Empowering Businesses: Invoicing Solution for 4+ Million Users

Designing an invoicing feature to streamline financial transactions for MSMEs, while addressing local needs and challenges.

Quick Overview

Client:

CreditBook

My Role:

Lead UX Designer and Researcher (Full-time)

Duration:

Dec 2021 - Jan 2022

Services Provided:

UX Design, Research

Over 60% of Pakistan’s MSMEs operate on credit, yet many struggle with financing and rely on manual bookkeeping. At CreditBook, we designed an invoicing feature that seamlessly fit into merchants’ workflows, offering a secure, digital solution without compromising their familiar paper-based methods.

Process

Conducted user research with 15+ small business owners to uncover pain points in existing invoicing methods.
Defined key user needs: ease of use, multi-language support, and WhatsApp-based sharing.
Designed a simple, mobile-friendly invoicing feature that streamlined business transactions.
Tested prototypes with real users, refining the design for usability and adoption.

Impact

Within the first week of the feature's launch, 40% of the 4+ million CreditBook users created their first invoice. Of these 40% of users, 24% were retained and converted to return users, with 14% becoming monthly power users (all metrics measured using Amplitude).

The invoicing feature was successfully adopted by thousands of businesses, improving cash flow tracking and reducing errors in financial records.

Process

Conducted user research with 15+ small business owners to uncover pain points in existing invoicing methods.
Defined key user needs: ease of use, multi-language support, and WhatsApp-based sharing.
Designed a simple, mobile-friendly invoicing feature that streamlined business transactions.
Tested prototypes with real users, refining the design for usability and adoption.

Impact

The invoicing feature was successfully adopted by thousands of businesses, improving cash flow tracking and reducing errors in financial records.

Process

Conducted user research with 15+ small business owners to uncover pain points in existing invoicing methods.
Defined key user needs: ease of use, multi-language support, and WhatsApp-based sharing.
Designed a simple, mobile-friendly invoicing feature that streamlined business transactions.
Tested prototypes with real users, refining the design for usability and adoption.

Impact

The invoicing feature was successfully adopted by thousands of businesses, improving cash flow tracking and reducing errors in financial records.

Process

Conducted user research with 15+ small business owners to uncover pain points in existing invoicing methods.
Defined key user needs: ease of use, multi-language support, and WhatsApp-based sharing.
Designed a simple, mobile-friendly invoicing feature that streamlined business transactions.
Tested prototypes with real users, refining the design for usability and adoption.

Impact

The invoicing feature was successfully adopted by thousands of businesses, improving cash flow tracking and reducing errors in financial records.

Why Invoicing? Investigating if users even needed the feature.

Users needed a fast, reliable way to generate invoices—ignoring this demand meant risking user churn.

User Demand: 50+ invoicing requests in a single month via customer support.
Field Insights: Merchants in Karachi and Lahore actively sought a billing feature.
Market Pressure: Competitors offered invoicing, pushing us to innovate.

Research: Understanding User Needs in the Local Context

We conducted in-person user interviews and field visits to answer key questions:

Do users actually need invoicing in a digital app?
How does invoicing work in real transactions?
What essential details should an invoice capture?
How can we make it intuitive for non-digital users?

Key Discovery: Quantitative Data

CreditBook app analytics showed that 43% of active users were already using the "notes" feature to create manual invoices—a clear sign of demand. Data analysis revealed that 62% of notes contained just numbers, indicating users were improvising invoices within the app.

To add real value, the invoicing feature had to:

Seamlessly integrate into the existing transaction flow.
Function as a standalone tool for quick access.

To add real value, the invoicing feature had to:

Seamlessly integrate into the existing transaction flow.
Function as a standalone tool for quick access.

To add real value, the invoicing feature had to:

Seamlessly integrate into the existing transaction flow.
Function as a standalone tool for quick access.

To add real value, the invoicing feature had to:

Seamlessly integrate into the existing transaction flow.
Function as a standalone tool for quick access.

Competitor Analysis: The Biggest Rival Wasn’t an App—It Was Paper!

In our analysis of both local and global apps, we saw two patterns:

Complex Flows: Apps like Vyapar and Udhaar required heavy manual effort, making them slow and clunky compared to a quick scribble on a piece of paper.
Language Barriers: The use of accounting jargon ("invoicing," "receipts") confused users. Our field research showed that merchants commonly used the term "bill" instead.
Mental Model: The digital invoices were not laid out in columns and rows like physical invoices, causing confusion to the users while inputting data

Key Takeaway: We had to keep it simple, intuitive, and faster than traditional paper-based methods.

In our analysis of both local and global apps, we saw two patterns:

Complex Flows: Apps like Vyapar and Udhaar required heavy manual effort, making them slow and clunky compared to a quick scribble on a piece of paper.
Language Barriers: The use of accounting jargon ("invoicing," "receipts") confused users. Our field research showed that merchants commonly used the term "bill" instead.
Mental Model: The digital invoices were not laid out in columns and rows like physical invoices, causing confusion to the users while inputting data

Key Takeaway: We had to keep it simple, intuitive, and faster than traditional paper-based methods.

In our analysis of both local and global apps, we saw two patterns:

Complex Flows: Apps like Vyapar and Udhaar required heavy manual effort, making them slow and clunky compared to a quick scribble on a piece of paper.
Language Barriers: The use of accounting jargon ("invoicing," "receipts") confused users. Our field research showed that merchants commonly used the term "bill" instead.
Mental Model: The digital invoices were not laid out in columns and rows like physical invoices, causing confusion to the users while inputting data

Key Takeaway: We had to keep it simple, intuitive, and faster than traditional paper-based methods.

In our analysis of both local and global apps, we saw two patterns:

Complex Flows: Apps like Vyapar and Udhaar required heavy manual effort, making them slow and clunky compared to a quick scribble on a piece of paper.
Language Barriers: The use of accounting jargon ("invoicing," "receipts") confused users. Our field research showed that merchants commonly used the term "bill" instead.
Mental Model: The digital invoices were not laid out in columns and rows like physical invoices, causing confusion to the users while inputting data

Key Takeaway: We had to keep it simple, intuitive, and faster than traditional paper-based methods.

Design Strategy: Creating "Bill Book"

Armed with these insights, we interviewed 15 CreditBook users and designed a feature that felt intuitive and familiar:

"Bill Book" Instead of "Invoicing": We used local vernacular to match users' mental models.
Minimal Input Fields: Focused on essential details—item names, quantities, and totals—to keep it simple.
Seamless Integration: Users could generate bills while recording transactions, mirroring their existing process.
Prototyping in Roman Urdu: Since many users preferred Roman Urdu, we made it the default prototype language to ensure clarity.

Testing & Iteration: What Worked, What Didn't

We conducted usability tests with 9 merchants in Karachi and Lahore. Here’s what we found:

✅ Wins:

WhatsApp Sharing: Users loved sharing bills via WhatsApp, their primary business communication tool.
Ease of Use: The simple, column-based layout mirrored physical bill books, reducing errors.
Sense of Ownership: Digital bills gave merchants a greater sense of professionalism and business legitimacy.

⚠️ Challenges & Fixes:

Redundant Features: The “Paid/Unpaid” toggle was unnecessary—users tracked unpaid bills through their ledgers. → Removed
Discount Field Complexity: Users saw no need for a separate discount field. → Simplified
Bill Discoverability: Users needed an easier way to find past bills. → Added search & sort functionality

Final Design: A Simple, Effective Solution for Busy Merchants

Animated “Add Bill” Button: Nudged users to start billing, reducing friction.

Bill Overview Section: Quick access to daily and monthly sales for better tracking.
Search & Sort Features: Allowed users to find bills by date or amount.
PDF Download & WhatsApp Sharing: Enabled easy record-keeping and customer communication.
A/B Testing: We tested variations in color, text, and animations before rolling out to all users.

Key Learnings: Building What Users Truly Need

🔹 Hacking Habits: Users already repurpose app features to meet their needs. Recognizing these behaviors can inspire design improvements.
🔹 Less is More: Extra fields add friction. A streamlined invoicing process improves adoption.
🔹 Language Matters: Aligning with local terminology and language enhances usability.
🔹 Respect Mental Models: Designing around familiar practices ensures a smooth transition from paper to digital.

Impact: Empowering MSMEs with Digital Tools

Since launch, the invoicing feature has seen steady adoption, helping merchants streamline operations and gain financial clarity. But our work isn’t done—continuous feedback and iteration ensure we keep building solutions that truly serve Pakistan’s small business community.

📢 Next Steps: We’re preparing for the next round of user interviews to refine the feature further. Stay tuned!

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