OpenPayroll
Blockchain payroll for teams who manage payroll in Excel: no crypto knowledge required.
2023
Timeline
Product Designer
Role
The Problem
Blockchain payroll sounds inherently technical. For most employers and employees, the mental model starts and ends at 'too complicated.' The challenge was making a Polkadot-powered payroll tool feel as familiar as a bank transfer, while delivering transparency and decentralization that traditional payroll can't match.
The Challenge
Blockchain payroll sounds inherently technical, and for most employers and employees, it is. The challenge was making the product feel familiar to people who process payroll in Excel or bank transfers, while still delivering the transparency and decentralization benefits of the underlying protocol. I abstracted all blockchain language behind familiar payroll metaphors: a "payroll contract" instead of a smart contract, wallet addresses treated like bank account numbers. The onboarding focused on the outcome: pay your team, rather than the mechanism of how it works under the hood.
Goals
Simple
It focused on the user, recognizing who they are, but above all who they can become, providing a platform that is simple to understand and use without the need to be a blockchain expert.
To be part
Enter the Polkadot ecosystem as a cutting-edge project and be part of its growth.
Background
Payroll for remote teams is still handled through spreadsheets and bank transfers: slow, with no shared record either side can audit. OpenPayroll replaces that with an on-chain payroll contract: transparent by default, built as a working MVP on Polkadot testnet.
My Role & Approach
I designed and built the full product: defined the abstraction strategy (blockchain language → payroll metaphors), designed both employer and employee flows in Figma, built the complete UI system, and implemented everything in Next.js with Tailwind and useInk! for smart contract integration.
Process
01. Research & Abstraction Strategy
Researched the blockchain payroll domain and mapped employer/employee mental models. Defined the translation layer: 'payroll contract' instead of smart contract, wallet addresses as account numbers, familiar metaphors for an unfamiliar stack.
"The abstraction strategy came before any design. Without a translation layer, every screen would leak technical complexity into the UI."
02. User Flow Design
Mapped the core flows for two user types: employer (create contract, add workers, trigger payments) and employee (onboard, view payslip, track history). Each flow focused on the outcome: pay your team, not the underlying mechanism.
"Two distinct user types meant two entry points, but one shared design system. The system had to scale across very different mental models."
03. UI Design in Figma
Built the full interface with Polkadot visual language: transparent transaction states, clear hierarchy, and accessible onboarding for non-crypto users. Every technical concept got a plain-language equivalent in the UI.
"'Smart contract' → 'payroll contract'. 'Wallet address' → 'account number'. The vocabulary was a design decision."
04. Frontend & Testnet Launch
Implemented in Next.js with Tailwind and useInk! for Polkadot smart contract integration. Deployed on testnet, validated end-to-end flows, and prepared the demo for the Polkadot ecosystem showcase.
"Testnet validation before the showcase wasn't a formality; it was the difference between a demo and a product."
Outcome
The result: an MVP on Polkadot testnet with full end-to-end payroll flows, employer contract creation, worker onboarding, payment distribution, and payslip history. Demonstrated at the Polkadot ecosystem showcase and recognized as a viable solution for transparent remote payroll.
Tools
