LaChep is an iOS app specifically designed for learners living in the BPJS Ketenagakerjaan Kabil, who often find it difficult to keep track of their finances. With its simple categorization, recording, and monthly reporting features, as well as reminder notifications, this app helps them be more disciplined and have more control over their finances.
My role on the project: Programmer, Researcher
The Origin: Challenge Based Learning
LaChep holds a special place in my portfolio as the very first project I built at the Apple Developer Academy. Because the Academy emphasizes Challenge Based Learning (CBL) over traditional lectures, we weren’t just told to “build an app.” We had to find a real problem to solve.
Our team was given with a very broad Big Idea: Menghitung (Calculating).
From there, we brainstormed real-world applications of calculating and arrived at our Essential Question: “Bagaimana cara agar kita tahu kemana saja uang kita keluar?” (How do we know where our money is going?).
This naturally led to our final Challenge: to build an income and expense tracking application that was dead-simple to use.
The Target Audience: Academy Learners
A great app needs a specific audience. As User Researcher, I looked at our immediate surroundings. Many learners at the Academy had relocated from across Indonesia to live in the Rusunawa BPJS Ketenagakerjaan Kabil (the local dormitories).
For many, it was their first time living away from home and managing their own monthly stipends and daily living expenses. We discovered that traditional finance apps were too complex, bloated with investment trackers and budgeting graphs they didn’t need. They just needed a fast way to log what they bought at the local food stalls.
The Solution: LaChep
We built LaChep, a straightforward iOS financial tracker tailored specifically for our peers in the dormitory.
Core Features:
- Frictionless Logging: A minimalist UI designed to input expenses in seconds.
- Simple Categorization: Custom categories tailored to dorm life (food, laundry, transport, etc.).
- Monthly Reports: Clean, easy-to-read summaries so users know exactly how much of their stipend is left.
Watch The Demo
Retrospective: Things I’m Proud Of
As my introduction to iOS development, LaChep was a massive success. I successfully developed a functional iOS app that provides a complete solution for daily financial tracking. By focusing entirely on a straightforward user experience and stripping away unnecessary features, LaChep effectively helped our target audience manage their finances. More importantly, it taught me the core philosophy of Apple’s ecosystem: technology is at its best when it is user-centric, highly focused, and solves a real human problem.
Check The Project On Github: