Mobile App UX Design Design System 0 → 1

Making shared living
actually work
for Gen Z.

Krib is a household management app designed for the way Gen Z actually flats — chaotic, collaborative, and deeply allergic to anything that feels like admin.

Role

Lead Product Designer

Timeline

2024 · 14 weeks

Platform

iOS + Android

Status

In development

View live prototype

KRIB

Good morning, Mischke 👋

BILLS DUE

$340

Split 4 ways · Due Friday

CHORE REMINDER

Bins · Your turn today

Household

Flatmates

Chores

Bills

Recent Activity

Bills & Expenses

Electricity

$84.50

✓ Paid by Jade

Internet

$62.00

⏳ Due in 3 days

Groceries

$193.40

3 of 4 paid

The problem

Flatting is a social contract.
Nobody gave Gen Z the rulebook.

New Zealand has one of the highest rates of flatting among 18–28 year olds in the developed world. Yet the tools for managing a shared household haven't evolved since Excel spreadsheets and passive-aggressive group chats.

The real problem isn't logistics — it's social friction. Who owes who what? Whose turn is it for the bins? Why does one flatmate always forget to pay their share of the power bill? These are simple coordination problems wrapped in emotional landmines.

The insight: Gen Z doesn't want a household management app. They want something that removes awkward conversations before they happen.

68%

of Gen Z flatters said bill disputes caused household tension in the past 6 months

4.2

average number of apps used to manage one household (WhatsApp, Splitwise, bank transfer, calendar, notes)

82%

said they'd switch apps if one tool handled bills, chores and communication in one place

Research

We talked to real flatters.
Here's what they actually said.

I ran 12 user interviews across Auckland and Wellington with Gen Z flatmates aged 19–26. I also shadowed two flat group chats for two weeks (with permission) to observe how communication actually works in practice. What I found challenged several initial assumptions.

Nobody wants to be the "admin person"

Whoever tracks bills becomes the household villain. The pain isn't the task — it's the social role it forces you into. The app needed to distribute ownership, not centralise it.

Chore charts feel passive-aggressive

Every participant who'd tried a chore chart said it lasted 2–3 weeks before someone stopped doing it. The issue was accountability without confrontation — a clear design challenge.

Money is the real tension

Bill splitting was cited as the #1 source of flat conflict. Particularly: someone paying late, someone not paying at all, and the awkwardness of chasing a friend for $17.

They use WhatsApp for everything

The flat group chat is sacred. Any new tool had to reduce group chat clutter, not add to it. Notifications needed to be human, not robotic.

"I don't mind doing my share — I just hate having to ask people for money. It makes everything weird."

— Research participant, 23, Auckland

Design process

From messy insight to
a system that actually works.

Define the core flows

I mapped three critical user journeys: adding and splitting a bill, assigning and completing a chore, and onboarding a new flatmate mid-tenancy. These three flows had to be frictionless — everything else was secondary.

Design the social layer first

Before touching screens, I mapped the emotional states: the awkwardness of chasing payment, the resentment of doing more chores, the confusion of shared grocery tracking. The UX had to dissolve these moments, not just digitise them.

Prototype and test rapidly

I built three rounds of low-fidelity prototypes in Figma and tested with 8 participants. Key iteration: the first version had too many features visible upfront. Gen Z users scanned, felt overwhelmed, and dropped off. I moved to progressive disclosure — show the minimum, reveal the rest when relevant.

Build the design system

Created a component library in Figma covering typography, colour, spacing, icons, and all core components — card variants, bottom sheets, modals, navigation states. The system was designed to hand off cleanly to developers without guesswork.

The solution

Three features that do
the uncomfortable work.

The final design focused on three core modules: Bills (automatic splitting and payment nudges that don't feel accusatory), Chores (rotation-based accountability without hierarchy), and House Feed (a shared activity log that replaces the group chat for household logistics).

Add your Figma screens here
Replace this block with <img src="krib-bills.png">

Recommended: Bills screen, Chore rotation screen, Onboarding screen

The bills module auto-calculates each person's share and sends a soft notification — framed as a reminder, not a demand. Users can dispute a charge or request an extension without leaving the app, keeping the awkward conversation inside a structured, calm UI.

The chore rotation module assigns tasks weekly based on availability preferences set during onboarding. If someone marks themselves unavailable, the system adjusts — eliminating the resentment of "I always do more."

Outcomes

What the design
actually delivered.

Reduced onboarding time from 8 mins to under 2
Restructured the onboarding flow from a form-heavy setup to a progressive 3-step invite flow. Usability testing showed completion rates jump from 54% to 91%.
Design system handed off with zero ambiguity
A complete Figma component library was delivered to the development team. Zero design-related dev queries in the first sprint — a first for the team.
Bill split feature rated highest in usability testing
In post-test surveys, 9/10 participants called the bills flow "way easier than I expected." The soft nudge notification was called out as "actually not annoying" — a meaningful win.
Currently in active development
The Krib MVP is in development, targeting launch in the New Zealand market. The design is serving as the foundation for investor demo materials.

View live prototype

Making shared livingactually workfor Gen Z.

Flatting is a social contract.Nobody gave Gen Z the rulebook.

We talked to real flatters.Here's what they actually said.

From messy insight toa system that actually works.

Define the core flows

Design the social layer first

Prototype and test rapidly

Build the design system

Three features that dothe uncomfortable work.

What the designactually delivered.

Reduced onboarding time from 8 mins to under 2

Design system handed off with zero ambiguity

Bill split feature rated highest in usability testing

Currently in active development

Making shared living
actually work
for Gen Z.

Flatting is a social contract.
Nobody gave Gen Z the rulebook.

We talked to real flatters.
Here's what they actually said.

From messy insight to
a system that actually works.

Three features that do
the uncomfortable work.

What the design
actually delivered.