SPLIT

// Case Study | UX Design | UX Reserach | Personal Project

  • Role

    User Researcher
  • UI Design
  • Prototyping

Duration

  • Three Months

Tools

  • Figma
Tired of awkward bill management in shared living spaces? Meet Split, an app that automates expenses, banishes bill anxiety, and reduces awkward conversations.

As a solo UX designer, I led this project from ideation to user research, design, and iteration. Dive into my journey below to see how Split became the ultimate solution for hassle-free shared expense management.
// 001 - PROBLEM

NAVIGATING RENTERS' COST OF LIVING CRISIS

140%

Surge

In 2023, Australia saw a meteoric rise in tenants opting for share accommodation.

Australia’s leading share housing platform saw a membership rise of 140% between April and May.

Solving shared bill awkwardness

As the Australian rental landscape becomes increasingly saturated with shared living options, the challenge of budgeting for tenants has reached unprecedented levels, demanding an innovative solution.

INTRODUCING

SPLIT

Split is the ultimate expense manager designed for tenants in shared accommodations. Going beyond traditional payment systems, Split offers unparalleled transparency and automation, erasing the awkwardness of group bill management.


With Split, users experience a new realm of
shared financial harmony
where shared bills become a breeze, and bill anxiety fades away.
// 002 - HOW I GOT THERE

PERFECT BILL MANAGEMENT FOR EVERYONE

The foundation of my initial design strategy was to answer these key questions:
‍
  • How do share houses currently manage their shared expenses?
  • How can I accommodate for different households?
  • What constitutes the ideal bill cycle for seamless financial management
  • How can we minimize potential conflicts among roommates in matters of shared expenses
It was vital to understand how differences in households effected their financial management. I wanted to understand the different factors that could influence a tenant’s relationship with shared expenses.

PERFECT BILL MANAGEMENT FOR EVERYONE

I conducted user interviews with a range of different tenants to truly understand their situations. Eight interviews were conducted with questions grouped into the following sections:

MAPPING FINDINGS

Following the comprehensive user interviews, I meticulously mapped the findings onto a detailed user journey map. This strategic visualization illuminated insights at every stage of the bill payment process, shedding light on its impact on tenants.

For a comprehensive view of this research, explore the detailed findings by clicking the link below.
View Figjam

COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

In the subsequent research phase, I conducted a thorough competitor analysis, examining existing solutions that users currently employed for bill management and exploring comparable alternatives.

This step was crucial in identifying industry benchmarks and paving the way for innovative design solutions.
// 003 - INSIGHTS

In my quest to create a truly user-centric solution for modern renters, I conducted personalised user research to unravel the intricacies of bill management in shared living.

These insights, born from research and real-world experiences, laid the foundation for the project's initial version.

THREES' A CROWD

Tenants find managing communal household bills more challenging then personal bills

Bill detective

Multiple payment methods and bills in different roommates' names create difficulties in tracking, making bill management complex.
This durden often falls on one roommate.

SOLE-MANAGER STRESS

Designating one person as the bill manager, while organised, places a heavy burden on them, causing stress and responsibility for any overdue fees.

MONEY TALK IS AWKWARD

Uncomfortable conversations about money with roommates disrupt the payment cycle and intensify anxiety within the household.

SPLIT STRUGGLES

Splitting bills becomes a daunting task when not all users owe the same amount, adding complexity to managing individual contributions.

MONEY IS TIGHTER THEN EVER

Varied bill notification methods, including email, app, or none at all, foster constant anxiety and increase the risk of overdue fees in shared households.

Feature Mapping

These intriguing insights were then leveraged to create a comprehensive list of potential features and requirements for Split to answer the problems and pain points identified in prior research.
// 004 - KEY FEATURES

Flexible automation

Bill automation



Bill automation ensures users will never miss a bill in their overcrowded inbox ever again.

‍
Quickly navigate through the app or add a new manual bill.
Highlighted at the top of the home screen is the closest unpaid bill. This displays key bill insights at a glance to keep user informed on any upcoming bills.
Group account cards are used to display current balance of the group and to faccilitate any quick easy payments.

Any new payment will be added to the group bills and distributed evenly.
Say goodbye to overdue fees!
Effortlessly stay on top of your expenses as Split automatically detects and adds newly issued bills to your 'Upcoming Bills' section.
Enjoy seamless organization without the hassle!

FULL TRANSPARENCY

Easily track and view every roommate's payment status at a glance.
Stay in the loop with complete financial transparency for harmonious shared living.

Bill breakdown



Each bill will clearly highlight the current payment status for each roommate. This allows users to quickly identify who need to contribute outstanding funds.

Once a bill has had all nessesary contributions it will then become payable.

‍
Clearly see how much is still outstanding on a bill before payment.
Each group member will have their payment status displayed.

ALL IN ONE PAYMENT SOLUTION

Streamline payments effortlessly! With Split, all your bills are seamlessly integrated, letting you pay directly through the app.

No more juggling login details – just one-click convenience for a stress-free shared living experience!

Seamless intergration



Log in details split between different different roommates will be a thing of the past as all group accounts are intergrated directly into the app.

All bill payments will be payable directly through the app.
‍
Group account card is fully integrated to allow easy payments.
Pay all bills directly through the app.

Contribution adjustment

Customize bill payments to suit your unique household dynamics with Split.

Easily adjust each house member's contribution for a personalized and fair financial arrangement that fits your shared living situation perfectly.

FLEXIBILITY FOR ALL SITUATIONS



Log in details split between different different roommates will be a thing of the past as all group accounts are intergrated directly into the app.

All bill payments will be payable directly through the app.
‍
Contribution slider to quickly change contribution levels.
Automaticall re-calculates how much the other group members need to pay.
MADE WITH LOVE
OSCAR DUNSTAN
2024