With this design conjecture, I tried to keep in mind three differing perspectives surrounding subscriptions: one who believes ownership is no longer valued and “experiences are the new status symbols;” another who detests the fragmentation of content, and the last who feels “the major issue with these services is that they add up at the end of every month.” (“The Subscription Economy and the End of Ownership,” 2023; Walden, 2020; Westenberg, 2023).
By re-categorizing individual spending into subscriptions of themselves, we shift the focus to the experiences they provide. For example, I may spend $100 for the sake of my fitness hobby, but other than my gym membership, I don’t see the true value I’m putting into this experience. Allowing this membership to fall under a new subscription of “fitness,” we put the hands back into the consumer to have control over what they need out of a subscription. In doing so, this also addresses the concern of fragmented content, for it allows clarity among how these pieces come together. Recurring payments, specifically subscription services and how they are taken at a random time of the month, can be customized in a way that suits the individual. Meaning, I won’t be surprised to see a $30 dollar payment on a random Tuesday if I have it set up with my bank where they visually show me spending $1 every day.
I also set out to consider my scope of enabling all the ways people want to live and fostering communities through a potentially Reddit-like forum available in each category. I see this as a place to get information about niche questions you may not find elsewhere pertaining to your interest among those who share the same thoughts. With this being in a banking app, it brings into question the level of anonymity that would make consumers feel most safe to openly talk about where they put their money.
References
OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (Sept 2024 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
The Subscription Economy and the End of Ownership. Washington State University Carson College of Business. (2023). https://onlinemba.wsu.edu/blog/the-subscription-economy-and-the-end-of-ownership
Walden, J. (2020, February 10). Are Subscription Services Quietly Destroying Financial Wellness?. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/subscription-services-quietly-destroying-financial-wellness-/
Westenberg, J. (2023, October 15). The Subscription Economy Sucks. Medium. https://joanwestenberg.medium.com/the-subscription-economy-sucks-5324f402491a
