Tracy Gaboyau


Work            About           Contact


ASCENT


UX Research, UX/UI Design 
August  2024 - December 2024


For my master’s thesis at NYU, I conducted research and developed low-fidelity prototypes for Ascent, a financial literacy app designed to address the racial wealth gap in the United States through gamified learning. (think Duolingo for personal finance)

The project explored how interactive simulations could serve as a low-stress entry way to financial education, allowing users to practice real-life financial decisions in a safe, consequence-free environment. Through research and iterative prototyping, I explored how design can make complicated economic concepts more accessible and engaging for historically underserved communities.

Beyond the research itself, this project challenged me to take a product from concept to prototype — defining the problem, identifying user needs, and translating findings into a cohesive product experience using Figma, Twine, and Illustrator. 







About 75% of this project was research. I did research on the basics of financial literacy, on the origins of the racial wealth gap, on the use of gamification across learning applications, etc. All of this research is summarized above, as a concept map that was printed as a poster and presented as part of my thesis. 












Next, I built user personas to support the creation of a user-centered design. While my research was incredibly helpful in understanding the problem statement, I wanted to have a full picture of my target user’s needs, preferences, and behaviors so that I could build something that directly fell in line with their lifestyles. 







I made this user flow early on in the process (before doing soo much research) so though helpful in mapping what the app would consist of/how heavy it could be, I learned fairly quickly that a product with my level of functionality would require something much more thorough.  This is when I began to plug my first simulation into an app called Twine, an open-source tool for telling interactive, nonlinear stories. I used Twine to map out and build my first simulation. Then, I began to design the shell where users would interact with the simulation. 







These are the low-fidelity prototypes I finished the semester with. After designing these and having an idea of what my final output would be, I continued to prioritoze research until the end of the semester, since the algorithm would play a much bigger role than the aesthetics. Today, I still have plans to continue this work in my free time, partnering with subject-matter experts to combine their expertise in personal finance with my expertise in design.  










I enrolled in NYU’s Female Founder’s Fellowship the following spring after thesis with hopes of seeing this project through to development and release. I rebranded, built a pitch deck, and conducted dozens of customer interviews during this time. Unfortunately, as a result of post-grad life changes I burnt out fairly quickly and was not able to maintain this work as a side project on my own. But trust, this is not the last of Ascent/Centspace! 

Below is some design brainstorming I did for the logo as well as the final version of the simulation that I presented to professors at my thesis presentation. I’m dying to talk to people about this project. If this work interests you, email me!