Shiftwell | Stephen HQ

Things I did

Product design

SaaS UI

Design system

Client

Self-initiated

Year

2026

Platform

Landing page, manager web app, staff app

Rotas without the group chat. I designed a scheduling product for shift-based teams: a landing page, a manager web app and a staff mobile app, built on one design system.

The challenge

In cafés, shops and warehouses, the rota is a spreadsheet and swaps happen in WhatsApp. Managers lose hours every week, and gaps show up on the day.

The approach

I designed for two very different people: a manager at a desk planning a week, and staff on their phones between tasks. One design system keeps both feeling like the same product.

The product, above the fold

Landing page

Selling to the manager

The landing page is for the manager doing the rota on a Sunday night. It leads with the time saved and shows the week view straight away, because that's the screen they'll live in.

Rota builder

A week in one view

Managers drag shifts onto a grid of people and days, coloured by role. Hours and labour cost update as you go, and warnings flag overtime before the week is published.

Swaps

Swaps that approve themselves

Managers set the rules once, such as same role and no overtime. Swaps that meet them go through on their own, and the manager just sees a note.

Staff app

Built for a 30-second break

Staff check their shifts, offer a swap or clock in with one thumb. Each screen has one main action, sized for a hand that's holding something else.

Same card, two sizes

Design system

One system, two screens

Shift cards, role colours and states are shared across web and mobile, so a pending swap looks the same wherever it appears.

Reports

Labour cost, before payday

A monthly view shows hours by role, overtime and labour cost against target, so a manager can see where the hours went before payroll does.

Web and mobile, on one design system

2 apps

The main action per staff screen, reachable with one thumb

1 action

Target time to build a week's rota

10 min

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