Future Directions Based on our user research and iterative design, we’ve established what we feel is a solid foundation for future growth. However, leveraging the parent-child dyad as a means to enhance financial literacy is not limited to the tween and teen age groups. Future audiences and populations to which Agora Financial for Families could expand include the following.

An Expanding Audience Other Age Groups Learning is a lifelong process. Financial literacy education can begin as soon as a child is able to count, and lasts well into retirement.

An Expanding Audience Other Age Groups Multiple Generations Grandparent and child. Other relatives such as aunts and uncles. Parent and Grandparent. Now there’s another dyad that we did not even begin to explore - the adult child with an elder parent or parents.

An Expanding Audience Other Age Groups Multiple Generations Special Populations Special Populations - One of our user research families is taking care of a child with disabilities. This and other health care costs provide challenges that one may not be financially ready to face. Also consider those who are preparing for or are in retirement. People who want to start a family. People who need to rebuild credit. Each of these situations brings unique needs to the table. Needs that a website like Agora Financial for Families could address.

An Expanding Audience Other Age Groups Multiple Generations Special Populations Teachers Finally, teachers. Another one of our user research volunteers is a teacher. During our diary research, she mentioned that she is already planning on using some of our resources for her eighth grade students. Imagine what else a site like Agora Financial for Families could provide to support financial education in the schools.

Expanding Features More Ways to Learn More User Interaction Customizable Content Along with expanding our audience, there are ways in which the features of the site could expand. In our research we found that people who were unfamiliar to the site tended to stick to resources available on the front page, and only after they came back and became more familiar with the site did they begin to explore more features. It’s important, then, to capture and entice users on that first look. We’ve received requests from our volunteers to include other modes of learning, including video, blogs, and podcasts. Potential offereings could also include newsletters, online training, and online coverage of Agora Financial symposia. The Web is no longer static. User interaction with the site and with other users is standard with most major websites. Although we didn’t have the technology to support this in our pilot, a content rating system will put content that is of highest value on the front page. Commenting on articles could help spark dialogue not just within a parent/child dyad but among other parents and other children. A request we received during our usability testing was the ability to create a customized portal page, so that users don’t need to check multiple sites for financial information. Agora Financial for Families could be a one-stop destination for all needs related to finance and the economy. I’m now going to hand it back over to Ed for our conclusion.