Society has experienced a major leap from manual analog tools to automatic and digital ones. This has been especially true since the COVID-19 pandemic has started pushing many users away from products that require close contact with strangers. The result of that has been increasing in contactless payment and more personalized learning tools such as AR and VR. Many users have experienced positive effects of these trends: securer and more flexible payment styles, quick and smooth shopping experience, and innovative and more efficient learning tools. However, there are some practices that have lost their place in this digital world: allowances. With children not knowing how to use a debit card and lacking a grasp of how numbers can equate to their spending habits, cash was the most convenient option to visually confirm how its physical value measures a product or service’s value. This conundrum is ironic as in this digitized world, teenagers are typically far more technologically literate than many adults.
This conjecture takes a mobile and visually intuitive approach to teaching children budgeting: Tamagotchi Piggy Bank. Tamagotchis have been around for decades attracting children and adults of different ages with their cutesy design and nurturing gameplay. With the traditional Tamagotchi, users will begin by hatching their character out of an egg (Tamago) which they can then customize their name and feed and take them places to play with them. This conjecture takes the same nurturing approach but with money rather than food and steps. The product will come with a traditional Tamagotchi with a contactless payment scanner on the back and a strap to secure. When users receive the product, the user or guardian can download an app to externally track payment summaries and set financial goals. Once a goal is set, it will be shown on the Tamagotchi screen and the pig will react differently according to how the user has met/not met their goal. This product works on any touchless payment pad and can connect through Apply and Google pay.
