Pauline Shay← Back to all work
Behavioral Finance · Mobile · Product Design

ANKrD

Pause before you buy.

ANKrD is a mobile experience designed to help people slow down in the moment they feel the urge to shop. Instead of telling them what they can or cannot buy, it creates space to pause, reflect, and make a choice that feels right for them. I shaped the product from zero to one, designing the experience and building the frontend with AI assistance.

RoleFounder · Product Designer · Builder
PlatformiOS · Android
StatusBuilt · Testing and launch preparation ahead
ToolsFigma · Claude Design · Claude Code · React Native · Expo
ScreensSample data, not real user results
ANKrD screenANKrD screenANKrD screen

01 · Overview

A different moment to support.

Many financial tools focus on what happened after a purchase. ANKrD explores a different moment: the few minutes between wanting something and deciding whether to buy it.

The product is designed around a simple idea:

Feel the urge. Pause. Reflect. Choose.

A successful moment does not have to mean walking away from a purchase. Someone might pause, think it through, and still decide to buy. The goal is to make the decision intentional rather than automatic.

02 · The opportunity

Shopping can become a response to stress, boredom, loneliness, or the excitement of finding something new. In those moments, a traditional budget screen may not be what someone wants to open.

I wanted to design an experience that meets people in the moment, without judgment and without requiring them to connect a bank account.

ANKrD focuses on a short interruption in the shopping journey, giving users a chance to check in with themselves before deciding what to do next.

03 · My role

As founder, product designer, and builder, I worked across the product from early definition through a working frontend.

My work included:

  1. 01Defining the product concept, core experience, and scope
  2. 02Designing the brand direction, user flows, and visual system in Figma
  3. 03Creating the onboarding, impulse check in, reflection, and progress experiences
  4. 04Designing Monana as a calm, supportive companion
  5. 05Shaping the app’s approach to privacy, tone, and user choice
  6. 06Working with Claude Design and Claude Code to translate the designs into an Expo app
  7. 07Reviewing the product and planning the work still needed before launch

04 · The core experience

A small pause with room to choose.

  1. 01. Check inThe user rates the strength of an urge and can select up to three triggers.
  2. 02. PauseThe app offers a moment to slow down, including a timer and calming activities.
  3. 03. ReflectThe user can spend time with Monana, write privately, or revisit a personal reason for changing their shopping habits.
  4. 04. ChooseThe user decides what to do next. Buying remains a valid choice. ANKrD is designed to support the decision, not control it.

05 · What I designed and built

01OnboardingAn introduction and short quiz that help users begin thinking about their relationship with shopping.
02Impulse check inA focused flow for rating an urge, identifying triggers, and receiving a response suited to the moment.
03MonanaA calm companion designed to help users pause and reflect without shame or pressure. The current version uses scripted responses. Live AI is planned for a future stage.
04Calm toolsBreathing, bubble pop, a quick session, and reflection provide different ways to step away from the urge.
05Journal and My WhyPrivate notes and a personal goal give users a place to reflect on their reasons for making a change.
06Insights and progressStreaks, stages, triggers, and spending patterns help users see their activity over time. Estimated money kept is based on information the user enters.
07ResetA supportive way to log a slip and set a new goal without treating the experience as a failure.
ANKrD screenANKrD screenANKrD screen

06 · Designing without shame

Support, not control.

One of the most important product decisions was how ANKrD should respond when a user is struggling.

I did not want the experience to punish someone for buying something or make them feel as though they had failed. The tone is calm and encouraging, and the product makes room for users to make their own decisions.

That principle shaped the language, the reset experience, and Monana’s personality. Monana is designed as a supportive companion, not a therapist or financial advisor.

07 · Design decisions

01Keep the moment simpleThe check in asks for only a small amount of information. The goal is to help someone pause in the moment, not send them through a long questionnaire.
02Protect user choiceBuying is still a valid outcome. The experience is designed around reflection and intentional choice, not a rule that every purchase must be avoided.
03Stay focused on the urgeANKrD is not a banking, investing, or traditional budgeting app. The first experience focuses on the moment before a purchase and does not require connecting a bank account.
04Be honest about unfinished featuresBlocking and several additional calm tools are labeled as coming soon. Their screens are visible, but the app does not imply that unfinished functionality already works.
05Make progress feel supportiveStreaks, stages, and resets give people ways to return to the experience without turning a difficult moment into a reason to quit.

08 · From design to a working app

I designed ANKrD in Figma, then used Claude Design to create a detailed design handoff covering 72 screens and states.

Using that handoff as a reference, I worked with Claude Code to build the frontend in React Native and Expo. The core areas are connected through data stored on the device.

The project also went through a code review covering areas such as data safety, urge tracking, timers, and interface behavior. Issues found during that review were addressed, but a complete product walkthrough and Android testing are still ahead.

09 · Current status

Built, with more work ahead.

ANKrD has not launched. The main app is built and runs in the iPhone simulator, but it has not been fully tested. Android testing and my complete walkthrough are still to come.

Before launch, the product also needs connected authentication and subscriptions, live AI for Monana, and additional work on planned features such as blocking and a real community.

A launch around January 2027 is being considered, but the timing has not been finalized.

10 · What this project shows

ANKrD shows how I approach a sensitive behavior problem through product strategy, thoughtful language, and interaction design.

The product is not built around telling people what they are doing wrong. It is built around creating a small moment of space so they can make a decision for themselves.

It also reflects how I move from an early idea through a complete visual system and a working app, while being clear about what is built, what still needs testing, and what is planned.