Dolo — Simplifying Shared Expenses

My Role & Contributions

The Problem

As group size increases, managing shared expenses becomes harder. Uneven costs, unclear balances and multiple payments often lead to confusion and tension.

Users need a clearer and fairer way to track expenses and settle balances without extra effort.

Research and Discovery

Research Approach

To understand common frustrations with expense-splitting apps, I reviewed existing products and read user reviews on the App Store. I also drew from personal experience and informal conversations with friends and roommates who regularly split expenses.

This helped me understand both what users say online and how people handle shared expenses in real life.

Persona

Alex Smith

University Student, 21

Living Situation Lives with 3 roommates

Tech Literacy High

"I just want a simple way to split expenses without having to explain everything every time."

Bio

Alex shares expenses daily with roommates and friends. They regularly split costs for groceries, takeout, utilities and group outings. Keeping track of who owes what often becomes confusing, especially when expenses are not split evenly.

Core Needs

• Track shared expenses in one place
• Split costs fairly when amounts differ
• See balances clearly at any time

Frustrations

• Not everyone owes the same amount
• Balances are hard to keep track of
• Existing apps feel restrictive or confusing

Design Process

Early Exploration

I started with low-fidelity sketches and wireframes to explore layouts for groups, transactions and balances.

Design Focus

• Make uneven expenses easy to split
• Clearly show who owes what
• Keep settling up quick and simple

Key Features & Solutions

Groups and Transactions

Users can create groups for trips, roommates or shared events. Each group shows total spending, recent activity and the user's balance at a glance.

Transactions are easy to scan, with clear labels showing who paid and whether the user owes or is owed. This helps users understand their financial situation without digging through details.

Itemized Splitting

Dolo allows users to split expenses by individual items instead of only splitting totals evenly. This reflects real situations like restaurant bills or shared groceries where people pay different amounts.

Users can assign items to specific people and see totals update instantly, which reduces confusion and awkward follow-ups.

Balances and Settlement

Dolo shows clear balances for each group so users can easily see who owes and who is owed. Balances update automatically as transactions are added, helping users keep track without extra steps.

The settlement flow lets users record payments and close balances in a simple and straightforward way.

Anonymous Users

Dolo allows users to split expenses with people who do not have the app by adding them as anonymous users. These users can be included in transactions and itemized splits.

This makes the app easier to use in real situations like group dinners or trips where not everyone wants to download an app.

Visual Design

The interface uses soft colors, simple layouts and friendly avatars to make money management feel less stressful. Spacing and typography focus on clarity and readability.

Outcome

The final design provides a clear and flexible way to manage shared expenses in groups. Dolo supports itemized splitting, clear balances, simple settlement and the ability to include anonymous users.

The app is designed to support real group situations such as roommates, trips and shared meals. The final screens and user flows were shared with developers to guide implementation.

Reflection

This project strengthened my end to end UX process, from defining the problem to designing key flows and interactions. It highlighted the importance of designing for real situations where expenses are not always shared equally.

If the project were to continue, I would focus on usability testing to validate the overall experience and improve clarity where needed. This project reflects my approach to creating practical and user focused design solutions.