Sennder - Accounts Payable Platform MVP

Sennder is an accounts payable platform built for mid-sized logistics companies. It fixes invoicing and approval bottlenecks that emerge as invoice volume grows. The concept came from conversations with employees at a logistics startup that struggled to scale its operations.

As a solo designer, I owned the design process end-to-end, relying heavily on Figma Agents and Claude for development. I led research efforts, created the invoice system, and designed new approval, rejection, and escalation flows with full automation options. I also implemented role-based approval groups as well as a mobile app for on-the-go invoice approval.

Tools used: G2, Figma, Maze, Gemini
Role
Lead Product Designer
Date
1 week, 2026
Team
1 designer
Platform
Mobile, Desktop

01 // Approach

Market research

My first priority was understanding how AP platforms worked and what made them effective. I used G2 to study the four most successful platforms on the market, focusing not just on their features but also on parsing real user reviews for pain points and usage patterns.

Stampli

Focused on allowing the entire team to handle invoices in one single spot.

Features

  • Approvals, escalations, and discussions happen directly in the invoice view.
  • Built specifically for accounts payable workflows, so fits how AP teams already work.

Airbase

Automation-based platform centering all communication and approvals on the invoice view.

Features

  • Besides AP features, the platform also keeps track of company credit card and expense billings.
  • Keeps records in sync by connecting directly to an outside accounting system.

Yooz

Reads invoices and pays them automatically with very little manual input.

Features

  • Matches invoice details to purchase orders automatically and seamlessly.
  • Quickly flags duplicate or fake invoices before they get processed.

Bill

Built specifically for small businesses, with both AP and AR under one roof.

Features

  • Lets you set up custom approval and escalation steps for every invoice type.
  • Allows vendors to input their own payment details securely through the platform.

Asking the users

Based on insights from the market research, I created an anonymous survey to gather input from logistics startup employees. My aim was to uncover what features they prioritized most in an AP automation platform.

  • Improved UI
    28
  • On-the-go approval
    22
  • Two-Factor Authentication
    19
  • Invoice automation
    16
  • Role-based approval groups
    14
  • Approval workflows
    14
  • Better invoice management
    10
  • Collaborative features
    8
  • Better notification system
    7
  • Better performance
    3
Survey responses ranked by number of mentions

Mapping the invoice processing flow

I identified three personas to design for: admin, approver, and analyst. Each were responsible for a distinct part of the invoice processing flow, and together they covered the full lifecycle of the process from submission to final approval.

Roles table mapping Admin, Analyst, and Approver responsibilities across the invoice processing flow

Choosing what to implement

I couldn't cover every base, so I thought strategically. Using a Value-Effort Matrix, I separated features by impact, seeing which would deliver value quickly and which weren't worth the effort.

Value-Effort matrix categorizing features into quick wins, major projects, filler, and time wasters

02 // Screens

Invoice validation

The AP analyst engages directly with the invoice to validate it properly. The focus with this page was on presenting information clearly to prevent user mistakes.

Invoice validation screen — desktop

Invoice automation

Invoice automation kept people from drowning in backlog and cut the overall workload. I also added support for custom approval groups based on company hierarchy.

Invoice automation screen — desktop

Invoice approval

The approver persona carried the most responsibility in the processing flow, and the interface had to reflect that, including the ability to handle invoices on the go via a mobile app.

Invoice approval — desktopMobile approval screens — dashboard, queue, and invoice review

03 // KEY TAKEAWAYS

Agentic AI and its perks

Integrating Figma AI and agent-based workflows significantly improved my efficiency. Working directly on the canvas enabled me to iterate faster and reduce the friction in my design process. Contrary to earlier preconceived notions I had that Figma AI was limited or inefficient, I found it to be highly capable in practice.

AI is making designers move faster, turning what used to take days of manual iteration into hours of rapid exploration. It hasn't replaced design thinking for me, but it's quickly removing the friction between idea and execution.

Conclusion

Sennder tackled a real problem: AP teams drowning in manual work as invoice volume outpaces their process. By leveraging market research and user interviews, I designed for actual user pain points instead of assumptions. In one week and by using AI, I built a functional MVP that automated the invoice pipeline and gave approvers a mobile flow to handle decisions on the go.