Bibite
Simplifying how friends split the bill
UI/UX Design ・Brand Design・ E2E Case Study
Bibite is a bill splitting app where users can easily dine with their friends without the hassle of calculating the bill.
Role
UI/UX Designer, Brand Designer (Team of 6)
Time
4 Months, Sept-Dec 2023
Software
Figma, Adobe Illustrator
Currently
The struggle of shared dining experiences
Whipping out your calculator in the middle of dinner, awkwardly reminding friends to Venmo you back, these are the tedious moments that often come with dining out in groups. To solve this, our client came up with the idea for an AI-powered app that makes splitting the bill quick, accurate, and effortless. Below is a look at their initial design.
Research
Navigating existing products
We started by researching existing apps that already perform similar tasks that our product wants to achieve. Based on this information and our research on competitors, we were able to identify flaws in certain apps while also leveraging their strengths to inform and enhance the design of our own app.
Claim
Helps students access deals at their favorite restaurants while fostering community and supporting local businesses.
Currently, the app does not include a bill-splitting feature and is intended for personal use only.
Splitwise
Allows users to split expenses and automatically calculates each person’s share.
Users must manually enter all expenses, which can be tedious and prone to human error.
Some features are restricted to premium access.
Tab
Most similar to our idea, since it scans receipts and automatically calculates each person’s share, simplifying bill splitting.
However, it lacks a community aspect, which can limit user engagement and reduce how often people use the app again.
Branding
Name ideation
The current name "payme" didn't sound very welcoming and our client wanted to come up with a more fun name. Additionally they requested to come up with a non existent word like "venmo" to create the illusion of a new noun/verb (for example can you venmo me).
We decided to split off and all come up with as many names as we could.
Defining the visual direction
Next, we focused on defining the overall look and feel of our product. To explore different creative directions, we split into two separate groups and created mood boards, each highlighting themes and visual styles that best suited the product’s concept.
Logo creation
Next we proceeded to figure out what our overall product wants to look like. We split off into 2 seperate groups to come up with moodboards with themes that would go well with this product.
Implementation
Live Session Workflow
I primarily worked on the Live Session workflow, which allows party members to split the portions they had and reimburse the person who initially covered the full payment.
We explored two different user flows for this experience. Ultimately, we chose the second option because it reduced redundant steps for users and created a cleaner, more intuitive interface. Visually, this approach was also less repetitive, making the flow more legible and less overwhelming to navigate.
Leveraging Familiar UI Patterns
We also incorporated familiar UI patterns throughout certain screens to enhance usability, as users tend to navigate more confidently when interactions feel intuitive. One key example is replicating the tipping feature commonly seen in restaurant payment interfaces. By maintaining a familiar design instead of introducing a completely new version, we reduced the learning curve and made the experience easier and more natural for users.
Final Product
Seamless Bill Splitting
The final product empowers users to split their bills effortlessly. With a quick scan of their receipt, they can easily select the items they ordered, while the app automatically handles all the calculations, making shared dining simple, fair, and stress-free.
Intuitive Cost Splitting
During dinners, everyone can easily identify the items they ordered in the live session. Once all selections are confirmed, the app automatically calculates each person’s share, and you can pay your friends back with a simple tap.
Automated Receipt Parsing
There’s no need for the person who paid to manually calculate everyone’s share. With AI-powered receipt scanning, the app automatically detects and organizes each item from your bill. If any details need adjusting, you can easily review and fine-tune them to create the perfect, accurate split in seconds.
Exclusive Dining Rewards
Users can unlock exclusive deals and save money when dining out with friends. Beyond simplifying group experiences, the app helps users discover new restaurants and hidden gems while supporting small businesses by giving them greater visibility and recognition within the community.
Key Takeaways and Future Plan
Successful launch
“The app was published and performed really well within our school! An article was even written about our product, which brought us a lot of recognition. It was an incredible experience working with a client of our own age, as we motivated each other and learned a great deal throughout the process. Collaborating with other like-minded designers was also so much fun, and it was a great opportunity to figure out how to work effectively together as a team.”
Next steps.
Since this product was created a while ago, I’m currently in the process of developing a new version with improved design choices. Because the original was created collaboratively with multiple designers in a short timeframe, there are still some areas for improvement. I’m excited to refine and enhance the product further, applying what I’ve learned to create a more cohesive and polished design.