INVSTR
INVSTR is a concept project for a design assessment to create a user interface of a homepage/dashboard for a trading platform aimed at first-time and everyday investors, not professional traders. These users are interested in investing in stocks, ETFs, and crypto but often feel overwhelmed by too much data or complex interfaces.
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UX/UI Designer
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72 hours
CLICK ON IMAGE FOR PROTOTYPE
Problem
First-time and everyday investors often feel overwhelmed when using trading platforms due to data-heavy layouts, complex terminology, and non-intuitive interfaces designed with professional traders in mind. These users seek to manage their investments in stocks, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies with confidence, but the lack of clarity and user-friendly guidance creates barriers to entry, increases cognitive load, and may lead to poor decision-making or disengagement.
SOLUTION
Design a trading dashboard tailored specifically for novice and casual investors that simplifies complex financial data into clear, digestible visuals and language. The interface will prioritise intuitive navigation, personalised insights, and minimal jargon, while still providing essential features like portfolio overview, market trends, asset performance, and basic trading actions. Through clear information hierarchy, contextual tooltips, and mobile-first design principles, the dashboard will empower users to make informed investment decisions with ease and confidence.
research OBJECTIVE
As a UX researcher, my goal is to understand how first-time and everyday investors use trading platforms—what they need, what confuses them, and what helps them feel confident. This research will guide the design of a simple, easy-to-use dashboard that supports their investing goals without overwhelming them.
meet our user persona: James west
Age: 29
Occupation: Marketing Coordinator
Location: Sydney, Australia
Income: $70,000/year
Tech Comfort: Moderate
Investment Experience: Beginner to intermediate
Behaviours
Checks his portfolio once a day during his commute
Follows finance influencers on YouTube and Instagram
Likes visual summaries more than spreadsheets
Goals
Build long-term wealth by investing in stocks, ETFs, and crypto
Easily understand how his investments are performing
Make informed decisions without getting overwhelmed
Invest consistently, even with a busy schedule
Device Use
Mobile (Primary) – iPhone
Frustrations
Overwhelmed by charts, jargon, and cluttered interfaces
Most apps feel tailored to pros and day traders
Hard to tell what information actually matters
Doesn’t always understand why his portfolio went up or down
Needs from the Dashboard
Clean, easy-to-read portfolio overview
Simple performance charts (not overcomplicated)
Clear categorisation of investments (Stocks, ETFs, Crypto)
Watchlist and educational tips to help him learn as he goes
Ability to act quickly (buy/sell/add funds) without digging through menus
key insights
Users want a clean, simple interface that doesn’t overwhelm.
Quick access to key actions like checking or trading is vital.
Visual summaries are preferred over technical jargon.
Light educational prompts help users feel empowered.
Trust is built through clarity and plain-language explanations.
Users value seeing both short-term and long-term performance.
Mobile-first design is essential for daily on-the-go access.
Convenience and speed outweigh advanced features.
our Design Process
Due to this being a design assessment, i did not have enough time to go through low-mid fidelity. i used different investing apps as inspiration to design a new beginner friendly platform.
Early Ideation- Low fidelity
sketches and drawings for the beginning of the app
Rough brainstorm of INVSTR app
Rough ideation of what the app would look like
Rough ideation of “learning resources” to ensure INVSTR is a beginner friendly app
Mid-Fidelity/inspiration
To keep the INVSTR app simple and user friendly, especially given the fact that it is aimed at beginners, these sorts of graphs are not going to be part of the final design
Final Prototype
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