Product Strategy • UX Design • AI Integration
The Alchemist
Reimagining Financial Wellbeing for People with ADHD
Introduction
As the founder of The Alchemist, I guided the design and development of a specialized financial wellbeing platform that addresses the unique challenges faced by individuals with ADHD. This case study highlights our journey from concept to pilot launch, focusing on both product strategy and UX/design decisions.
Results & Impact
Though still in early stages, our platform has shown promising initial results:
User Testing Validation
Successfully validated core features through user testing.
Expert Team Engagement
Secured commitment from both psychological and financial experts
Content Development
Established content process and began adding articles for review.
Technical Foundation
Built Google Gemini 2.0 Flash integration for frictionless expense tracking.
Roadmap Clarity
Developed clear progression from onboarding through advanced AI features.
The Challenge
People with ADHD face significant challenges managing their finances that neurotypical financial tools fail to address:
Financial Stress
72% of individuals with ADHD report financial stress significantly impacting their mental wellbeing.
"ADHD Tax"
Affects individuals who have money but forget bill payments or subscription cancellations.
Impulsive Spending
Common among those with ADHD and can lead to financial instability and anxiety.
Traditional Tools
One of the struggles found in people with ADHD regarding tools feeling overwhelming, complicated, or boring.
Hyper-fixation Spending
A huge challenge that doesn't get discussed as much in ADHD groups that can lead to thousands spent on short-lived interests.
Product Vision & Strategy
"Transform the relationship between people and money by empowering individuals to confront and redefine their financial mindsets"
My approach focused on:
Targeting ADHD impulsive spenders (18-45 years old) as our initial user segment
Creating a platform that integrates psychological principles with practical financial tools
Developing an MVP for pilot testing with 50 target users
Building a cross-functional team of ADHD and financial experts
UX Design & Development Process
Research-Driven Design
Consulted with ADHD experts to understand common misconceptions about impulse spending.
Analyzed social media behaviours of target users on Reddit, Twitter, and Discord.
Design Principles
Design
Principles
Simplicity-First
Clean, distraction-free interface to reduce overwhelm.
Innovate, Innovate, Innovate
Always be asking yourself: "Is there a better way to do it?"
ADHD-Friendly Navigation
Intuitive flows that don't require sustained attention.
Key UX Innovations
Google Gemini 2.0 Flash Integration
Implemented a chatbot interface allowing users to quickly record expenses, bills, and income sources without friction.
Reduced Financial Overwhelm
Focused on a solution that looked at finances week by week to avoid overwhelming Users with the state of their finances.
Tailored ADHD Learning
Used ADHD friendly design patterns to make the lessons easy to learn and engage with by using quizzes, videos, tools and articles.
Guided Reflections
Designed prompts that explore emotional relationships with money to increase self-awareness.
Simplified Tracking
We introduced four simple categories to keep track of all finances. This makes it easier for ADHD Users to continue tracking with ease.
Voice Agent Development
Designed and began implementing voice interaction capabilities to further reduce friction.
Technical Implementation
Developed React Native components for core functionality
Established content management system using Contentful
Integrated AI capabilities for personalized recommendations
Completed wireframes and applied design system to final designs
Team Building & Leadership
I assembled a dream team to bring The Alchemist to life:
Dr. Shelley Taylor
ADHD Psychotherapist who joined mid-October to ensure therapeutic soundness.
Corby Simpson
Financial coach and self-made millionaire who joined in late October to provide financial expertise.
Challenges & Solutions
Pilot Program Recruitment
Challenge
Social media recruitment struggled to gain traction (only 2 signups initially)
Solution
Pivoted to targeting therapy practices and financial institutions for referrals, and connected with a social media manager for improved outreach.
Managing Perfectionism
Challenge
Detail focus impacted ability to meet self-imposed timelines
Solution
Implemented time-boxing and a feedback approach requiring consensus of 8/10 before moving forward.
Feature Prioritization
Challenge
Balancing immediate user needs versus future capabilities.
Solution
Created a phased product roadmap starting with core modules before advancing to AI enhancements.
Adjusting to meet the ADHD needs
Challenge
Early design choices tested poorly with the ADHD community causing a need to go back to the drawing board.
Solution
Introduced new innovative solutions such as artificial intelligence to capture expenses and rebuilding the content library to be bite size pieces of content.
Lessons Learned
Targeted Outreach
Direct relationships with healthcare providers yield better results than broad social media campaigns for specialized products.
User Segmentation
Taking time to identify specific user segments within the ADHD community allowed for more focused features and marketing.
Balancing Speed and Quality
Implementing structured feedback processes helped manage perfectionism while maintaining quality.
Interested in Learning More?
I'd be happy to discuss this project in more detail or talk about how I can help with your product challenges.