Directory consolidation
Justworks is an HR software suite designed for small businesses (under 100 employees), helping small businesses focus on growth by streamlining administrative tasks.
Role
Product Designer
Team
1 Product manager
3 Engineers
2 Product designers
Challenge
How might we improve employee discoverability so it’s easier for admins and members to learn about each other?
Objective
Enable consolidation between all 4 of Justworks’s products to create a unified customer experience.
Terms to know 💡
EOR
An EOR (Employer of Record) is a third-party organization that legally employs workers on behalf of a company, handling payroll, taxes, benefits, and compliance.
ICP
An international contractor platform helps companies hire and pay global contractors ensuring compliance with local labor laws and tax regulations.
PEO
A PEO (Professional Employer Organization) is a company that partners with small businesses to manage HR functions like payroll, benefits, and compliance through a co-employment model.
ASO
An ASO (Administrative Services Organization) provides outsourced HR services like payroll, benefits administration, and compliance support without entering a co-employment relationship.
Discovery 🔍
What do we know about all 4 products?
We started by looking at what each product & its content looked like. The PEO houses EOR and ICP, but different information surfaces based on the product.
PEO
EOR & ICP (shows inside the PEO)
ASO
Were the products all in the same database? ❌
Each of the four products pulled data from different backend systems. ASO used a system called Alma, while PEO relied on two platforms: Clockwork (the original) and Clockface (its updated version). EOR and ICP stored international data in an unnamed, separate system.
Through close collaboration with engineering, we identified opportunities for front-end unification and clarified which areas would need to wait for backend consolidation before further design work could begin.
Based on the content seen, visual artifacts were created to communicate with stakeholders the differences between each product.
Based on the reviewed content, visual artifacts were created to communicate product differences to stakeholders. These artifacts also highlighted key usability issues and surfaced areas that required deeper exploration, helping align teams around shared priorities and next steps.
Key problems
Pending questions that require further discussions
Define ✍🏽 & Design 🎨
The mid-horizon designs created earlier in the year served as the foundation as we transitioned into high-fidelity work.
Visual mockups
Change log
2
10+
8+
Many iterations were done
Stakeholder meetings were key
Regular meetings with stakeholders were essential throughout the process. The design team held weekly review sessions with engineering and product managers to present early concepts, gather feedback, address technical constraints, and initiate important follow-up discussions.
Prototypes were created in addition to visual change logs.
Delivery 🎁
V1 = Success!! ... kinda?
V1 focused on merging ASO and PEO into a unified experience. It was successfully released to 100% of ASO customers, but the initial launch was delayed due to unexpected bugs. When the release expanded to 20% of PEO customers, additional unforeseen issues required a rollback.
V2 already in the works
We were given two months to design the next iteration before development resumed. This version needed to support all four products—including EOR and ICP.
EOR considerations
As we examined the varying customer profiles, we found that different business types had distinct needs depending on if they had:
1 office, no remote, no international
2+ office, no remote, no international
1 office, remote enabled, no international
0+ office, remote enabled, international enabled
To address this, we introduced a dynamic location model that adapted based on a company’s profile, surfacing the most relevant location data for each customer type.
Takeaways 🍬
Designing at scale requires patience and precision.
Merging multiple products introduces complexity—each with its own nuances and strengths. Taking the time to understand both
the differences and commonalities is essential. Sometimes,
slowing down is the fastest way to deliver a seamless and
cohesive experience.
Even the best plans encounter surprises.
No matter how meticulous the process, hidden challenges can surface late in the game. What truly matters is how you respond—adapting with resilience, learning quickly, and applying those insights to move forward smarter.