Brand identity and an iOS launch for a food-budgeting app built by NYU students

Background

Leysi is a free iOS food-budgeting application designed for independent young adults, specifically college students learning to manage grocery and restaurant spending for the first time. The app was founded by NYU students and built around a focused premise: rather than overwhelming new earners with full financial portfolios, narrow the scope to food and build real money habits from there.

The startup came to Varfaj Partners for design support, and I was brought in as a freelance designer to lead two workstreams: brand identity and MVP product design.

My Role

I was responsible for the brand logo and color system, and for completing the iOS app screens needed to reach launch. A Varfaj designer had established early directional work on the user flows before I joined, so I extended the existing system while preserving the intent behind earlier decisions.

I worked within Apple's Human Interface Guidelines throughout to ensure the product felt native, polished, and consistent on iOS.

Leysi MVP screen flow — dashboard, analytics, bank linking, and Leysi Map

Logo Design

The brief was to connect food and budgeting without making either idea dominate. Finance-first marks felt cold, while food-first marks lost the product's practical purpose.

The concept uses a peeled orange with an inner slice shaped like a coin. The familiar food form makes the financial idea approachable without relying on jargon.

The mark began with only the peel and coin, then gained a fork, knife, and plate through founder feedback. The final logo balances food and finance and anchors the app's visual identity.

Final Mark

Product Design

Leysi's dashboard shows daily spending, budget progress, and a Spend Per Day metric so users can understand the impact of each choice. The app also includes weekly and monthly analytics, Plaid bank linking, and Leysi Map for restaurant discovery and recommendations.

I completed the MVP's remaining core screens and edge cases before development. Clear hierarchy, plain language, and a gamified tone made financial tracking approachable and rewarding.

Leysi launch composition across multiple iPhones

Outcome

Leysi launched on the App Store and was used within the NYU student community. The project has since wound down, but it was a tight, focused engagement — a good example of freelance design work that required both brand thinking and product execution within a short runway.