Expense Feature
Simplifying Co-Parenting Expense Tracking
Project Overview
Company
OurFamilyWizard
My Role
Sole UX Designer responsible for research, wireframes, prototypes, user research, and cross-functional collaboration.
The Challenge
What began as a technical migration quickly evolved into a mission to redefine how divorced parents manage shared expenses. After analyzing user feedback and app reviews, it became clear our users needed an experience that acknowledged the emotional complexity of co-parenting while simplifying financial tracking.
The Journey
Understanding the Landscape
Myself and the Product Manager immersed ourselves in the world of co-parenting finances:
Analyzed hundreds of app reviews and customer survey responses
Collaborated with support and sales teams to uncover user pain points
Created detailed system maps to visualize current workflows
Presented findings to leadership and product team to align on priorities and scope
From Insight to Inovation
With a freshly designd prototype, I moderated user testing sessions with 16 parents and six attorneys. These sessions revealed crucial insights that shaped our approach.
Key Findings
Clarity was paramount - who owes what needed to be immediately obvious
Less is more - only essential information should appear in expense line items
Efficiency was vital - multiple steps could be combined into streamlined flows
Language matters - terminology needed to be straightforward and emotionally neutral
The Transformation
Through an iterative design process involving:
Multiple rounds of sketching and refinement
Continuous balancing of innovation with technical and interface constraints
Presentations to leadership, engineering, and sales teams
We crafted a solution that:
Simplified complex financial interactions between co-parents
Clarified obligations and actions needed
Streamlined the process of tracking and managing shared expenses
Considered the emotional aspects of financial co-parenting
Outcomes & Learnings
This project reinforced:
Emotional Design Matters: In sensitive contexts, every word and interaction counts
Research Builds Confidence: User insights helped overcome organizational hesitation to update this feature
Constraints Breed Creativity: Working within limitations can still lead to innovative solutions
Iteration is Key: Breaking complex changes into manageable chunks ensures success
This feature changed the way OFW customers worked on the app. Based on feedback from test participants and lawyers, this would cut down on financial disagreements, which would cut down on court costs and lead to smoother financial tracking between parents. Since the redesign, the app has seen a significant uptick in feature adoption and ongoing engagement.
Since the launch of this redesigned feature and the others I worked on, OurFamilyWizard’s Apple and Google app ratings increased from 1.5 to 4.5, which is a 200% improvement.