http://www.ziasu.com/portfolio/portfolio/seesaw

1. Smart settle up = Sweet cohabitation
PROJECT PROPOSAL

4. Seesaw is a mobile application for helping cohabiting couples settle up their shared daily
expenses. Since cohabiting couples often struggle to balance their budget, Seesaw is
useful as it helps inform couples about who is the next payer.
> ABSTRACT

5. “ Couples don’t just bicker over money when
they don’t have it; they fight over money
because they think it isn’t divided fairly.”
- Anna Karimo

6. BACKGROUND RESEARCH

7. Cohabitation on the rise
Nearly 12% of couples living together are unmarried
*COHABITING COUPLES AS A PERCENT OF ALL CORESIDENTIAL COUPLES
http://www.familyfacts.org/charts/110/nearly-12-percent-of-couples-living-together-are-unmarried

8. The most common cohabiting problem
Breaking up over money issues
When cohabiting individuals felt that money was being handled unfairly, they were
70% more likely to break up than cohabiting couples who didn't feel that way.

9. Money Pool?
Only 50% of cohabitants use joint accounts to handle their shared expenses
Married couples
have money pool
Cohabitants
have money pool
VS.

10. “ My partner will use our money to buy something I don’t need. ”
“ Just because a couple lives together, the finances shouldn’t. ”
“ Joining accounts can get messy if the relationship ends. ”

11. Ways cohabitants handle
their shared finances
[ No.1 ]
Split bills by categories
[ No.2 ]
Take turns to pay
[ No.3 ]
Pay randomly
[ No.5 ]
Only one of them pays bills
[ No.4 ]
Money pool

12. Cohabitants use these financial tools
From a survey of 69 cohabitants
Google Document Microsoft Excel Paper & Pen Financial Website
& Mobile APP

13. • Always struggling with “Whose turn is to pay?”
• Lack accurate accounts of contribution
• How can we define the “fair” contribution?
• Daily accounting is a pain if only one member of couple does it
• Not able to see partner’s shared spending records
• The existing accounting tool is inefficient
> PROBLEMS

14. COMPETITORS

15. Settle Up Splitwise

17. > UNIQUE SOLUTION
• Knowing who should pay at a glance
• Creating your fair contribution plan
• Building a virtuous circle of two people’s accounting and to developing the habit of
daily accounting
• Tracking both your and your partner’s shared spending records in one place
• Recording expenses quickly by connecting to your bank account

18. CONCEPT VIDEO
https://youtu.be/x4uoztsKfzQ

19. TARGET AUDIENCE

20. Primary
Cohabiting Couples
Secondary
Roommates
Age
18-25
Group
College students and new graduates

21. Persona
Mary
Recently, I feel I contribute
more than my boyfriend
does, but I can’t find a nice
way to let him know.
“
”

22. USER TASKS & PROTOTYPE
http://ziasu.com/seesaw-prototype/seesaw-demo.html

23. Set contribution rule
(First time user only)
User Task 1
Home: 70%
Grocery: 40%

24. Record expenses manually
User Task 2

25. Classify new card transactions
User Task 3

26. Check partner’s record
User Task 4

28. USER TESTING

29. Paper Prototype and Interview
Hi-fi Wireframe Digital Prototype
6 rounds of testing / 6 participants for each testing
Oct 2014
Lo-fi Wireframe
6 rounds of testing / 3 participants for each testing
Nov 2014
1 2
5 rounds of testing / 3 participants for each testing
Dec 2014
5 rounds of testing / 4 participants for each testing
April 2015
3 4

31. AfterBefore
Design change after testing

32. Design change after testing
AfterBefore

33. VISUAL DEVELOPMENT

34. LOGO
ICON

36. Visual guidelines

39. TECHNICAL EXPLORATIONS

40. > Data Flow

43. That’s it!
Zia Su / Seesaw