Splitwise: Cross-Cultural Usability Audit
Role: UX Research Lead
Team: 6-person Research Team
Scope: Evaluating international graduate students’ interaction with Splitwise
Overview
I led a usability study with 12 international graduate students (ages 22–28) to understand how Splitwise; an app for tracking shared expenses, supports cross-cultural financial management.
Our goal was to uncover friction points caused by cultural and linguistic differences and identify opportunities to improve navigation, feature discoverability, and overall usability.
Research Approach
Participants: 12 international students (ages 22–28)
Methods: Structured interviews, think-aloud sessions, task-based usability testing
Metrics: Task success rate, time-on-task, and subjective difficulty ratings
By combining qualitative observations with quantitative metrics, I was able to pinpoint specific usability challenges and user frustrations.
Key Findings
1. Navigation Paradox
The “Add Expense” icon was not immediately recognizable, causing significant delays in starting primary tasks.
2. Feature Discovery
High-value tools like “Simplify Debt” were buried in deep menus and went largely unused.
3. Cognitive Load
Mandatory 10-second ads interrupted users’ mental model of financial reconciliation, increasing frustration and task time.
Recommendations
UI Simplification: Flatten the navigation hierarchy to make “Group Creation” and “Expense Logging” immediately accessible.
Onboarding Optimization: Add a tool-tip walkthrough for the “Simplify Debt” feature to improve adoption.
Monetization UX: Replace disruptive video ads with integrated, non-blocking premium upsells to maintain user flow and reduce cognitive load.
Reflection
This project highlighted how cultural and linguistic differences can affect digital financial tools. Even small UI elements, like icon design or menu placement, can create disproportionate friction for international users.
I learned the importance of balancing usability with business constraints like monetization. Observing real users in cross-cultural contexts reinforced that design is not just about functionality, but about clarity, discoverability, and reducing cognitive effort.
This study strengthened my ability to conduct cross-cultural UX research and translate findings into actionable recommendations for product teams.
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