Interaction - Bachelor

PocketTree

PocketTree is an emotional financial saving app that helps young users build mindful saving habits. By linking emotions to small financial actions, it transforms stressful money management into a calm, rewarding experience through an empathetic and nature-inspired design.

Haoxian(Eric) Tan

PROBLEM

Many young adults struggle to save money not because of financial complexity, but because of emotional resistance. Stress, guilt, and lack of motivation often make saving feel like a burden rather than a positive habit. Existing finance apps focus on data and goals, but fail to address how users feel in the process. PocketTree responds to this gap by reimagining saving as an emotionally supportive journey — one that connects small financial actions with mindfulness, reflection, and emotional growth.

APP Key features

Mood Check-In

PocketTree begins with emotion. Before saving, users take a short pause to reflect on their current mood. This check-in transforms emotional awareness into the first step of mindful saving. The interface responds with gentle visuals from the user’s chosen tree companion, setting a tone of empathy and self-understanding. By connecting emotions with daily actions, PocketTree helps users see that small savings can grow alongside emotional stability, turning introspection into empowerment.

Emotion-Based Savings

Saving in PocketTree isn’t about strict goals — it’s about emotional rhythm. Each mood triggers a unique saving action: feeling calm might suggest a steady contribution, while anxious moments invite grounding micro-saves. This adaptive system humanizes money management, encouraging consistency through compassion. By treating emotions as valid cues rather than obstacles, PocketTree redefines financial wellness as an act of self-care. Every emotional check-in becomes a tiny promise to both mental and financial wellbeing, blending mindfulness with tangible progress.

Tree Companions

At the heart of PocketTree are its Tree Companions — personalized emotional guides that grow with every saving action. Users can choose a tree that reflects their emotional needs: one that celebrates resilience, nurtures calm, or validates vulnerability. Each companion responds with subtle animations and affirmations, mirroring users’ emotional evolution. This design turns financial progress into a visual, nurturing journey. Rather than chasing abstract rewards, users build a connection with something living and symbolic — a reminder that growth, both emotional and financial, takes patience and care.

PocketPoints Rewards

PocketPoints replace traditional gamification with gentle emotional reinforcement. Instead of competing or earning badges, users receive PocketPoints as signs of emotional consistency — celebrating calm, persistence, and balance. These rewards appear through soft visuals and supportive messages from the tree companion, offering comfort rather than pressure. By rewarding emotional steadiness instead of performance, PocketTree shifts motivation inward. It invites users to see saving not as a challenge, but as a form of self-affirmation that quietly builds resilience and confidence over time.

Emotional Insights Dashboard

The Emotional Insights Dashboard visualizes how moods and savings connect over time. Users can track their emotional patterns, noticing how positivity often aligns with saving momentum. Instead of charts that pressure, PocketTree offers reflections that guide — soft color shifts, mood summaries, and growth patterns that tell a story of balance. This feature closes the emotional loop, turning self-awareness into data-driven kindness. It’s not about numbers alone, but about helping users understand their emotional and financial growth as one intertwined journey.

PROCEss Video

Haoxian(Eric) Tan

A passionate and creative Interaction Designer with a strong foundation in UI/UX design and front-end development. Eager to apply skills in creating user-centered, intuitive designs that enhance the user experience. Experienced in wireframing, prototyping, and collaborating with teams to deliver seamless digital products. Dedicated to continuous learning and growth, with a particular interest in front-end development and game UI design. Ready to contribute to innovative digital projects and grow as a professional.