The Challenge

Write copy for an app that teaches children about financial literacy.

The Context

I was brought onto the project towards the end of the process, where I was asked to review the copy for 25 screens across 3 journeys as soon as possible. As there was no user experience research to refer back to, I had to make copy recommendations based on my own assumptions and to find creative ways around validating the readability of my copy to a young user (who may be just 6 or 7 years old).

The solution

  • Use simpler words that kids can understand easily without having to turn to an adult for help
  • Create a stronger association between the financial literacy tutorials and earning points
  • Keep it as short and straightforward as possible for the young user
  • Avoid banking jargon which kids are unlikely to come across outside of the app
  • Put it in first-person perspective so it’s easier for the child to imagine banking in relation to themselves
  • Give them positive encouragement so they stay motivated to keep learning through the app

The outcome

Since there were no kids in the office that I could test the copy with, I ran all the copy through a Flesch-Kincaid readability tool instead. The copy scored 99.9% for reading ease, and had a grade level of 0.8 which meant that a child who’s just about to enter first grade should have no problem understanding the copy.

I later received very positive feedback (via my manager) from the team who submitted the request:

Just wanted to let you know that Winnie is AMAZING and super helpful on the [project] prototype build. It was an urgent request and we only managed to brief her on the concept at the very last minute, but she reshuffled some of her priorities and sent us her work within the day! Not just completing the task but very thoughtfully choosing the right wording for young children.

I know Winnie has helped on other projects and has given us great ideas on how to improve digital engagement.”

Extra

In case you’re wondering how long it took me to complete this request – it was 6 hours.