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Case Study:
BillSplit App

Providing users with a smarter way to share expenses

BillSplit is a mobile app that takes the stress out of sharing expenses. From dinners with friends to family outings, my goal was to design a seamless, intuitive experience that made splitting costs quick, fair, and free of awkwardness. 

My role
  • UX/UI Design, Research, Wireframing, Interaction Design, Interface Design, Usability Testing
Client
  • BillSplit app
Challenge
  • To create a simple way for people to split expenses for shared meals

Overview

BillSplit is a mobile app designed to simplify the often awkward task of splitting shared expenses, whether its a dinner with friends or lunch with the family. The goal was to create a user-friendly experience that would make cost-splitting fast, fair, and frustration-free.

The Challenge

Splitting expenses isn’t always straightforward. Existing apps were often cluttered, confusing, or lacked the features people actually needed. Our users wanted:

  • A fast way to split and track expenses

  • Visual clarity on who owes which item

  • Payment tool integration eg, Venmo or PayPal

  • Minimal stress and no complicated math

The problem: How can we make expense splitting easy and less stressful for users?

Discovery & Research

I interviewed 6 users who regularly share expenses with friends or family. Their pain points included:

  • Confusion around uneven splits

  • Forgetting who paid last

  • Poor/clunky mobile experiences

  • A lack of visual clarity

Key Insights: 

  • People often hesitate to ask for money, and they want the app to “do the awkward work”

  • Simplicity wins over UI with overloaded features.

  • Users need to be able to trust the accuracy of the results

 

Goals

  • Make adding expenses happen at an instant and easily

  • Allow even, custom, and percentage based splits to put the user in control of all situations

  • Provide clear transaction history for each user

  • Simplify settling up with friends

  • Create a clean and friendly UI that is enjoyable to use

Wireframes & Early Concepts

Initial wireframes focused on:

  • Quick bill scan flow

  • Dashboard with visual amounts owed

  • Tap-to-settle functionality

Feedback from early tests suggested improvements like color-coding user contributions, using profile images and offering custom bill-splitting options for those who ordered only one or two items

Design System

I created a a minimalist UI with rounded cards and soft shadows. For this, I used a warm and vibrant color palette for fun, friendly look and feel. 

I used a clean, modern sans serif font for readability and icons that are recognizable.

User Testing & Feedback

Results

I ran two rounds of moderated usability testing with five users.

Successes

  • 90% completed split flow without confusion

  • Users found the app “fast” and “polite” in handling money matters

Iterations

  • Reduced number of taps in Add Expense flow

  • Made profile icons bigger for better recognition

  • Switched debt chain view to a clearer circular layout

Post-launch feedback indicated:

  • Increased User Satisfaction: Users found the app intuitive and helpful.

  • Reduced Conflicts: Clear records minimized misunderstandings.

  • Higher Engagement: Frequent use for various group activities.

Reflections

Through this study, I learned that this app and features arent just about logic, it’s connected to human emotion. People want tools that make hard conversations easier. Designing for empathy was at the heart of this project.

Next Steps

  • Implement group notifications

  • Explore recurring bill features

  • Beta test with a larger user group