SCHOOLED
A mobile game to stop finanicial illiteracy.
SCHOOLED is a mobile game that teaches 15-25-year-olds about personal finance through the guise of running a university. By leveraging gamification principles, such as clearly defined goals and productive failure, SCHOOLED helps players grasp the complexities of personal finance and feel confident applying those skills in real-world situations.
The concept, ideation, and design of SCHOOLED were all part of my senior thesis project that aimed to address the problem of financial illiteracy. By playing SCHOOLED, players get to spend their time not only having fun but also learning important life skills. A small amount of time playing SCHOOLED can mean less financial headaches in the future.
WHY FINANCIAL LITERACY?
Because It’s Not Just A “Me” But A “We” Problem.
Only 8% of millennials have a high level of financial competency and only 25% have demonstrated basic financial knowledge. That leaves over half of the millennial population struggling to understand how their financial decisions affect them long term.
RESEARCH
Primary and secondary research was conducted to gain a better understanding as to what Gen Z and Millennial’s main financial concerns were and how concerned they were about finances at large. These findings helped inform what content would be important in the overall solution and to get a good understanding of where gaps of knowledge lay.
WHY A GAME?
A Safe Space To Fail
Games provide a way to simulate real life, but in an environment that is safe to take risks and potentially fail. With a topic as sensitive as money, a barrier for most 15-25-year-olds is having enough money to experiment with or feeling like they aren’t throwing money away by not just keeping it in a savings account. Feedback in a game is also clear, distinct, and immediate versus in the real world where it takes months or years to know if your financial strategy is working. Clearly defined goals and reduced complexity are other reasons why a game is a good way to learn about finances.
PERSONAS
After conducting my primary and secondary research, I used that information to craft two personas to design for.
How To Play
Players must track their spending, apply for loans, and build infrastructure, all while trying to attract and retain students in order to build a financially successful university.
