Stock investing can be scary. For many people, the world of stocks is a complex maze of jargon, numbers, and endless choices. This complexity often leads to what experts call "analysis paralysis." People get so overwhelmed that they either don't start investing at all or they make bad decisions based on bad advice. The D-ARC Design team saw this problem and decided to tackle it head-on. This is the story of Finstock, an AI-powered platform designed to make investing simple and smart for everyone. Learn how D-ARC’s Prototyper Express service helped bring this concept to life in just two weeks.

The Problem with Modern Investing

The rise of online trading platforms has made it easier than ever to buy and sell stocks. However, this accessibility hasn't solved the core problems that new investors face. In fact, for many, it has made things worse. The D-ARC team's research uncovered some surprising and concerning statistics. They found that more than 70% of retail investors quit within their first year, often because they lose money or find the process too complicated. A staggering 60% of these investors make decisions based on tips from friends or online forums, not on data or research.

The main roadblocks they identified were:

• Lack of Financial Literacy: Most people don't have a deep understanding of how the stock market works. 

  
  

• Fear of Volatility: The thought of losing money due to market swings is a major deterrent. 

  
  

• Overwhelming Choices: With thousands of stocks available, beginners don't know where to start. 

  
  

• Limited Time: Busy professionals and new parents simply don't have hours to spend on research. 

Current investment platforms often make these problems worse. They overwhelm users with a flood of information and provide very little guidance. The D-ARC team's competitive analysis of platforms like Zerodha, Groww, and Smallcase showed that while they offer powerful tools, their complex onboarding processes and lack of clear explanations for AI-based suggestions create a barrier for new users. There was a clear need for a platform that was guided, low-friction, and built for real people, not just financial experts. 

The Finstock Solution: Guided, AI-Powered Investing

The D-ARC team set out to create a solution that would eliminate decision fatigue and information overload. The result was Finstock, an AI-powered investment platform that simplifies stock investing by providing a guided and intuitive experience. The platform's core is built around three design principles:

• Clarity over Complexity: The goal was to guide users step-by-step using simplified language. 

  
  

• Personalization through AI: The platform uses a risk-based onboarding process to recommend stock baskets tailored to each user's profile. 

  
  

• Control with Constraints: Users can customize their investments by removing stocks from a basket, but they can't add random stocks, which prevents poor decisions.

Finstock's solution includes five key experiences:

• Quick Onboarding: The process starts with a simple 3-4 question quiz to assess a user's risk tolerance. For example, one question asks how the user would react to a 20% drop in their portfolio value. 

  
  

• AI-Curated Baskets: Based on the user's risk profile, the platform recommends pre-picked baskets of 10-20 stocks. These baskets are categorized by strategy type, such as "Aggressive," "Balanced," and "Safe". 

  
  

• Customizable Control: While the baskets are pre-curated, users are given a level of control. They can remove stocks they don't like, but they are prevented from adding new, un-vetted stocks to protect them from bad decisions. 

  
  

• Smart Triggers: To help users manage their investments without constant monitoring, the platform allows for smart triggers. Users can set conditions to automatically sell a stock or receive an alert. An example of a smart trigger is setting a condition for an auto-sell if a stock's return crosses +15%. 

  
  

• Real-Time Dashboard: The platform provides a clear, easy-to-understand dashboard. It shows performance graphs, tracks the return on investment (ROI), and offers stock-by-stock analysis.

Building a Prototype in Record Time

To bring Finstock to life, the D-ARC team didn't spend months or years on development. They used a combination of AI design tools like Figma AI and Lovable, rapid prototyping tools, and Vibe Coding to create a high-fidelity, clickable prototype. This rapid prototyping process allowed them to quickly research, ideate, design, and validate their solution. The project was an internal initiative to showcase their speed and efficiency.

The prototype was put to the test with 16 participants in early-stage usability testing. The results were outstanding:

• 94% of users completed the onboarding process without any issues. They found the risk quiz easy to understand and appreciated the clear path to their results. 

  
  

• 81% said the curated basket model reduced decision fatigue. The pre-picked stocks meant they didn't have to start from scratch.

  
  

• 88% understood the dashboard insights without needing any explanation. The real-time visualizations and performance summaries were intuitive and easy to grasp. 

  
  

• The overall user sentiment rating was 4.7/5. This rating was based on direct feedback about the platform's clarity, trustworthiness, and ease of use.

The success of the Finstock prototype proved that it's possible to create a powerful and intuitive financial tool in a short amount of time. It also demonstrated the power of using AI to streamline the design process, from initial product thinking to the final UX design and rapid prototyping.

Prototyper Express: Your Product, Faster

The Finstock case study is a perfect example of what can be accomplished in just two weeks with D-ARC's Prototyper Express service. This service is designed for companies that need to quickly test new ideas, validate market fit, and create a tangible, clickable prototype without a long and expensive development cycle. 

Prototyper Express combines the same AI-augmented design process and rapid prototyping techniques used for Finstock to turn your vision into a working prototype. This allows you to: 

• Reduce risk: Test your product's core concepts with real users before you invest in full development. 

  
  

• Accelerate time-to-market: Go from an idea to a validated prototype in just two weeks. 

  
  

• Get stakeholder buy-in: Present a realistic, interactive prototype that clearly communicates your vision. 

The Finstock project shows how D-ARC Design can take a complex problem and, using a highly efficient process, create a simple and effective solution. If you have an idea that needs to be brought to life quickly and efficiently,  
visit D-ARC Design to learn how Prototyper Express can help you build your product faster and smarter.

Research by: Sanket Panchal  
Linkedin profile: www.linkedin.com/in/sanket-panchal