Identifying a product gap in Wise's ecosystem—validated when they shipped it 3 months later.
ROLE
Product Thinking
UI Design
TEAM
Myself
TIMELINE
Jan 2025 · 1 Week
TOOLS
Figma
Jitter
context
International trips create multi-currency chaos
You're on a group trip across Europe. One friend pays for dinner in euros. Another covers the Airbnb in pounds. Someone else handles the car rental in Swiss francs. By the end, everyone's tracking debts in spreadsheets, converting currencies manually, and sending money through three different apps. Wise already handles the currency conversion—but forces groups to leave the app to figure out who owes what.
note
Personal design exercise
This project was completed independently as a product exploration. I identified what felt like a gap in Wise's ecosystem and designed a solution to test my hypothesis.
opportunity
Why this fits Wise's business
Wise already owns the hardest part: instant, low-fee currency conversion across 40+ currencies. But users still leave the app for Splitwise or spreadsheets when traveling with friends. Every time they leave, Wise loses transaction volume and risks users discovering competitors.
Problem
Users leave for Splitwise
During high-value moments like trips, Wise loses the transaction to competitors
Opportunity
Native split keeps users in-app
Capture the full transaction chain from expense to settlement
1
Ecosystem lock-in during high-value moments
2
Increased transaction frequency as friends settle up
3
Viral growth when non-users receive split requests
solution
Borrower flow: create and share a split
Creating a multi-currency split without leaving Wise. The owner sets up a group, adds expenses in any currency, and assigns who owes what. Wise handles the conversion math automatically. Invites go out via link—recipients don't need a Wise account to see what they owe.
Recipient view: see what you owe
Participants see their balance in their preferred currency, track individual expenses, and settle with one tap. The interface shows the conversion rate so nothing feels hidden. Non-Wise users can pay via bank transfer; Wise users settle instantly.
validation
Wise shipped a similar feature 3 months later
In April 2025, Wise launched "Spend with Others"—a group spending feature that lets up to five people share expenses across 40 currencies. The core insight was the same: Wise already handles multi-currency payments, so splitting should live there too. I didn't predict their exact implementation, but the product gap I identified turned out to be real.
What Wise shipped (April 2025)
“Spend with Others”
Groups of up to 5 people, digital cards for each member, spending across 160 countries and 40 currencies. Initially available in UK, EU, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.