Gillian Nieh | Billed

Redefining group dining

rundown

Redesigned the frustrating process of splitting a group bill

type

Self-initiated

UX research, UX design

Self-initiated

UX research, UX design

timeline

January 2024 - June 2024

tools

Figma

Adobe Ai

Figma

Adobe Ai

Figma, Adobe Ai

Image collage of dining experiences in Copenhagen and Chicago, with the tagline "phone eats first, always"

Group dining is fun… until the bill comes.

I'm a huge foodie. Dining with friends is one of my favorite things to do.

However, as a budget-conscious student, I've noticed that I become hesitant to say yes to a meal out – not because I don't want to go, but because splitting the bill can be frustrating, awkward, or simply unfair.

Am I the only one who feels like this?

To dig deeper into how people split bills when dining out, I created a survey and sent it to a vast network while also chatting with over 100 friends, friends of friends, and even restaurant staff.

Some interesting things I heard:

To dig deeper into how people split bills when dining out, I created a survey and sent it to a wide network while also chatting with (over 100!) friends, friends of friends, and even restaurant staff. Some interesting things that I heard:

87%

of survey respondents said that it was important to them to have a fair and transparent bill-splitting process.

It was also clear that people want efficiency to go with it.

of survey respondents said that it was important to them to have a fair and transparent bill splitting process.

It’s also clear that people want efficiency to go with it.

of survey respondents said that it was important to them to have a fair and transparent bill splitting process.

It’s clear that people want efficiency to go with it.

The current split-uation

After validating the issue, I set out to understand what works–and what doesn't–about how people split bills and pay for their food today. Three main benchmarks stood out:

What's the current approach?

After synthesizing the survey results and interviews, here’s what I found interesting from my research:

Most people prefer that one person pays the bill and then gets reimbursed via Venmo or PayPal.

People want tax and tip split based on what each person ordered, but it’s hard to calculate.

People avoid putting their cards down because they’re worried they won’t get paid back.

Current bill-splitting methods feel unfair, making otherwise fun moments feel awkward and tense.

These insights lead me to the question:

How might we offer flexible options to make bill splitting feel fair, effortless, and stress-free?

and some principles emerged from user needs →

and some principles emerged from user needs:

Exploring ways to make bill splitting easier

After ideation, I developed three main methods for splitting bills, which I then transformed into wireframes and, eventually, high-fidelity mockups to test.

Hover over each type below:

Even

Polite

Least fair

Itemized

Fair

Most tedious

Percentage

Fast

Somewhat vague

Exploring ways to make bill splitting easier

After ideation, I developed three main methods for splitting bills, which I then transformed into wireframes and, eventually, high-fidelity mockups to test.

Hover over each type below:

Even

Polite

Least fair

Itemized

Fair

Most tedious

Percentage

Fast

Somewhat vague

Exploring ways to make bill splitting easier

After ideation, I came up with three main ways that people could split bills, then transformed them into wireframes and eventually high-fidelity mockups to test with. Click on each type below:

Even

Polite

Least fair

Itemized

Fair

Most tedious

Percentage

Fast

Somewhat vague

Can we do better?

Everyone navigated toward the itemized split–even if they tried even or percentage first.

However, they got hung up trying to choose what to order, especially when there were duplicates, and for some, it still took too much time.

This insight was a signal for me to dig deeper.

Back to the drawing board

Users appreciated the precision of itemized splits but needed a more efficient option.

In response to this feedback, I developed the categorized split, a middle ground between flexibility and convenience.

I think best on paper, so back to wireframing I went, consistently asking for feedback as I moved from low-fidelity to high-fidelity prototypes.

A few tweaks from testing

Previously selected items

Increasing the size of the profile image next to previously selected items enhanced clarity for the next person

Improved texting experience

Turned the individual, fragmented texting experience into group texts with clear CTAs

Introducing Billed, a better way to split bills

After testing and iterating on the app's flow, I arrived at the following solution.

Scanning the bill

Scan the bill in the app or upload a photo. Then Billed works its OCR magic to itemize it.

Making your group

Add friends on Billed or enter numbers/names manually.

Splitting by item

Everyone pays for exactly what they ordered, plus their share of tax and tip.

Splitting by category

Perfect for shared plates. Group items into categories (e.g., drinks, apps, mains), then split each category evenly.

Bill splitting is a cool challenge

Here's what I learned from working on Billed:

Don't assume

Users might not always know what they want–close observation leads to the best insights.

Think for scale

Reusable components accelerate prototyping, enabling realistic mockups at every testing stage.

Iteration is everything

Categorized split and other essential features wouldn’t exist without the feedback from user testing.

Want to help me bring Billed to life? Email me ↗︎

gillinieh@gmail.com

resume

gillinieh@gmail.com

resume

gillinieh@gmail.com

resume