Oink Bank

The course "Mashup! Vol. 2" was about applying the method of analyzing different apps and synthesizing selected content into a new, unique app. The project was created in a group work with Hyeonji Kim. We combined the categories of finance and gamification and focused on the app from the online bank N26 and the Tamagotchi game. The result is a prototype for the "Oink Bank" app. It's a game with a virtual pet, with the twist that the supposed in-game purchases actually go into your savings account. I find this method helpful for developing innovative ideas while taking inspiration from what is already tried and tested. I am a big fan of gamification, because a product should go beyond its pure functionality and offer an enjoyable experience. After all, people and their emotions should be the focus of design.

COURSE

Mashup! vol. 2

Paul Thiele

TIME

Summer Semester 2021

TEAM

Hyeonji Kim

Prototype Video

User Flow

Problem

Many people struggle to save money. People lack motivation, it’s exhausting and you need a lot of discipline. There are no direct rewards, such as the feeling of happiness after a purchase. Furthermore, it’s easy to lose track because there are lots of small, different apps for saving, some people keep a notebook of their finances and everything is kept in different places. In order to find a solution to this problem, we asked ourselves “How might we make money-saving fun and easy?”.

Design Process

Our app combines the N26 app with the Tamagotchi app or the categories finances and gamification. We were inspired by three apps: the Tamagotchi app, Duolingo and N26. The first two apps gave us a lot of inspiration for the various gamification methods and we chose N26 because it is a mobile bank that specializes in account management via smartphone and has so-called “Spaces”, which we also incorporated in a similar form at Oink Bank.

User Story

During the conceptualization, we came up with a user story to prevent logical errors and to test the app with a case study. The user story is also included in the prototype video.

Our user is Anne Bauer, a 25-year-old student with a part-time job. Even though she often wishes she had more money, she manages to make ends meet and has the option of putting some money aside at the end of the month. However, Anne struggles with staying motivated and often gives in to temptations to make unnecessary purchases. She desires assistance in achieving her savings goals. In her leisure time, Anne enjoys playing video games, including mobile games, which has been a passion since her childhood when she had a Tamagotchi. Anne is also an active user of social media, frequently posting pictures, thoughts, and sharing her gaming achievements with her friends.