

03

Cost Estimates

Transparent pricing for repairs is displayed before booking, helping users make informed decisions.

04

Sustainability Insights

The app educates users on the environmental impact of repairing vs. discarding, fostering eco-friendly habits.

Gamification boosts engagement and retention by turning passive learning into active exploration.

Studies show that interactive elements like quizzes and simulations improve knowledge retention by up to 90% compared to passive reading.

Article by UWaterloo

Game Plays

Tinder swipe

The swipe interactions draw inspiration from dating apps like Tinder—something widely familiar and popular among university students.

Because the interaction model is already ingrained in other apps Genz used, it helped lower the cognitive load and made learning feel more playful and casual, rather than formal and rigid.

Scenario-based

The scenario based flow was designed as a low-stakes way for users to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios.

It provides a safe space for exploration, with quick feedback loops that mimic real-life situations, without the actual risk.

This kind of simulation-based approach is already a common tool in finance education, and through my interviews, I found that it remains one of the most effective ways to balance engagement with educational value.

Flashcards

For the flashcards, I created a familiar, low-pressure flow that minimised cognitive load while reinforcing key concepts, keeping the experience light, natural, and effective.

The app needed to feel interactive and playful while somehow also resembling traditional learning.

Quizzes

Retention was crucial, so I focused on balancing fun with effectiveness. Early feedback showed users didn’t want to feel tested, leading me to design subtle, infrequent assessments.

The goal was to encourage reflection and recall without triggering test anxiety.

During later testing, we discovered that many users preferred being gently nudged toward the right answer rather than having it revealed immediately.

To give the app more personality, I also designed a mascot: Afini, a credit card character that reflects the user’s emotions.

I also created a full style guide and component system for the app for consistency across the app.

Potential Impact

If the app is used by high school and university students,
here is what will happen:

Students begin to take ownership of their finances, building habits that promote long-term independence and stability.

With better awareness of where their money goes, they make smarter, more intentional spending decisions.

Learning outcomes

Notes to future self

UX copywriting and information architecture were central to creating the user-centered designs.

People don’t need more information– they need a clear and easy way to start. It’s better to organize and present existing content in a way that feels simple and useful.

When writing about difficult topics, keep it short and easy to understand. Use everyday language and examples to help keep topics relatable to the user and their needs.