Background
In the Sound in Industrial Design course, my team explored the common perception that "money doesn’t feel real on the phone." We investigated how integrating sound into products could create a more tangible connection with money
Inspiration
Our initial idea came from the sound of coins colliding inside a piggy bank. We aimed to enhance the experience of saving and managing money by incorporating sound and physical interaction, making it engaging and intuitive
Problem & User Analysis
Through research and user interviews, we identified young adults (18-30) as our target audience. They face multiple financial challenges, including budgeting, spending, and saving, with saving being the most pressing issue. Our goal was to design a more engaging and convenient way to encourage saving habits
Umeå, Sweden
Location
Jan, 2025
Time
Interaction Designer
Role
What if you could hear your money? Our project, Piggy Pay, is a collaboration between Interaction Design and Advanced Product Design, inspired by the sound of coins in a piggy bank. We explored how modern digital transactions often feel intangible—just numbers on a screen
By designing a playful, tactile, and sound-enhanced experience, we aim to make saving and spending more intuitive, engaging, and fun. Piggy Pay brings money to life through sound, movement, and interaction—helping young adults develop smarter financial habits in a delightful way
Ideation
We focused on two key aspects: product expression and sound design, centering our concept around two simple yet essential features
Saving
We wanted to design a practical, familiar product at home. Its tangible experience makes building financial habits easier
Paying
Using the phone people already carry, we create a seamless, accessible way to integrate financial habits into daily life
Result
The final outcome consists of two components: a digital application and a physical product
Piggypay (Application)
Facilitates payments and transfers money into Piggy, the physical savings product
Piggy (Physical Product)
Placed at home, it stores transferred funds, sets savings goals, tracks progress, and provides periodic reminders
Sound Exploration
For the auditory experience, we categorized sounds into pig, coin, and neutral types, each serving different interactions and functions
User Journey
Behind The Sences
Mary is 20, newly independent, and trying to save for a trip to Spain—only to feel stuck and bored with no progress
Piggy is meant to help this!
Each month when you get paid, Piggy notifies you with a ”Sniff Sniff Sound” !
Adjust your savings by dialing Piggy's nose
Piggy’s nose displays your monthly savings goal, which you set yourself. While Piggy suggests this amount to deposit
Double-press the power button to open “PiggyPay” and unlock with FaceID
PiggyPay can also be used in stores, but here, you won’t see your money drop
And you see your money fall into the Piggy
Concept Video
©️Chenxi Li 2025