Background
"I know I should be saving for vacation, but I just had the worst day…maybe I'll stop at Target on my way home to look around*"
*spend money
We've all acted out a version of this scene at some point in our lives. And it was this familiar sentiment that fueled LOCT's founder to find a solution: a tool that encourages people with impulsive spending habits to cultivate discipline so they can save for financial goals. The key mechanism of this big idea? Goal-oriented Locks (savings buckets) that secure funds for a fixed period, with no access until "unlock" dates.
Starting point
To kick things off, I was given over 60 AI mockups generated by the founder, painting the picture of a very directional app concept the founder was eager to preserve & that, in addition to the core Lock feature, also centered around logging emotional spending triggers.
Initial observations:
A problem
Beyond the surface was something more concerning: the core "Lock" mechanism required users to deposit money they genuinely couldn't access until a set date or goal was met, with no soft overrides for emergencies. For a pre-funding MVP with no brand recognition, this presented a massive trust barrier that might give both users & investors pause.
To make this a viable pitch, I had to inject focus & clarity into the founder's sprawling vision to create a product users would actually trust their money with.
Prioritizing features
The founder cast a wide net of 20+ features for an MVP, so I created a feature prioritization matrix mapping the core user flow & corresponding features to give him perspective on what was actually vital for users & investors. We agreed to save several ideas (like Streaks & Micro Locks) for V2.
Bringing clarity to navigation
I simplified the information architecture by consolidating related content & clarifying vague terminology. I moved the standalone "Momentos" tab (user-generated video & audio recordings) into the newly renamed Clarity Tab, creating a dedicated space for emotional awareness alongside mood logs & insights. I also renamed "Data Dignity" to Card, making it immediately obvious where users would find their LOCT Card & transaction history. This simpler 4-tab structure helps users find what they need faster.
Making constraints feel respectful
The founder was firm on not allowing any kind of early withdrawal for Locks. While I understood the desire to not undermine the app's purpose, I was concerned this constraint could feel dangerous for users. I suggested a few alternatives that maintain friction & accountability while still giving users a sense of control.
No bite. He did, however, concede to allowing early withdrawal after users provide documentation proving they need the funds for emergencies. Not perfect, but better.
Bringing LOCT To Life
Find clarity through Moods
I had previously designed a Mood Check-in flow that felt a bit hollow, so I used Figma Make to ideate on more dynamic layouts by feeding it a concise PRD of the feature.
Figma Make brainstorm
Home: where discipline starts
Outcomes
Deliverables
Complete high-fidelity designs in dark & light mode
Interactive prototype across all core flows
UI kit prepared for handoff
The path forward
Real users need to interact with these flows to reveal what's working & what isn't. Along with interviews to refine who this product actually serves, comprehensive research should happen to tackle the elephant in the room: convincing people to trust an app that won't let them access their own money.
"You took my crazy ideas & turned them into something I feel great about showing to investors"
Founder
What I learned
Design as translation, not perfection
This project was less about shipping dev-ready assets or validating assumptions through research, & more about bringing an idea to life quickly enough to test in front of investors. My value was in making sense of the founder's blue sky ideas & turning them into something viable, to present a product that feels trustworthy & necessary.
Balancing advocacy & vision
There's a fine line between advocating for the best possible user experience & honoring the founder's vision, especially when that vision includes controversial constraints like the no-early-withdrawal rule. I pushed back where it mattered, explained the risks, & offered alternatives. But ultimately I had to learn when to shift from convincing to problem-solving so we could stay on track.
And…AI still needs a human hand
Working with the provided AI-generated mockups showed me that the power of AI strongly depends on who wields it. Without design expertise to guide it, AI outputs can feel cluttered & directionless. My job was to impose logic on those mockups, transforming them into something intentional. It's a good reminder that our best asset as designers is our human judgment, the ability to see what's missing & know how to fix it.