Christian J. Leathers — Brand & Digital Designer + Creative Technologist

Brand & digital designer connecting visual systems, interactive experiences, and creative technology.

08 Projects · 2023–2026 · cjleathers.com

08 nodes · live archive

UniWallet App

A mobile-first digital wallet for CSUMB students, unifying student ID, payments, parking, and campus account management in one clear interface.

YEAR2023

ROLEProduct Designer

CATEGORYFLAGSHIP

STATUSConcept / Prototype

TOOLSAdobe XD · Adobe Illustrator

Adobe XDAdobe Illustrator

ABOUT

UniWallet is a student-centered digital wallet concept created for California State University, Monterey Bay. The app explores how payments, budgeting, fund deposits, reminders, and campus resource access could live inside one simple mobile experience.

PROBLEM

Campus apps are built for administrators, not the students who rely on them daily. Most campus portals scatter student services across disconnected apps, burying payments and daily financial actions in menus designed for administrators.

The goal was to surface what students actually need and make the common case effortless.

RESEARCH

Research combined student interviews with a student survey. The interviews surfaced needs and pain points around everyday campus services; the survey gauged how common they were.

Recurring themes: students wanted one place to see their campus balance and recent activity, had trouble finding their meal plan and parking pass, and often missed the parking pass feature entirely. These themes set the priorities for the wallet structure.

DESIGN PROCESS

ResearchStudent interviews and a student survey about everyday campus services.

StrategyEmpathy maps, core user journeys, and information architecture.

WireframesLo-fi structure across school sign-in, shop, printing, parking, and card flows.

Visual SystemDesign tokens, hierarchy, and student-friendly interface patterns.

PrototypeClickable prototype of the core flows, tested with classmates.

Final DesignHigh-fidelity mobile concept screens.

IA / WIREFRAMES

Early wireframes mapped the core wallet structure, including shop actions, parking, printing, cards, and account navigation.

VISUAL SYSTEM

A compact visual system built around trust, clarity, and a student-friendly mobile interface.

SELECTED SCREENS

Four core screens highlight the everyday student flows: checking funds, receiving alerts, managing parking, and reviewing transactions.

OUTCOME

UniWallet helped me explore how a campus-focused digital wallet could combine financial tools with student resource access in a single mobile experience. Through research, wireframes, and high-fidelity screens, I focused on simplifying navigation, clarifying key wallet actions, and designing features around real student needs.

NEXTIf continued, I would test the prototype with a wider group of students, refine the budgeting and deposit flows, and improve accessibility across the onboarding and transaction experience.

leathersmedia@gmail.com

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