The problem CashVille solves

TRACK: OPEN INNOVATION

PROBLEM SOLVED:

CashVille addresses the critical issue of financial illiteracy among young adults by providing an engaging and immersive learning experience. It offers a solution to the confusion and lack of knowledge surrounding budgeting, saving, investing, and understanding credit, commonly faced by this demographic.

WHAT CAN PEOPLE USE IT FOR:
Enhancing Financial Literacy: CashVille enables users to learn essential financial concepts such as budgeting, saving, investing, and understanding credit in a fun and interactive way.
Decision-Making Practice: Users can practice making financial decisions in real-life scenarios provided by CashVille, allowing them to develop and refine their decision-making skills.
Progress Tracking: CashVille offers a scoring system to track users' progress, providing feedback and guidance to help them improve their financial knowledge and skills over time.
Customized Learning Experience: With tailored scenarios based on the user's life stage, CashVille provides a personalized learning experience, ensuring relevance and engagement.
Accessibility: CashVille can be easily accessed by a wide audience, including those who may not engage with traditional educational methods, making financial literacy more accessible to all.

HOW IT MAKES EXISTING TASKS EASIER OR SAFER:
Engagement: By gamifying the learning process, CashVille makes financial education more engaging.
Learning Reinforcement: CashVille reinforces learning through feedback mechanisms and additional learning materials, ensuring that users retain and apply financial knowledge effectively.
Risk-Free Environment: CashVille provides a risk-free environment for users to practice financial decision-making, allowing them to learn from mistakes without real-world consequences.
Convenience: CashVille offers a convenient platform for users to learn about financial literacy at their own pace and in their own time.

Challenges we ran into

SPECIFIC CHALLENGES:
Learning Game Development: Initially, there was a steep learning curve in understanding the fundamentals of game development, including software tools, coding languages, and design principles.
Data Collection: Collecting relevant data and information to accurately represent real-life financial scenarios within the game proved to be a time-consuming task. Ensuring the authenticity and applicability of the content required extensive research and analysis.
Time Constraints: With the urgency to launch the game quickly to meet the hackathon deadline, there was limited time available for thorough development and testing phases.
Iterative Process: As the development progressed, refining and iterating on the game mechanics, scenarios, and user experience became essential. Balancing the need for rapid development with the requirement for quality assurance posed a significant challenge.

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES:
Continuous Learning: To address the lack of game development expertise, dedicated time was allocated to learning and mastering the necessary skills and techniques. Online resources, tutorials, and community forums were valuable sources of knowledge.
Collaboration: Leveraging the expertise of team members and seeking guidance from experienced professionals in the field helped in overcoming technical challenges and streamlining the development process.
Efficient Data Gathering: Implementing efficient data collection strategies, such as utilizing existing research findings, conducting surveys, and consulting financial experts, facilitated the acquisition of relevant content for the game.
Agile Approach: Adopting an agile development approach enabled the team to adapt to changing requirements and prioritize tasks effectively within the constrained timeline. Regular feedback loops and iteration cycles helped in refining the game iteratively.