Built for freelancers. Designed to simplify.
Project Overview
Summary
Fledger is a billing and expensing app built for freelance professionals. The goal was to streamline invoicing, reduce reliance on third-party tools, and give users direct control over client payments. My MVP focused on clarity, utility, and trust—core values that shaped both the product design and the content strategy.
My role
I designed the product end-to-end, from ideation and research through prototyping and microcopy. My focus was on creating an experience that felt simple, transparent, and trustworthy, without compromising functionality.
Defined product vision with stakeholders and conducted user interviews
Translated research insights into clear user flows through storyboarding and wireframing
Designed billing, invoice, and expensing flows with focus on simplicity
Wrote all UX copy to build confidence and reduce friction
Conducted moderated testing and iterated based on user feedback
Refined navigation and email integration to match user mental models
The problem
Working with a fellow freelancer who was juggling three different apps just to send one invoice, I saw the problem firsthand. She wanted a billing app that would simplify client interactions and eliminate reliance on third-party tools. Existing platforms were cluttered, indirect, and not built with freelancers in mind.
My client needed a way to record hours, track expenses, and bill clients directly, without friction or overcomplication. The challenge was creating a tool that felt simple, intuitive, and trustworthy, while still being capable of handling real financial workflows.
The solution
I designed Fledger as a clean, focused billing tool tailored to the needs of freelancers. The MVP allowed users to log services, rates, and hours; capture or enter expenses; and send invoices or bills directly to clients—without relying on third-party platforms.
Every design decision was aimed at minimizing friction and reinforcing trust. To reduce hesitation, the interface was deliberately pared down, with clear labels and familiar flows. Microcopy supported each interaction with quiet precision. The result was a tool that felt not only functional, but confident in its simplicity.
Process
Research & Discovery
Understanding the problem
I began by identifying the specific needs of creative professionals who handle all aspects of their business independently. Through client interviews and competitive analysis, I confirmed that existing solutions like QuickBooks were overly complex for freelancers' core needs, while apps like Venmo lacked the professional legitimacy required for client relationships.
Key Problem Statement: Freelancers need a lightweight but legitimate tool that doesn’t feel ‘personal’ or overly corporate. Clear flows and professional language are more important than feature density.
Target audience analysis
Recruitment and screening
I used a comprehensive screener survey to identify qualified participants who represented diverse creative professionals across various fields. All participants had direct experience with freelance work, client payment processes, and mobile payment applications. View survey
Methods overview
Stakeholder interviews
“I’m spending way too much time on invoicing instead of creating. I need something that doesn’t make me feel like I need an accounting degree just to send a bill to my clients.”
I conducted in-depth interviews with our primary client to understand business requirements and pain points with existing solutions.
Competitive analysis
I analyzed existing solutions, including QuickBooks and Wave App, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for differentiation. View analyses.
User interviews
I interviewed creative professionals to understand their current workflows, frustrations, and needs around client billing and project management. (Click image to view interview guide)
Usability testing
I conducted moderated remote user testing sessions via Zoom with clickable prototypes to validate design decisions and identify usability issues.
Key Insights
Primary user needs:
Tool consolidation - Most were using multiple apps (Venmo, QuickBooks, email) for basic billing
Professional legitimacy - Wanted something simple but credible, professional but not too corporate
Simplified workflows - Clear processes mattered more than feature density
Client experience focus - Prioritized seamless client interactions over internal efficiency
Competitive analysis results:
QuickBooks limitations: No invoice customization, overly complex features, expensive subscriptions, frequent user errors, and lengthy onboarding.
Wave App issues: Services split across two apps, confusing navigation, no clear homepage
Strategic opportunity: Create a focused invoice tool positioned between personal payment apps and enterprise software—simplified functionality with professional credibility.
User testing impact
Navigation behavior
Finding: users gravitated toward back buttons instead of main menu
Impact: enlarged navigation prominence and accessibility
Feature priorities identified
Finding: in-app client communication, saved service templates, calendar integration
Impact: informed future roadmap based on actual user workflows
Email integration feedback
Finding: the initial interface didn't match traditional email patterns
Impact: redesigned interface to align with user mental models
Content strategy insights
Finding: users needed confidence-building language that felt professional but not intimidating
Impact: informed microcopy decisions to avoid jargon while maintaining legitimacy
Ideation & Process
Design approach
I focused on translating insights into clear, minimal flows that supported the core user tasks: logging time, tracking expenses, and billing clients.
Because the app needed to feel simple and self-explanatory, the ideation process prioritized:
Information hierarchy over visual flourishes
Predictable patterns to support ease of learning
Language and layout decisions that helped users move through tasks with minimal hesitation
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I created quick storyboards to visualize the core user flows—focusing on how freelancers would move from logging hours to sending an invoice. This helped clarify where users might pause, and where interface or copy needed to do more work. View example
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Using sketches and Crazy 8s, I explored layout ideas for the dashboard, invoice builder, and expense entry. These low-fidelity drafts helped shape early decisions around flow simplicity and single-task screens.
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I built low-fidelity wireframes in Figma, structured around a lean, three-tab nav and single-action screens. The prototype was used to test hierarchy, copy clarity, and whether users could confidently complete tasks without instruction.
Content Strategy
Messaging & user psychology
Each piece of copy addresses three core challenges freelancers face in managing finances.
1. Professional credibility concerns with clients
2. Time lost to administrative tasks
3. Anxiety around inconsistent income tracking
Fledger is positioned as the solution that turns freelance service providers into professional businesses with systems.
Voice & tone principles
Professional but approachable
Avoid both casual slang ("Hey there!") and corporate jargon ("pursuant to your request") in favor of clear, confident language ("Create your free account")
Confident without being presumptuous
Make definitive promises about the product's capabilities ("Everything's covered") while avoiding assumptions about user situations or judgments about current tools
Empathetic to freelancer struggles
Acknowledge pain points directly ("Goodbye, spreadsheets") without being condescending or dramatic about the problems users face
Onboarding copy
Onboarding represents the most vulnerable moment in a user's journey, when doubt peaks and commitment wavers. For freelancers especially, switching from familiar tools like spreadsheets to new software requires overcoming both functional and emotional concerns. The copy during this flow was designed to accomplish these main goals:
Build confidence in the decision to try something new
Address anxiety about leaving current systems behind
Establish credibility as a tool built for professional businesses
"Your money, in your hands"
Strategic intent: Promise direct client billing that gives freelancers financial autonomy and control
Psychology addressed: Freelancers feel dependent on client payment schedules and third-party platforms that take cuts or delay payments
Why this works: "Your" emphasizes ownership, "in your hands" suggests active control over traditionally passive income waiting, while implying direct client relationships without intermediaries
“Goodbye, spreadsheets”
Strategic intent: Emotional release from manual invoice creation processes
Psychology addressed: Freelancers find spreadsheet-based invoicing tedious, error-prone, and unprofessional
Why this works: "Goodbye" creates emotional closure from frustrating manual processes, directly naming the tool users want to escape for automated professional invoicing
“Everything’s covered”
Strategic intent: Promise comprehensive expense capture to prevent lost income
Psychology addressed: Freelancers worry about forgetting billable expenses and losing money they've earned
Why this works: "Everything" ensures no expense goes untracked, "covered" implies financial protection and completeness of records
UX writing & microcopy
Because Fledger was designed to be straightforward and task-focused, the language needed to support usability without getting in the way. My goal was to keep the interface clear, familiar, and professional—especially in flows involving money, time, and client-facing actions.
All copy was reviewed in light of common freelance workflows, avoiding jargon, legalese, or unnecessary friction. Because users wanted legitimacy, I avoided casual tone like ‘Shoot us an invoice’ and used more formal phrasing. The writing aimed to support confidence and clarity, not add voice for voice’s sake.
Navigation & Dashboard: Used clear, predictable labels to help users orient quickly
Invoices & Billing: Wrote short, functional hints that clarified input fields without over-explaining
Expenses Flow: Created toggle copy for photo/manual entry that encouraged completion with minimal instruction
Action Buttons: Prioritized clarity and tone (e.g., “Send Invoice” instead of “Submit”)
Tooltip & Error Copy: Added contextual help only where user feedback suggested hesitation
Solution & Mockups
Emotional hook that directly addresses user pain point
Welcoming dashboard
Addresses user anxiety with reassuring copy
Professional invoice generation
Value proposition messaging
Straighforward client billing
Signup copy and social proof positioning
Clear services and rates
Results
Outcome
The final product delivered on its core promise: users could bill clients directly, track expenses via photo or manual entry, and generate professional invoices without the complexity of enterprise tools.
User testing validated our approach—people found the interface "clearer than QuickBooks" and showed significantly improved confidence during first-time use after microcopy and layout adjustments.
Stakeholders were pleased enough with the clarity to request expansion into a full client payment portal.
Reflection
This project affirmed the value of clarity and confidence in UX writing, especially for financial apps where simplicity proves both effective and efficient. Building this solid MVP created a strong foundation that could evolve into a comprehensive business management tool, as evidenced by stakeholder requests for future expansion.
Looking ahead, the next steps would be integrating a payment portal directly into the app. The MVP focused on streamlined invoicing and expense tracking, but users also expressed interest in sending and receiving payments without needing third-party platforms. Embedding this functionality would close the loop, allowing them to manage their entire billing cycle within the app.
Next Steps
Product vision
This roadmap reflects how freelancer needs evolve as their businesses mature—from basic financial management to client relationship tools to full business growth capabilities.
Each phase builds on the trust established in previous features, gradually positioning Fledger as the central hub for freelancer business operations rather than just a financial tool. The progression follows natural user growth: once freelancers trust Fledger with their money, they're ready to trust it with client communications, then business development tools.