Qoro

Simplifying and empowering financial lives over recurring expenses

Team & roles

Jesh Anies - UX Research & Design
Laura Trouiller - Mentor

Project Duration

May - July, 2025, 90 hours

Responsibilities

User Research, Wireframing, Prototyping, Usability Testing

Making management easier

Subscriptions make life convenient but also easy to lose track of. According to a 2025 NerdWallet article, subscriptions are often hard to cancel and easy to forget and it’s all done by design. A C+R Research study in 2022 found that 42% of consumers had forgotten they were still paying for a service they no longer used. These insights highlight how passive billing systems quietly erode users’ financial control.

Recognizing this, Qoro set out to help people regain awareness and control over their recurring expenses. New FTC “Click to Cancel” regulations announced in late 2024, required companies to make cancellation as simple as sign-up, giving Qoro an opportunity to align with these consumer-first standards while empowering users to make more informed financial decisions.

The problem

Qoro’s tools were limited to desktop users, leaving mobile users disconnected from managing recurring expenses. The goal was to translate Qoro’s services into a mobile experience that felt effortless, empowering users to stay in sync with what they pay for.

The solution

I reimagined Qoro’s interface for mobile, enabling users to review, track, and cancel subscriptions with ease. The result is a more accessible, intuitive platform that helps people stay compatible with their financial lives and make informed, confident decisions.

Discovery & Research

Secondary Research

Business Goals

To support the business goals of the project, a Product Manager from Qoro provided me with user stories that embodies their website:

  • As someone

    A current user

    I want to...

    See all of my subscriptions in one place

    so that...

    I can get a comprehensive view of my spending on subscriptions

  • As someone

    A returning user

    I want to...

    Unsubscribe from a subscription

    so that...

    I can reduce needless spending

  • As someone

    A consumer

    I want to...

    I want to be notified if any of my subscriptions are about to be auto-renewed

    so that...

    I can make a decision about if I want to renew the subscription and continue spending money

Noteworthy information 

Additionally, their Product Manager made a note for me to be mindful of as I drew up a solution:

  • The majority of their users are over the age of 30

  • Their user base is an equal split between men and women

  • While the product is currently used in the US, the company will be expanding to the German market (to significantly increase its user base)

Competitive Research

To design a mobile experience that truly empowers users to take control of their financial lives, I analyzed how existing apps approach subscription management. My goal was to uncover what helps or hinders financial confidence across leading tools.

Rocket Money

PocketGuard

Trim by OneMain

Bobby

    • Data visibility: Most apps emphasize dashboards or spending summaries that help users visualize where their money goes.

    • Automation: Some tools detect subscriptions automatically when users connect accounts, reducing manual tracking.

    • Free trial reminders: A few apps prevent accidental payments by notifying users before trial periods end.

    • Guided onboarding: Clear setup flows help users quickly understand how to make the most of the app.

    • Simple, inviting design: Minimal layouts and color cues make users feel more confident navigating their finances.

    • Paywalls: Many apps require paid subscriptions, contradicting their goal of financial empowerment.

    • Limited focus: Several tools blur into general budgeting, offering little depth in managing recurring expenses.

    • Poor visualization: Some apps lack meaningful data insights beyond income and expenses.

    • Restricted access: A few tools remain browser-only or lack mobile optimization, reducing convenience.

    • Design inconsistency: Overuse of color or gradients sometimes distracts from key financial information.

Action Items

Drawing from competitor analysis, I identified opportunities to strengthen Qoro’s role in empowering financial lives:

  • Lead with clarity: Use meaningful data visualization to help users understand and take control of their recurring expenses.

  • Promote accessibility: Offer essential subscription tools on mobile and reduce barriers like paywalls.

  • Simplify management: Allow users to easily track free trials, detect active subscriptions automatically, and manage them in one place.

  • Design with intention: Apply a thoughtful, trustworthy color palette that enhances usability and aligns with financial well-being.

Primary Research

Guiding Questions

After finding what I could on existing knowledge, I wanted to identify pain points for users who are struggling to manage their subscriptions. Some more questions arose as I tried to further understand users experience with subscription management:

  1. What types of recurring payments do users opt in to? (rent, bills, streaming, learning,food, etc.)

  2. What does the decision process look like for users deciding between payments that have an annual payment plan vs monthly payment?

  3. What causes users to opt out of subscriptions?

  4. What tools and apps are people using to manage their finances in general?

  5. What information is most important to users to see when managing their finances? (lists, calendars, analytics/statistics)

  6. What kinds of tactics make it difficult to opt out of subscriptions?

This serves as the basis for my user interviews moving forward.

User Interviews

I conducted six user interviews with those who struggled with managing their subscriptions. Based on the results I gathered from a screener survey, I chose participants that could be between 18-35 years old, use financial web and mobile services regularly, and have at least one recurring payment (monthly or yearly).

I organized my findings using an affinity diagram to find overarching themes under a thematic analysis:

I organized my affinity diagram even further in FigJam so that it's much easier to read and navigate the content. After synthesizing my data, I boiled down the insights to 4 key pain points:

  • When managing their subscriptions, participants found it difficult to manage when they don’t receive notifications. As one participant said, “They should notify you to be like, hey, this is the deadline for you to cancel your subscription.” In addition to subscriptions, this could be particularly useful for trials that are about to expire and even for price increases for subscriptions they’re opted in to.

  • The passive nature of automatic recurring payments allows users to have continued access to a product or service with little thought. In their experience with subscription management, participants have forgotten to cancel trails and subscriptions, resulting in unwanted charges.

  • Clarity is key and participants found that providers of their subscriptions weren’t communicating information clearly with their users. This can be a deceptive practice, making it difficult for users to cancel their subscriptions. One participant highlighted their experience when making an attempt to cancel their Amazon Prime subscription saying, "Their wording. So when you're trying to cancel, you end up somehow getting another year.” In other cases, participants found it frustrating when companies upgrade or increase the price of subscriptions without clear messaging or cadence.

  • Though subscriptions are easy to set up online, participants have found cancellation frustrating especially when it requires an in-person visit to do so. The most common example of this is when participants are attempting to cancel their gym or fitness membership. They usually require them to make a phone call and/or visit the institution to initiate the process of cancellation.

Persona

After analyzing patterns from user interviews, I created a persona that represents a typical user struggling to stay on top of their subscriptions. This persona helps frame design decisions around clarity, control, and financial confidence. Meet Jordan.

How Might We

Using insights from research, I developed a set of guiding “How Might We” questions. These questions focus the design process on creating solutions that empower users to manage subscriptions effectively and make informed financial choices.

  1. How might we help users track and manage all their subscriptions from a single, centralized hub?

  2. How might we ensure users receive timely, actionable reminders before renewals or trial expirations?

  3. How might we make subscription cancellation and modification clearer and more user-friendly?

  4. How might we identify underused or forgotten subscriptions to help users optimize their spending?

Concept Development

User Stories 

Inspired by my How Might We Questions as well as recommendations from participants that I spoke with from user interviews, I fleshed out user stories that would be included in the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). I focused on core scenarios that a user would experience when managing their subscriptions.

  • As…

    A new user

    I want to...

    Connect my bank account

    so that...

    I quickly manage and budget without having to manually input everything

  • As…

    A current user

    I want to...

    See all of my subscriptions in one place

    so that...

    I can get a comprehensive view of my spending on subscriptions

  • As…

    A returning user

    I want to...

    Unsubscribe from a subscription

    so that...

    I can reduce needless spending

  • As…

    A consumer

    I want to...

    Receive notifications

    so that...

    I can be alerted when any of my subscriptions are about to be auto-renewed, trails will expire or if subscription cost increases

  • As…

    A consumer

    I want to...

    Modify when I receive alerts and notifications for each subscription

    so that...

    Tailor how I receive alerts and notifications based on my preferences

  • As…

    A consumer

    I want to...

    Categorize subscriptions

    so that...

    I can organize subscriptions based on my preferences (bundle, type, renewal date, etc.)

  • As…

    A current user

    I want to...

    Access a calendar

    so that...

    I can view when subscriptions will renew / charge my account

  • As…

    A current user

    I want to...

    View my spending with charts and data visualization

    so that...

    I can visualize how much I am spending

  • As someone

    A current user

    I want to...

    View the frequency on how much I use each subscription

    so that...

    I optimize my subscription renewals based on usage

User Flow

I then designed user flows to help me visualize the various scenarios a user undergoes to accomplish each task from start to finish.

Sitemap

Putting together user flows helped me piece together how all of those scenarios could fit into a cohesive subscription management experience. By creating a sitemap, I was able to see the connection and hierarchy of each screen. This would lay the foundation for the user experience as it is used as the main navigation for the design.

Low Fidelity Solution & Test

Sketches

Once my ideas were organized into user stories, flows, and a sitemap, I sketched potential screens. While the sketches didn’t need to be polished, the goal was to visually communicate concepts and explore layout possibilities, ensuring the team could understand the flow and structure of the interface.

Wireframes

I translated the sketches into wireframes, which allowed me to add context with live copy, define spatial relationships, and establish type hierarchy. This stage helped visualize how users would navigate the interface, understand actions, and interact with core features. Building wireframes also laid the groundwork for foundational design elements like grid systems and consistent layout structures.

Usability Testing

With wireframes in place, I conducted usability testing with 5 participants to evaluate the app’s overall usability, identify friction points, and ensure users could navigate key features intuitively. Insights and feedback were carefully logged to inform improvements. Participants generally found the app “intuitive and straightforward,” successfully navigating tasks while highlighting minor areas for enhancement. Here’s how the low-fidelity prototype was updated based on user feedback…

Updates Based on Feedback

  • Move ‘Cancel subscription’ and ‘Delete subscription’ to the parent subscription profile page for quicker removal.

  • Add collapse/expand caret to categories in subscriptions to help manage long lists.

  • Highlight the current day on the calendar when viewing other days for better orientation.

  • Display exact dates for upcoming payments in addition to relative time for easier planning.

After applying these edits to the prototype, I had a solid foundation for making subscription management easier for users.

High Fidelity Solution & Test

Building the Brand

Prior to building out the high fidelity prototypes, I created an extensive brand and design system that would be applied to my concept. This would further flesh out my ideas so that the solution closely resembles an experience that exists in the real world.

Brand Platform

  • I chose to name the product, Qoro, because of its short and memorable form while evoking intelligence and flexibility.

  • Qoro seeks to simplify and empower financial lives by giving people control, clarity, and confidence over their recurring expenses. It strives to become the essential, intelligent platform that helps individuals effortlessly manage, optimize, and reduce financial clutter—starting with subscriptions, expanding to everyday money management.

    Rationale

    Subscription fatigue is real—users are increasingly overwhelmed by fragmented, auto-renewing services. Qoro exists to bring everything into focus and provide a sense of financial calm. Its broader vision positions it as more than just a cancel button—a future-ready companion for holistic financial awareness.

  • Qoro’s brand personality can be described as calmly intelligent, offering a sense of quiet expertise without overwhelming the user. It is discreetly helpful, designed to guide rather than dictate, and to provide support in a way that feels intuitive and nonintrusive. The tone and aesthetic remain modern and polished, reflecting a thoughtful attention to detail that appeals to a mature, design-conscious audience. At its core, Qoro is empathetic but never preachy, understanding that managing finances is personal and often emotional—offering reassurance instead of judgment. Finally, it maintains a presence that is confident without being flashy, projecting trust and capability through clarity and simplicity rather than loud branding.

    Rationale

    For a user base 30+, trust and clarity are essential. Qoro isn't loud or pushy—it’s a quiet expert in your pocket. Its tone is more Apple than TikTok, focused on control and ease. The app should feel like a nonjudgmental, competent assistant who knows how to make your money life simpler—without shouting about it.

    • Clear – Information is digestible and never overwhelming.

    • Reliable – Built on data accuracy and privacy-first principles.

    • Refined – Clean design and thoughtful interactions.

    • Empowering – Puts users in charge of their finances, without guilt.

    • Evolving – A living product that grows with user needs and tech advancements.

    Rationale

    Each attribute supports Qoro’s goal of calm financial control. Clarity and reliability are fundamental to building trust. Refinement keeps the experience modern and mature. Empowerment ensures the user feels ownership, not shame. And evolution reflects Qoro’s readiness to grow beyond subscriptions into richer financial tools.

Logo

The logo takes inspiration from digital-first, financial wellness brands to visually personify the feeling of intelligence and flexibility. Its use of a sans-serif font was intentionally used with a utilitarian approach in mind to give people control, clarity, and confidence over their recurring expenses. Using the ‘Q’ from the logotype, clear space should be considered when using the logo for clarity and hierarchy for users and audiences.

Color

The primary colors that anchor Qoro are violet and deep indigo. Together, these set the tone for a modern, intelligent, and premium subscription management product. Tints can be used to create depth without having to use a strong, saturated color.

The secondary colors include blue, lilac, ivory white and black that contrasts with the primary colors. The range in these colors allow for flexible use and should be primarily used for CTAs, text and background colors to establish clarity and create depth. Tints can be used to create depth without having to use a strong, saturated color.

Typography

Parabolica is a new geometric sans serif and clean variable font. It is based on application-specific utilitarian typefaces from the past. Type that was meant to look good anywhere: from CRT monitors in airports to glossy magazines and in this case, a subscription management app. Display and header type utilize a medium weight whereas body and all other small type styles utilize both regular and medium weight if needed.

Photography

Images should capture the ease of effortlessly managing, optimizing, and reducing financial clutter. Selections can include users, mainly professionals, having a positive experience while interacting with their mobile device. Photography should promote diversity, equity and inclusion to represent the varying demographics in our population.

Icons

Icons were included to provide another layer of visuals within the Kaya design system. They are used to provide clarity in situations where a concept can be boiled down to a scalable, universally understood image. Qoro uses Unicons as the icon set for the design system.

UI Elements

Once the direction of the brand was set, I designed a library of components that would frequently be used in the prototype. In Figma, these components were created so that adjustments to the master element would apply to all the matching elements within the prototype, streamlining the design process.

Hi-fidelity Prototype

With branding and a design system applied, Qoro evolved from wireframes into a high-fidelity prototype, allowing users to engage with realistic visuals, typography, and interactions.

Second Usability Testing

The high-fidelity prototype was tested with 5 participants to evaluate usability and identify friction points. Participants completed key tasks while thinking aloud, while I logged insights and feedback to guide improvements. Similar to previous user testing, participants found the app “intuitive and straightforward”, successfully completing tasks while highlighting areas for refinement. Here’s how the high-fidelity prototype was updated based on user feedback…

Updates Based on Feedback

  • Rename “delete subscription” to “remove from list” to clarify the difference between cancelling a subscription and removing it from the list.

  • Adjust overlay copy for subscription removal vs cancellation to reduce confusion when performing these actions.

  • Add detailed cost insights such as side-by-side cost-to-percentage comparison and percentage of spending relative to income, supporting data-driven decision-making for advanced users.

  • Enhance subscription detail pages to include trial options and examples (e.g., Peloton), improving clarity on trial periods.

  • Add potential savings/trial outcomes page accessible from the dashboard, responding to curiosity about subscription optimization.

  • Make alerts tab more prominent by adding a red indicator dot, helping users easily identify unread notifications.

  • Update copy for calendar alerts to include trials. The new text now says, “No bills due or trials expiring for today.”

  • Add year separators in the calendar month picker for better orientation when scrolling across months.

  • Include a screen for price increase details, addressing confusion when participants tapped notifications for services like Adobe Creative Cloud.

Other feedback to consider

While I was able to implement feedback from usability testing, there were a couple of valuable suggestions I didn’t get around to.

  • Include an ‘add more button’ in the linked accounts page. This would eliminate the need for the page after it as all participants expected to have the ability to add more subscriptions once your account has been linked. I refrained from making this page because the intent behind it was to only have the user make their selections from their synced account before they viewed their subscription list summary.

  • Apply iOS 26 styling. I experimented with Apple’s new glass effect to align with upcoming OS trends and future-proof the UI. While visually appealing, the effect introduced accessibility issues, particularly with contrast and legibility, so the design reverted to iOS 18 components for clarity and usability.

Closing Thoughts

Project Highlights

Simplified subscription control

Qoro provides a centralized, mobile-first solution that makes managing subscriptions easy and clear.

Iterative testing and refinement

Wireframe and high-fidelity usability testing ensured the app is intuitive, clear, and user-friendly.

Enhanced usability through visual design

Color, typography, and layout make subscription data easy to scan and understand.

What I learned

  • Companies using deceptive UI/UX practices is what creates difficulty for users to cancel their subscriptions seamlessly. If companies chose not to do so in the first place, then users wouldn’t need a solution like Qoro to track and manage their trials and subscriptions.

  • I worked under the restraint of completing this project under 90 hours. To manage my time efficiently, I put together a project plan to keep me accountable and establish a rationale for varying time input for each step along the journey.

  • While it’s assumed that testing is done with high fidelity prototypes only, I found it more beneficial to test while the project was in the wireframe stage. That way, participants could highlight things that I might've missed from sketching my ideas while providing feedback that would benefit the overall app from a foundational level.

View Qoro

Selected Works