Financial concepts such as saving, investing, and trade are abstract — especially for children. A textbook-based approach risked low engagement and poor retention.
The key challenge was:
How do you make financial systems concrete, memorable, and motivating for young learners?
The client started with a document that structured the app as a progressive learning journey made up of 11 themed levels, each focused on a single financial concept.
Key design decisions included:
Designing three short games, simulations, or quizzes per level to reinforce learning through repetition and variation
Using a historical theme, allowing players to travel to different ancient settings
Introducing concepts through comic-style narrative sequences to reduce cognitive load
Using a guiding character (Mansa Musa) to contextualize wealth, trade, and decision-making in a relatable way
Creating meta-systems (such as savings and investments) that connected learning across levels
This ensured learning happened not only within games, but through the overall system.
The result was a mobile educational game that combined:
Narrative-driven onboarding
Short, focused learning games and simulations
Persistent systems that mirrored real-world financial behaviour
Each level delivered a complete learning loop while contributing to a broader understanding of money management.
The app delivered a complete, curriculum-aligned learning experience that transformed textbook material into interactive play. The structure allowed learners to progress at their own pace while repeatedly applying financial concepts in different contexts.
The design also gave the client a scalable framework, making it easier to expand or adapt the content in future.