Introduction
Upside is a personal project for the investment platform I wish existed. I've always been curious about investing but found it intimidating to actually start, so I came up with this platform and animated this promo video, for people in exactly that spot.
Role: I worked on this project from concept to design, illustration and animation.
Problem
As a beginner I'm terrified of getting into investing. Way too complicated dashboards, the fear of losing money and the jargon that feels more like a scam rather than something actually usefull. So most people close the tab and tell themselves "I'll do this later." Upside is the universe telling you that it's going to be okay: start now with $5, learn by doing instead of researching, you'll thank us and yourself later.
Goal
The video had one job: turn "I'll do this someday" into "I can try this today." Not by giving grand promises but by lowering the stakes enough that starting feels obvious. If someone watches the video and thinks "I guess I have $5 lying around, let's give it a shot", it's a win.
Process
Moodboard: I looked at what real investment platforms look like. Dense dashboards, charts, numbers then designed in the opposite direction.
Basic shapes represent simplicity while scribbles and tangled forms represent the confusion beginners actually feel. The goal was to make Upside look playful without tipping into childish. Closer to a chill Wellness platform than your typical finance app.
Storyboard and pacing
The screen fills with chaotic shapes whenever the video touches the overwhelming side of investing. Clears into clean, simple compositions the moment Upside enters. It ends on a short glimpse of the real UI, just enough to spark curiosity. This is not a tutorial but rather an awareness video to get someone to make the first move and start investing, today.
