Nestlums Rune

A physical pet companion product to help children grasp the concept of digital pocket money.

  • Design a product that can help prepare children for cashless society, educating them on money at an early age.

  • A character driven portable piggy bank that children can engage and play with while tracking their pocket money, all in a safe, digitally disconnected space before they ever have a real bank account.

  • I worked on this product closely with the Creative Director, helping on UX/UI design for the physical product itself, UI Animation as well as 3D Product visualisation and led on Packaging Design.

About Nestlums Rune

The Rune (portable piggy bank) is a product aimed at a market of pre debit card kids aged 4-8 who wish to learn the value of money without the fuss of owning and managing a real bank account.

The rune will have an emphasis on portability, wearability and fun - as well as being a tracker for pocket money and savings balances.

Problem Discovery

01

Young children recall information better when it is presented by a likeable media character in an app that uses socially contingent rewards and punishments. - Libertpub 2018

02

1 in 4 parents admit that their child had made an unauthorised purchase online. 1 in 3 parents are not sure if their child has the right level of financial literacy for their age.

Adult money habits set by 7 years old according to a study by Cambridge University.

03

The most common concerns for parents were about companies collecting information about what their child does online (57%). More than harmful or self harm content (54%) or their child being bullied online (54%). - GWI, 2021

Problem Statement

How can we design a product that can help young children (ages 4-8) grasp the concept of digital pocket money without having to create and/or connect to a real bank account?

Solution

Nestlums Rune, a physical device with a digital pocket money pet, designed to help children learn about money through engaging play and character driven interaction.

The Product

Nestlums Rune does not connect to any bank account or card, and no actual money is touched at all. The pet companion has been designed purely as a way to keep tabs on the pocket money you give to your child in real life, and to help them appreciate the value of it more deeply.

If they won’t listen to you, perhaps they’ll listen to the Nestlums!

Interaction Design

As a character driven product, Nestlums Rune UI is completely designed around Nestlum, who is the role of an interactive host within the devices digital experience.

Packaging Design & Visualisation

Nestlums Rune packaging is designed in a way that weaves storytelling into the boxing and unboxing experience.

With the Rune being a precious, magical stone that Nestlums use to travel into the real world, the packaging embraces the concept fully, giving the Rune a place to rest and charge.