WorkRippling · Time & Attendance

Time simplified

Redesigned the Time & Attendance feature to support Time Standalone (fast setup + minutes-to-value, simplified UX) while remaining compatible with Rippling’s Core configuration and approvals model

Discipline: Product redesign · Web app
Company: Rippling
Product area: Time & Attendance

Behind the work

Further context

Partnered closely with engineers to ship under aggressive migration timelines (< 5 months). That’s an entire platform redesign in a short time period 🤯
Scope included Onboarding, Scheduling, Time & Attendance and Time Off for web and mobile
Designed a new timesheet interaction model (entry, review, submit, approve, fix issues)
Defined key states + rules (draft/submitted/approved, locked periods, exceptions, auditability)
Coordinated with parallel redesigns (signup/onboarding, IA framework, scheduling simplification, mobile app redesign) while contributing to those workstreams

The team

2 PMs, 20+ engineers, 4 designers sprinting across Time Standalone surfaces.

My focus area

Lead design contributor → Timesheets + Time Settings, with dependencies on platform concepts (permissions, approvals, policies)

Project snapshot

Timeline
Aug → Dec 2025
Scale
1m
time entries per week
Strategy
Top of funnel expansion
Outcome
1.6m ARR
in 6 mos

Overview

In 2025, I played a key role in Rippling's initiative to integrate Scheduling, Time & Attendance, and Time Off into a cohesive Time platform. This effort coincided with Rippling's acquisition of the time platform “When I Work,” aimed at attracting SMBs with a seamless setup experience before transitioning them to Payroll and the full platform. My focus was on developing Rippling Time Standalone, which features a tiered product design that begins simply with “Time Lite” and evolves into a more customizable “Core” experience. As one of four designers on this project, I led the redesign of Timesheets, emphasizing a clear before-and-after transformation and crafting detailed interaction designs to ensure swift delivery amidst uncertainty.

The problem

Strategic problem

When I Work wins SMBs through instant setup

Customers only need a name and email to start building their employee’s schedule and begin tracking time. Simple IA and ease of use in the software; Rippling’s Time requires that customers buy Payroll and feels (is) heavy to onboard and use.

To expand funnel, Rippling needed Time Standalone:

Quick signup, usable in minutes, simple to use, then upsell into Payroll and other Rippling products. Rippling has a harder time appealing to new customers because of the heavy feel of the sign-up process.

The product problems (timesheet-specific)

Outdated build

Legacy timesheets were hard to scan, hard to correct, and easy to get wrong

Out-of-the-box

Too many “policy configuration-first” decisions required before value (not SMB-friendly)

Simplification

Exceptions and policy logic weren’t surfaced in a way that felt actionable in context, access to root

Increase trust

Manager approvals created friction (review felt like admin work, not lightweight verification)

Solution highlights

A simpler user mental model

Default to the simplest path; expose complexity only when needed (progressive disclosure)

Faster time entry + editing

Clearer structure and scannable layout, fewer clicks to edit, better empty/loading/error states

Exceptions that explain themselves

Inline flags with “why this happened” + a clear next action for things that can be fixed in place

Lightweight submit + approvals

Clear status model + reduced “approval ceremony” while staying auditable

Designed to scale from Basic → Core

The same experience works when customers upgrade into richer policy + approvals configuration

“We've just crossed the $1.5M ARR mark in WIW cross sell, with a lot more to come in Feb. The pilot can help us accelerate that, and get to our $20M target this year - a big thank you to the Product & Design team for their incredible effort”

— Will Sorg, GM. Feb ‘26

Check back for updates soon(ish) 😉