Splitwise: keep shared expenses clear and reduce the final transfers
Splitwise helps friends, roommates and families record shared expenses and see how much each person still owes or should receive. Groups can keep the expense details while simplifying the final payment relationships.
Form your own approach first, then explore the reasoning to check trade-offs and validation you may have missed. There is no single right answer.
01
DESIGN QUESTION
Explain a simplified payment relationship
Imagine you are responsible for a trip expense-sharing page. Originally Anna should pay Bob $20, and Bob should pay Charlie $20. After simplification, the page only says “Anna pays Charlie $20.” Anna hesitates because she never directly owed Charlie money.
- Task: Design an explanation beside this payment suggestion. The available information is limited to the before-and-after relationships above and the total balances: Anna owes $20, Bob nets $0, and Charlie should receive $20. You may change the wording and relationship diagram, but not the calculation or payment entry point.
- Deliverable and check: Produce one sketch of this area. Ask a reader to explain where the money goes, why Bob no longer needs to transfer anything, and whether Anna's total outlay has increased. Record where they found each answer.
Explore the reasoning
- Separate the original two payment links from the single simplified link, then identify the amounts that stay the same for all three people.
- Choose a presentation that makes both direction and identity clear. Avoid showing only totals or unlabeled arrows.
- Use the three questions to test the explanation. If a reader can repeat the new suggestion but cannot explain why it works, adjust the information order.