UX RESEARCH | UX WRITING | CONTENT DESIGN
End Of Year Spending Report 2023
COMPANY
Kuda
ROLE
UX Writer
EXPERTISE
UX Writing
YEAR
2023
Project Background
As 2023 came to a close, Kuda set out to do more than just thank its users—we wanted to help them see at a glance where their money was going in order to make more informed financial decisions in the coming year. The Kuda End of Year (EOY) Report was designed to give each user a personalized snapshot of their financial activities, turning raw data into a meaningful reflection of their spending habits and savings over the past year.
My Roles & Responsibilities
As the Content Designer and UX Writer, my role was to be the voice behind that story, making sure every word resonated with our users. This involved:
Crafting clear, accessible content that made complex financial data easy to understand.
Making sure to empathize with users and keep them feeling in control and proud of their financial achievements, no matter how small.
Collaborating closely with the design and engineering teams to integrate content with visual elements to create an engaging user experience.
The Key Problem
How Do We Increase User Engagement and Strengthen Brand Loyalty?
Why we chose to address this problem:
Financial data can be intimidating and often overwhelming. The challenge became how to take that data and transform it into something that was not only accessible but also engaging and even joyful. We wanted to tell a story—each user’s story—through their financial activities over the year.
The Solution
To tell this story, we focused on the key aspects of a user's financial journey, presenting them in a clear, engaging way:
Spend Balance
Every story has a beginning and an end, and for our users, it was their starting and ending balances. We wanted them to reflect on how their year began and how they closed it out—whether they grew their savings or handled unforeseen expenses.
Deposits and Payments
Money moves in and out of our lives constantly, so we showed users the methods they used for deposits—whether through transfers, cards, or cash. We also highlighted the months they spent and received the most, to give a deeper understanding of their spending patterns throughout the year.
Transfers & Top Beneficiaries
We focused on relationships here. Every time a user sent money to someone, it reflected a connection—whether to family, friends, or service providers. Showing the top transfer beneficiaries gave users a tangible sense of their most frequent interactions, making financial transactions personal. By highlighting their top transfer beneficiaries, users were able to see their most frequent interactions.
Airtime, Bills, and Spending Categories
Daily life is woven into our expenses—whether it’s airtime for phone calls, TV subscriptions, or utilities. We tracked everything from electricity bills to betting, giving users full visibility into exactly where their money went.
Savings and Investments
For many users, this was the heart of their financial journey. We highlighted their savings progress month by month, showcasing key milestones like the month they saved the most or made the largest withdrawals. This allowed users to celebrate their wins while identifying areas for growth.
Shareable Call-To-Actions
Finally, we encouraged users to share their financial journey. Whether they were proud of their financial discipline or found humor in their spending habits, the CTAs made it easy to share on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and WhatsApp.
Result & Impact
The 2023 EOY report was a massive success. Users didn’t just view their report—they engaged with it, shared it, and talked about it on social media.
The Bandwagon effect led to growth in our user base
1,336 customers upgraded their accounts from T0 to T1 (47.85% of total growth).
1,456 new customers created Kuda accounts (52.15% of total growth).Engagement: 5,097 people clicked the link from the post shared on X (Twitter).
Shares: Over 30,000 users shared the report on X (Twitter), making it the most shared platform.
User Reactions
This was a project rooted in the idea of celebration—but as with all financial reviews, it also caused some reflection.
Positive Feedback: Many users loved seeing where their money went. For the first time, they had a clear, visual summary of their financial year. It wasn’t just about numbers—it was about knowing where they were in control and where they could do better. Some users even said that they felt more empowered to manage their finances going forward.
Negative Feedback: On the flip side, transparency wasn’t easy for everyone. Some users were frustrated to see how much they had spent without saving, while others were disappointed that despite high transaction volumes, Kuda hadn’t offered them overdraft facilities. This feedback gave us invaluable insights into what users valued and what they wanted more of.
Takeaways
This project taught me a lot about the power of content and storytelling in shaping user experiences:
Turning Data into Stories: Data, when framed correctly, can tell a personal and meaningful story. By focusing on each user’s individual financial habits, we created a report that resonated on a personal level.
User Feedback Matters: The positive and negative reactions were equally important. Positive feedback reinforced our direction, while negative feedback opened up conversations about improving the Kuda experience.
Increased Engagement: The personalised nature of the report drove higher user engagement, reinforced brand loyalty, and encouraged users to share their financial journeys.
Improving Financial Literacy: The simplified presentation of financial data helped users better understand their spending habits, which is a step towards promoting financial literacy.
What We’ll Do Better
The feedback on savings and overdrafts provided valuable insights for future iterations, showing the importance of balancing financial celebrations with constructive financial education.
The Bandwagon effect led to growth in our user base
1,336 customers upgraded their accounts from T0 to T1 (47.85% of total growth).
1,456 new customers created Kuda accounts (52.15% of total growth).Engagement: 5,097 people clicked the link from the post shared on X (Twitter).
Shares: Over 30,000 users shared the report on X (Twitter), making it the most shared platform.
User Reactions
This was a project rooted in the idea of celebration—but as with all financial reviews, it also caused some reflection.
Positive Feedback: Many users loved seeing where their money went. For the first time, they had a clear, visual summary of their financial year. It wasn’t just about numbers—it was about knowing where they were in control and where they could do better. Some users even said that they felt more empowered to manage their finances going forward.
Negative Feedback: On the flip side, transparency wasn’t easy for everyone. Some users were frustrated to see how much they had spent without saving, while others were disappointed that despite high transaction volumes, Kuda hadn’t offered them overdraft facilities. This feedback gave us invaluable insights into what users valued and what they wanted more of.
Takeaways
This project taught me a lot about the power of content and storytelling in shaping user experiences:
Turning Data into Stories: Data, when framed correctly, can tell a personal and meaningful story. By focusing on each user’s individual financial habits, we created a report that resonated on a personal level.
User Feedback Matters: The positive and negative reactions were equally important. Positive feedback reinforced our direction, while negative feedback opened up conversations about improving the Kuda experience.
Increased Engagement: The personalised nature of the report drove higher user engagement, reinforced brand loyalty, and encouraged users to share their financial journeys.
Improving Financial Literacy: The simplified presentation of financial data helped users better understand their spending habits, which is a step towards promoting financial literacy.
What We’ll Do Better
The feedback on savings and overdrafts provided valuable insights for future iterations, showing the importance of balancing financial celebrations with constructive financial education.