PRODUCT DESIGN INTERN
STATE-UNEMPLOYMENT-INSURANCE (SUI)
MAY-AUGUST 2024
In the summer of 2024, I returned to Justworks for my second product design internship on the Payments & Taxes Team, specifically under the State Unemployment Insurance (SUI) team.
Justworks helps businesses onboard employees, but we also assist with the less pleasant task of off-boarding. Previously, the separation form lacked an editing feature, which hindered the entire process. This project involved collaborating with our customer-facing side as well as our internal team responsible for filing our customers’ unemployment claims, by understanding the use cases and editing permissions of both sides. This is an end-to-end project that involves understanding the complexities of unemployment laws while working within an ambiguous environment, identifying editing needs to create designs that bridge both internal and external teams.
I collaborated with engineers who built the separation form to understand how information is stored and transferred between our customers and the claims-associate team. Along with my PM, I identified the feature requirements and designed an editing feature on both platforms, allowing information to seamlessly flow between them. This feature will be shipped by the end of the year.
Justworks helps small-medium business (SMBs) onboard employees without them lifting a finger. But we also help with the off boarding-process.
We make a promise we will do their SUI needs (claim management, registration, power of attorney, PEO & Client reporting states, manage beginning to end process for all employees, manage a scaling SUI program)
There are two important roles within the separation process.
1. ADMINS: OUR CUSTOMER WHO INITIATES THE SEPARATION PROCESS FOR AN EMPLOYEE
Interacts with the form on Justworks
2. CUSTOMER SUPPORT (CS): OUR TEAM WHO TAKES THE INPUT OF OUR CUSTOMER AND FILES THE CLAIM TO THE STATE
Accesses information through CS Tools (internal)
Understanding the impact of this project was one of the most challenging aspects of initiating it. With each state's unemployment laws varying, Customer Support (CS) must handle claims efficiently and straightforwardly while maintaining integrity for our customers. Mistakes are bound to happen, and information is often missing or needs updating. Currently, CS and Admins communicate through an email thread, which makes the entire process less efficient.
Since there is no current editing feature, the separation form cannot be accessed after submission. The first step was determining where the editing feature should be located without disrupting the existing workflow.
1. banner on the top
Not a usual pattern for an action to live in a banner
2. termination status card
Takes too much real estate on the page
3. part of the main actions
Editing separation form is not a main/frequent action an admin would be making on a daily basis
4. part of the main actions + notice
Clear call out, but not cohesive with the current designs
As an admin or manager, given that the employee has a terminated scheduled in the future, I should see a status of their employment status.
As an admin or manager, given the employee’s last day has passed, I should see that they have been terminated.
Visual cues differentiate 'pending' from 'terminated' statuses, with form access via a card reflecting the current design system on the EE’s profile page.
Admins will edit their previously submitted separation forms. Since each state has different termination requirements, it's important to track dynamically changing questions. Understanding how the questionnaire data is managed on the backend is key to integrating this feature.
Halfway through the internship, I hit a wall regarding what to do next. I spent a lot of time testing iterations, but one thing I overlooked was the complexity of the questionnaire. I focused too much on WHAT the editing flow would look like and forgot HOW it would be integrated.
An attempt to understand the HOW and WHY the questionnaire was built, I set up a meeting with my engineering team and break down the flow with a flow chart of each section.
By informing users of the new questions upfront, we help users understand the editing process better, hence minimize back-and-forth conversations.
Being certain about decisions: A confirmation modal appears when users attempt to leave the page to ensure they are certain about their decision.
Payments are complex, so JW created a separate flow for editing within the Payment Center. I iterated on various designs for disabled payments before choosing the most straightforward one
The Payment Center already includes an edit payment flow; directing users there enables them to explore and better understand the payment editing process on their own.
Adding a banner at the top will provide clear, immediate feedback on edits, helping users quickly understand and confirm that changes have been made.
With the customer support platform being internal, I had more freedom for blue-sky designs without strict adherence to JW’s design system. This helped me practice organizing dense, crucial information for easy navigation
Visual cues for those who are “pending” versus “terminated”
Visual cues for those who are “pending” versus “terminated”
View the previous submitted form. Users can choose to view information, or edit each sections
The form is divided up by details info, background info, and payments
Changing these will dynamically change the questions that come after.
Letting users know they will have to fill out a new set of questions
A confirmation modal appears when users attempt to leave the page to ensure they are certain about their decision.
Editing payments will lead users to the Payment Center where they can make edits there
Drop down with when edits were made and who made the edits
“Most recent” form is the default
Editing is only available to the most recent form
Lives on top of the section. Only shows up on the “Most recent” form
All questions are in their editable state
CTA at the bottom
Ambiguity is overwhelming, but it pushes you to ask questions to tackle those moving parts
Having engineers review designs early ensures that technical feasibility is considered from the start that may not be apparent from a design-only perspective.
This was my second time returning to Justworks as their product design intern. I could tell how much I have grown as a designer since last summer. The ambiguity of the project allowed me to keep pushing for more answers, giving me the chance to utilize the resources around me such as my manager, mentor, PM, CS, and engineers to gain insights and feedback. This not only helped me understand the intricacies of SUI but also sharpened my design skills. I also learned the importance of relationship-building, especially when managing conflicting priorities. By developing strong connections with my team and stakeholders, I was able to navigate challenging situations, like engineer reviews and stakeholder meetings, with more confidence.
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