Turning Travel Habits into Investment Opportunities
Bridging travel spending with long-term financial growth
Executive Summary:
In collaboration with NH Investment & Securities, I led the end-to-end design of Friday—a travel-focused financial service aimed at turning millennial travelers into long-term investors. From research and strategy to product design, brand identity, and promotional materials, the project positioned Friday as a one-stop platform that simplifies travel budgeting, currency exchange, and post-trip investment—making financial planning more intuitive and engaging for a new generation.
Primary Role
System designer
Time Frame
2019
Company Size
1,118 branches
Project Model
Fintech app
Tools
Adobe Suite, Trello, Teams, Fusion 360, Solidworks
My story with FRIDAY
Friday is designed as a convenient, one-stop solution for travelers, with the long-term goal of converting them into loyal customers of NH Investment & Securities. The platform supports users throughout their entire travel journey — from pre-trip budgeting to post-travel insights — easing the stress of managing travel funds. By connecting users’ travel experiences with global brands and investment opportunities, Friday introduces a natural and engaging way for millennials to become more interested in investing.
Challenge
NH Investment & Securities approached us with a broad goal: to encourage more people to start investing with them. We were given the freedom to define our own target audience and design direction, as long as our decisions were backed by research.
We found that millennials spend significant time planning their travel budgets and exchanging currency, prefer experiences over saving, and are generally cautious about investing. However, their travel experiences often expose them to global brands and companies, presenting a unique opportunity to spark interest in investment through personal, real-world connections.
Through our research, we identified millennials as a key group — particularly those who travel frequently.
Solution
Friday is designed as a convenient, one-stop solution for travelers, with the long-term goal of converting them into loyal customers of NH Investment & Securities.
The platform supports users throughout their entire travel journey — from pre-trip budgeting to post-travel insights — easing the stress of managing travel funds. By connecting users’ travel experiences with global brands and investment opportunities, Friday introduces a natural and engaging way for millennials to become more interested in investing.
We found that millennials spend significant time planning their travel budgets and exchanging currency, prefer experiences over saving, and are generally cautious about investing. However, their travel experiences often expose them to global brands and companies, presenting a unique opportunity to spark interest in investment through personal, real-world connections.
Through our research, we identified millennials as a key group — particularly those who travel frequently.
Double diamond process
Understanding the millennials
At the start of our research, we were curious about how Korean Millennials perceive stock investment. Given that this generation prioritizes travel more than previous ones, we were also interested in understanding their tourism behavior and spending habits. Our initial research questions included:
- How do Korean Millennials view stock investment?
- What factors contribute most to an enjoyable travel experience for Millennials?
- How significant is money in shaping a pleasant trip?
Through secondary and primary research, we found that Korean Millennials are generally conservative about stock investments. For them, money is the most important factor in having an enjoyable travel experience, and the number of Millennial travelers continues to grow each year. During hypothesis validation, we found it interesting that they preferred saving money through favorable currency exchange rates rather than cutting travel expenses.
How Might We...
Based on our research and user studies, we identified three key challenges to focus on:
- Enhance the investment experience: How might we offer users a positive and engaging investment experience as part of their travel journey?
- Minimise currency exchange costs: How might we provide users with competitive exchange rates without increasing risk for NH Investment & Securities?
- Enable stress-free travel: How might we deliver a seamless, all-in-one travel service that simplifies the planning and booking process for users?
Further questions had to be validated with real users during the discovery phase.
- How do Korean Millennials view stock investment?
- What factors contribute most to an enjoyable travel experience for Millennials?
- How significant is money in shaping a pleasant trip?
The first diamond – Discover & scope
Design direction
“A financial currency exchange service tailored for travelling Millennials”
Aiming to design a system that maximises user savings, catering to Millennials who consider money the most important factor in their travel experience.
Friday system
Through iterative ideation and team discussions, we developed a systematic solution designed to benefit both users and NH Investment & Securities.
Investing Experience & Currency Exchange Savings
- Users open a travel savings account with Friday, making monthly deposits toward their trip goal.
- Before departure, Friday offers a competitive virtual exchange rate via NH Investment & Securities, often better than the real-time rate.
- While traveling, Friday tracks user spending and suggests relevant stock investments based on their purchase behaviour.
- Users can invest leftover currency or continue saving for their next trip—supporting long-term engagement with NH.
The second diamond – Develop & deliver
App prototype
FRIDAY was built to support every stage of the travel experience—before, during, and after the trip—based on insights from user research and business goals from NH Bank. Designed especially with millennials in mind, the app helps users save smarter, spend with confidence, and make meaningful use of leftover travel funds.
Each feature you see in the demo—from budgeting and currency exchange to post-trip investing—was carefully crafted to meet real user needs and make travel finance seamless from start to finish.
Plan Your Trip in Just a Few Taps
Easily set your travel budget and view estimated costs in both local and foreign currencies. Friday helps you lock in the best exchange rate through its smart travel account. From there, you’re guided to issue your travel card and receive a personalised Friday welcome kit—ready to go when you are.
Ran out of cash? No worries.
Even if users exchange currency before their trip, they might still run out while traveling. With Friday, they can top up and exchange currencies anytime, anywhere—right when they need it.
Turn Leftover Travel Money into Future Adventures
With Friday, users can invest their remaining foreign currency into companies they discovered during their trip—no minimum required. Through NH’s NAMUH app, they’re guided step-by-step to start investing and grow their funds for the next journey.
Friday explained in a video
User scenario video
Branding
Welcome travel kit
This Was Only a Glimpse 👀
I would love to share the full version with you. Connect with me on Linkedin, email me at sunny.ha.design@gmail.com, or send me a message below.