From Audit to Awareness
Initial approach &
Unexpected insights
We surveyed and interviewed young adults to learn about their financial struggles, habits, and what they need from TD Bank. From managing money to improving financial literacy, their insights will help shape a better, more user-friendly experience.
Initial Project Goal
Audit the TD Bank app
Identify usability issues
Improve user experience
User Research 01: Surveys
We surveyed twenty TD Bank App users to learn about their pain points while using the app and to discover any design opportunities. However, we faced unexpected findings from the user research results.
Survey Insights
20 respondents • Age range 18-29
Q. Have you ever had trouble finding a service on the TD Bank App?
Most respondents did not report significant difficulty finding services within the TD Bank App.
Q. All the features listed above are familiar.
Options: e-Transfer / Paying bills / Sending money between my accounts / TD MySpend / Mobile deposit (Deposit cheque) / TD Clari (AI Chatbot) / My TD Rewards / TD Wallet / Apple Pay / Invest / Markets & Research
Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
5.9%
0%
1
2
3
4
5
Many respondents were unfamiliar with several existing features.
Q. Are you able to effectively manage your spending habits?
More than half of the respondents said that managing their spending habits is difficult.
Q. I have a good understanding of the concept of investment and how to approach it.
Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
5.9%
1
2
3
4
5
Most respondents lacked confidence in their understanding of investment.
Initially, our survey aimed to uncover usability issues within the TD Bank app.
However, responses revealed users generally found basic navigation manageable,
yet lacked awareness and understanding of more advanced financial services.
Recognizing this unexpected finding, we redefined the problem and shifted our project direction.
New Direction
Redefining the problem & Strategic shift
Our initial research revealed the real challenge wasn't usability; It was awareness and financial literacy. To address this, we strategically shifted our project to create lasting value.
01. Problem Uncovered
"I've never even noticed these features."
"I'm interested, but don't know where to start."
Lack of Awareness & Confidence
Users felt uncertain about financial concepts.
Advanced features were unknown or perceived irrelevant.
External resources (YouTube, peers) were not reliable enough.
02. Strategic Shift
Building a new family app targeting young adults
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•
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Youth-targeted educational banking app (TD for Youth)
Simplified and accessible financial information
Encouraging confident exploration of TD's advanced features
Simple and intuitive app navigation
Easy-to-follow financial education
Features directly responding to user needs
03. Business Impact
Long-Term Value for TD Bank
Foster trust and brand loyalty among young users
Facilitate a smooth transition into financial independence
Enhance engagement with TD's broader services
Following the new direction, we redesigned our in-depth interview questions
and initiated a more thorough phase of user research.
User Research 02: In-depth Interview
Understanding why users
avoid financial features
Following the new direction, we conducted in-depth interviews to better understand the root causes behind users’ unfamiliarity with financial services. These interviews helped us uncover the psychological and behavioural barriers that surveys alone could not fully explain.
In-depth Interview Insights
4 participants • Age range 18-29
Comfort with Limited Features
Participants reported no significant usability issues since they primarily use only a few familiar features.
Users became comfortable with the app due to repetitive use of basic tasks.
"I don't feel any inconvenience because I always use the same few functions, like checking balances and sending money."
Unfamiliarity with Financial Services
Participants were introduced to various financial services available in the TD Bank app but responded that they had never used most of them.
Users expressed surprise at their existence.
"Honestly, I've never even noticed these features before. They're completely unfamiliar to me."
Perceived Irrelevance of Services
When asked why they hadn't used these services, participants indicated uncertainty about what benefits the services offer.
Users generally assumed these features were not relevant to their current needs.
"I don’t really understand what these services offer, and I guess I've always assumed they're just not relevant to me."
Lack of Reliable Financial Guidance
Although interested in saving and investing, participants felt unsure about how to begin.
Users hesitated to trust online resources like YouTube, causing them to delay action.
"I'm interested in learning how to save and invest, but I have no idea where to start. I've looked at YouTube videos, but I find it hard to trust them, so I keep putting it off."
Personas
Who we're designing for
With our research focus shifted toward financial awareness and user confidence, we developed personas to represent real user needs. By mapping insights from both surveys and interviews, we captured key behaviours and challenges that shaped our design decisions.
Affinity Mapping
Building on the insights gathered from surveys and interviews, we organized recurring patterns into key themes using affinity mapping. This helped us identify actionable problem areas and design focused solutions aligned with what users truly needed.
While viewing account activities, I repeatedly clicked the transfer button at the top when attempting to make an e-transfer, misunderstanding its function.
I want to have several options for the design theme of the app such as colours, modern/cute, characters (collaborations?), etc.
Extra feature suggestions
Not having a real person to confirm my actions is frustrating, especially when large amounts of money are involved.
I would appreciate explanations of the services provided by TD Bank within the app. While some menus have question mark badges that provide explanations when clicked, not all services have this.
The respondents who said they were getting financial management advice or tips were relying on YouTube or their acquaintances.
Users rely on unreliable external sources for financial advice.
Nearly half of the survey respondents said making savings was difficult.
Saving money feels difficult and easy to forget.
I want to save money as a group, like with my friends.
It would be convenient to have a group account feature to collect money with friends, which could be used for joint expenses during gatherings.
Groups struggle to track and contribute to shared savings for trips or events.
Want different types of savings account.
Young adults struggle with money management due to a lack of financial knowledge.
75% of the survey respondents said they are not getting any financial management advice or tips.
More than 80% of the survey respondents said they were not familiar with the concept of investment.
35.3% of the survey respondents said there were so many unfamiliar financial services provided within the app.
It would be helpful to add a feature that will help teach young student how to save and invest properly.
70% of the survey respondents said they are having difficulties in managing their spending habits.
I need advise for student debt.
Affinity Map Legend
Identified Problems & Solutions
With the key challenges defined through affinity mapping, we translated each into a clear design response. These solutions bridge user pain points with actionable, experience-focused outcomes.
Problem 1
Saving money feels difficult and easy to forget.
Solution 1
Automated savings feature
Add an automated savings feature that sets aside small amounts based on the user’s balance. This way, users can grow their savings gradually without having to think about it.
Problem 2
Groups struggle to track and contribute to shared savings for trips or events.
Solution 2
Shared Savings Tool
Introduce a shared savings tool where users can set group goals, track each person’s contributions, and get real-time updates, keeping everything transparent and organized.
Problem 3
Young adults struggle with money management due to a lack of financial knowledge.
Solution 3
Accessible Financial Education
Provide easy-to-understand financial resources, from basic budgeting to advanced investing. Use engaging content on popular platforms with simple language to make learning accessible.
Problem 4
Users rely on unreliable external sources for financial advice.
Solution 4
Expert Financial Guidance
Let users connect with financial advisors who offer expert, tailored guidance. Show advisor profiles with their qualifications and experience, so users can choose the best fit for online or in-person consultations.
TD For Youth helps young adults tackle their biggest money challenges with smart savings tools, easy-to-understand financial education, and expert guidance. With features that simplify budgeting and goal-setting, it’s designed to help them build better financial habits, feel more confident, and reach their goals faster, together.
Prototype
Check out the interactive Figma prototype here
My budgets
The My Budgets feature addresses insights from user research indicating difficulties in managing spending habits. Users can set monthly spending goals and track their expenses in real-time. A category breakdown of spending is displayed at the bottom for further clarity.
Investment
The Investment section caters to young adults interested in investing by displaying daily, monthly, and yearly top gainers, along with a simplified view of the user’s current investments.
Identified problem 2: Difficulty pooling resources for shared goals
Friend groups often struggle to manage pooled funds and track individual contributions toward shared expenses, such as vacations or group activities.
Solution 2: Social finance features
To address this, the app introduces social finance features, allowing users to easily create groups, connect with friends, and manage shared expenses.
The My Friends feature enables users to add friends or sync their contacts to find connections, displaying them in a carousel format for quick access.
In Shared Accounts, selected friends can open a joint account to collectively save for group activities or trips. Users can contribute manually at set intervals or enable automatic transfers.
Contributors within the designated period are marked with an icon for transparency.
The balance dropdown menu provides a detailed history of deposits and expenses, ensuring everyone stays informed.
Identified problem 1: Difficulty of saving
Users struggle with accumulating savings, finding it challenging to set aside money regularly.
Solution 1: Piggy bank
The Piggy Bank feature automates small daily savings by collecting the remaining cents in the balance at user-specified intervals. This feature helps users save small amounts over time, building their savings without requiring active effort.
My accounts overview
Based on survey results indicating that checking "My Accounts" is the most frequently used feature, a carousel displaying accounts has been placed at the top for easy access.
Banners
Key services of TD For Youth are positioned at the bottom of the homepage for quick access.
Learn more about cryptocurrency
For young adults who are new to cryptocurrency investing or looking for more guidance, a button leads to the Education section for further learning.
Categories
Users can explore cryptocurrencies categorized by type for easier navigation.
Cryptocurrency investment
With growing interest in cryptocurrency among young adults, a dedicated section offers personalized insights similar to the stock investment experience.
Learn more about stock market
For users who are new to stocks or have uncertainties, a button directs them to an education tab where they can learn more about investing.
Stock market investment
This section is designed for young adults interested in investing. My Investment is placed at the top to provide a personalized space for users to explore their investments.
Lesson page
The detailed lesson page for the selected topic includes video materials tailored to young adults' preferences, key takeaways that provide a concise summary upfront, and an in-depth explanation of the topic.
Learning topics
Tapping on a card that matches the desired topic allows users to access TD Bank's lessons and build financial knowledge.
Identified problem 3: Lack of financial literacy
Many young adults have limited access to financial education, making it difficult for them to manage their finances confidently and transition into financial independence.
Solution 3: TD Finance 101
The Finance 101 feature offers a comprehensive learning experience, covering financial basics to advanced concepts. It provides accessible tutorials, using popular social platforms to ensure young adults gain essential financial knowledge.
Select your advisor
The Advisors page provides users with a selection of advisors who can offer direct assistance in specific financial areas where they need support. Users can apply filters to find the best fit or tap on an advisor to view more details.
Advisor detail
On the Advisor Detail page, users can see the advisor’s name, available languages, a brief introduction, qualifications, and relevant experience. If they wish to schedule a consultation, they can do so by pressing the Book an Appointment button.
