Savings Goals

Helping users build financial stability with simple savings goals—resulting in a 10% increase in monthly active users

— Company

Branch

— Timeline

4 months

— Tools Used

Figma
Google Forms

— Project Background

While working at Branch, I noticed a gap in our product: there was no integrated way for users to set aside money.

Partner research from Uber revealed that many drivers — especially 1099 and gig workers — wanted a way to save without friction. They needed flexibility to move money in and out freely, since savings often doubled as an emergency fund.

— The Goal

We designed a simple, user-friendly savings experience by offering a dedicated savings balance, penalty-free transfers, and customizable savings goals. The primary goal was to empower users to easily set aside funds, creating a more stable financial experience. The solution focused on simplicity and user-friendliness, with a separate savings balance, flexible transfers with no penalties, and the ability to set savings goals.

How might we help Branch users build financial stability with a savings feature that feels flexible, intuitive, and empowering?

My Role as the Product Designer

As the sole designer on this project, I led the end-to-end design process, with a strong focus on user needs and feature prioritization. My contributions included:

  • Partnered with Product, Engineering, and Uber’s research team

  • Defined the MVP based on user needs, technical feasibility, and speed to market

  • Designed the core flows, UI components, and visual patterns

  • Worked closely with engineering through delivery to ensure design intent

Mvp Features

  • 📤 Manual Transfers – Save at your own pace, no lock-in

  • 🏦 Dedicated Savings Balance – Funds feel “set aside” without being inaccessible

  • 🎯 Simple Goal Creation – Name your goal, set a target, and track with a progress bar

design approach

We focused on creating a clean, mobile-first experience:

  • Savings landing page showing balance and clear “Save Funds” action

  • Lightweight goal setup in 2–3 steps

  • Progress bar to visualize progress without feeling punitive

  • Seamless, no-fee transfers in and out of savings

challenges

Balancing simplicity with flexibility

Preventing negative balance issues

Working within wallet technical constraints

Tradeoffs

Delayed automation & multiple goals to focus on a fast, usable MVP


Added withdrawal rules to protect users without blocking valid use


Collaborated closely with backend to adapt flows to existing architecture

impact

In the first 4 weeks:

  • 40% of users who tapped “Save Funds” created a goal

  • 41% of those contributed funds

  • 49% set a specific target amount

  • +10% monthly active users

  • –8% withdrawals from the primary account

Reflection

This project reinforced the value of:

  • Designing for trust, clarity, and flexibility in financial tools

  • Partnering effectively across organizations (Branch + Uber)

  • Shipping an MVP with measurable impact while setting the stage for future enhancements

Future Enhancements

🪙 Multiple concurrent goals
💳 Round-up savings from card purchases
📊 Detailed analytics for contributions vs. withdrawals