Xero - Design Sprint - Russell Privett

Helping Xero simplify admin tasks for sole traders, using design sprints, user insights, and prototyping to drive results.

Janice walking through a busy street, contemplating spending money on business marketing.

The situation

Xero had a clear goal: eliminate admin headaches for sole traders. The vision was strong, but the product team needed a fresh push to elevate the user experience and secure board approval.

Our role? Refocus that vision, align stakeholders, and drive the product toward something truly user-centric.

Framing the challenge

How do we build tools that free sole traders from admin overload, letting them focus on what matters — their business?

The approach

We placed desirability at the heart of the process, with feasibility and viability as close secondary considerations. Our adapted design sprint injected creative thinking into the project, while ensuring we delivered actionable insights to Xero’s leadership.

Our solutions

Gamification (with utility)

We avoided gimmicks. Instead, we developed a status score and points system that provided actionable value, guiding users to the areas of the platform that required their attention and enhancing their overall experience.

Fast purchase classification

To speed up tedious but necessary tasks, we introduced a fast classification method leveraging the ‘Tinder-swipe’ interaction pattern. This allowed users to sort through purchases quickly, turning a typically time-consuming process into something fast and intuitive.

The wildcard idea

We introduced a bold wildcard — a financial services marketplace integrated directly into the app. This created a seamless bridge between the platform’s functionality and external financial help, providing users instant access to needed services.

Process breakdown

Lightning-fast discovery

We cut through the noise to define the problem clearly and surface assumptions. The goal — Understand who the users are, what they need, and where the gaps lie.

A detailed research board showcasing user motivations, needs, pain points, and existing research for Xero’s project, using color-coded sticky notes and data charts.

It was clear that the solution couldn’t just be another admin tool — it needed to be a platform that empowered users to focus on their real goals. The product had to be reframed as a tool to help them achieve broader ambitions — this notion set the stage for targeted ideation.

Crafting the solution

We went all in on transforming the user experience. This wasn’t just about ticking off admin tasks—it was about making every interaction feel like progress. Leveraging cultural and regulatory insights, we refined sketches, flows, and wireframes until we had concepts that resonated.

Concept development board for Xero project showcasing ideas, design pillars, user insights, and wireframes, organized with color-coded sticky notes and flowcharts.

What we learned in testing

Core insight

Admin tools won’t win over people who hate admin

Instead, the tools need to be positioned as enablers of broader ambitions.

Market differentiators

UK — Compliance anxiety was the primary pain point, far outweighing the desire for “freedom”

Australia / US — Users valued freedom above all else; admin was simply a hurdle to clear

Key takeaways

Position the product as a catalyst for achieving personal and professional goals. Build a system of tools and content that mobilise users toward self-actualisation.

Building the narrative

We wrapped it all up with a 12-month user journey, showing how Xero’s tools could free sole traders from the grind of admin. In the end, we delivered prototypes and a strategy that armed Xero’s leadership to move forward. This wasn’t just another admin tool — it was a platform for success.