Rethinking Splitwise : Understanding the Needs of Both Designers and Users
- Peter Johnson
- Jan 4, 2024
- 4 min read
I have been a big fan of Splitwise for a number of years to divide costs with my buddies and manage money. That's what most of the people I know have said about the app up till recently.
Recently, Splitwise has been the subject of some negative press due to the changes the company has made requiring a pro subscription to access certain features. This has led to some conflicted emotions among the community of people who regard Splitwise highly.
Do the updates encouraging the use of the Pro subscription account for Splitwise contribute to the discontent of users?
It is undeniable that prior to the influx of grievances, Splitwise had some aspects which called for improvement.
I completed my graduate course assignment of redesigning Splitwise early in November 2023. I knew the app well, having used it more than a few times; and honestly, I had nothing to complain about it. That said, I decided to be critical and look for flaws between the lines, without letting my habit of finding faults and complaining cloud my judgement. Therefore, I began this task by analyzing my usage of the app and observing its functionality.
Splitwise, for those not familiar with it, is an app for tracking expenses split among multiple people, with various payment methods and currencies supported.
If I were to sum up the user experience of the app in three words they would be Easing, Structured, Responsible.
The design is straightforward and user-friendly, featuring clearly delineated shapes and boundaries for things like icons and background images. The text styling and colors vary depending on whether the balance is owed to you, by you, or has already been paid off.
After examining it with the aim of uncovering problems, I observed that the app places too much focus on text, giving insufficient attention to visual cues.
The purpose of this redesign endeavor was to try to make the app show more organization for users by tweaking certain areas and strengthening visual signals.
Here's a brief summary of what I accomplished with my Redesign..
Puzzled by the modifications? Let me elucidate.
A significant portion of the app is this page where the expenses are displayed in order of recentness. Unfortunately, for those who do not possess a Pro account, there is no way to filter or arrange the list, making it a difficult task to locate an expense.
In addition to including filter options, offering a calendar view will make it simpler to browse and locate expenses from a certain day.
The calendar view has to show the amount of transactions, whether money needs to be paid or received. I created several variations of this in the wireframe.
This page has, once more, a list view showcasing all activities connected to the user or activities within any group they are a member of.
Regardless of the content of the activities, the same design is used for all, which includes an icon and user display picture.
There are four activities, each represented by both a square and a round element. These elements signify different information for each type.
Type 1 actions include creating, editing or deleting a group. The feature which remains constant in the design is the Splitwise logo – depicted in an elongated rectangle. The circle denotes the person who completed this action.
A red cross or a grey version of the logo can be used to signify the organization.
When someone makes a remark on an expenditure recorded by the user, the rectangular element stands for the expenditure symbol, and the circular element symbolizes the user that carried out the action.
The expense sign could be ineffective; a small thought bubble presenting the user who acted might be more advantageous.
The expense icon is represented by a rectangle, and the picture of the user who initiated the action is displayed in a circle.
I endeavored to improve the design to more accurately illustrate the activity by introducing user images, arrows, colors, and plus or minus symbols.
The rectangular image representing the expense is coupled with the circular image of the person who paid out.
I endeavored to improve the design to more accurately signify the activity by adding user pics, arrows, colors, and plus or minus symbols.
The icons on the toolbar located at the bottom of each screen can be easily recognized, however they may not be particularly intuitive.
The icon for Friends is currently depicted as a plain user icon, whereas the icon for Activity is illustrated with a broken image icon.
I tested out two different versions of new icons, and the second one appears to fit in better with the overall design.
At present, the app's opening screen is always the last one that was viewed, instead of a special landing page. I think it would make the user experience more structured and organized if there was a homepage or landing page presenting overview data.
Switching hats to a user once more, I can reflect on the changes. Even though the revamp was done with the purpose of making it more soothing and well-structured, from a user’s point of view, I believe that I may have intricated the journey for existing customers. Simplicity is Splitwise’s secret ingredient. As much as I enjoy my makeover, there is now a newfound appreciation for the app’s fuss-free design.
Please inform me of your opinion regarding the remodeled edition and assist a developing UX-er!
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