tipalti

Zooming Out to Scale Up: Designing a Scalable Future in 14 Days

Redesign

UX

UI

B2B Fintech

tipalti

Zooming Out to Scale Up: Designing a Scalable Future in 14 Days

Redesign

UX

UI

B2B Fintech

tipalti

Zooming Out to Scale Up: Designing a Scalable Future in 14 Days

Redesign

UX

UI

B2B Fintech

OVERVIEW

OVERVIEW

OVERVIEW

The Challenge

The Challenge

The Challenge

The Growing Pains of Scale

Tipalti is a B2B fintech platform offering end-to-end payables solutions for finance teams, helping businesses manage invoicing, vendor payments, and compliance at scale.

As Tipalti expanded, it merged multiple tools into one platform. But this led to significant design debt - with inconsistent UI patterns, fragmented experiences, and an outdated look and feel.

What Users Were Saying

Recurring complaints highlighted the problem: Finance professionals expected more flexibility, customization, and modern UX — especially compared to competitors.

The system feels outdated.
The system feels outdated.
The system feels outdated.
It’s hard to personalize the way I work.
It’s hard to personalize the way I work.
It’s hard to personalize the way I work.
When the Internal Team Hits Capacity

Tipalti’s internal design team was fully focused on day-to-day execution. They brought in Kido Studio to lead a fast-track product vision sprint.

The Mission

The Mission

The Mission

Create a Vision That Inspires Change
Create a Vision That Inspires Change
Create a Vision That Inspires Change
Our goal was to define a strategic product vision that would:

Unify the UI and UX patterns across the platform

Unify the UI and UX patterns across the platform

Unify the UI and UX patterns across the platform

Modernize the visual language to compete with market leaders

Modernize the visual language to compete with market leaders

Modernize the visual language to compete with market leaders

Introduce personalization and flexibility for power users

Introduce personalization and flexibility for power users

Introduce personalization and flexibility for power users

Help the internal team secure buy-in from stakeholders for a future redesign

Help the internal team secure buy-in from stakeholders for a future redesign

Help the internal team secure buy-in from stakeholders for a future redesign

This needed to happen fast, within two weeks and without any development, relying solely on design vision and storytelling.

My Role

My Role

My Role

Leading Strategy, UX, and Systems Thinking

As the Lead Product Designer on this project at Kido Studio, I was responsible for shaping the strategic direction, defining scalable UX patterns, and leading the hands-on design work, from wireframes to final UI.

I collaborated with a UI designer from our team on visual refinement and worked closely with my manager, Karen Segev, who provided creative and strategic support throughout the project.

DISCOVERY

DISCOVERY

DISCOVERY

Mapping Complexity to Reveal Patterns

Mapping Complexity to Reveal Patterns

Mapping Complexity to Reveal Patterns

Same Platform, Very Different Experiences

To begin the sprint, we conducted a full audit of Tipalti’s core screens and workflows. The goal was to understand how the product was structured, and more importantly- where it was breaking down.

Although the platform served a single product ecosystem, each module felt like a different tool:

UI styles varied significantly - different layouts, spacing, colors, and visual components

UI styles varied significantly - different layouts, spacing, colors, and visual components

UI styles varied significantly - different layouts, spacing, colors, and visual components

UX patterns were inconsistent - especially in filtering, sorting, and data display

UX patterns were inconsistent - especially in filtering, sorting, and data display

UX patterns were inconsistent - especially in filtering, sorting, and data display

Tables functionality ranged from minimal to complex, with no standardized behavior

Tables functionality ranged from minimal to complex, with no standardized behavior

Tables functionality ranged from minimal to complex, with no standardized behavior

Most screens lacked any real customization, making it difficult for users to tailor their workspace to their needs

Most screens lacked any real customization, making it difficult for users to tailor their workspace to their needs

Most screens lacked any real customization, making it difficult for users to tailor their workspace to their needs

These inconsistencies made the product feel fragmented, unpredictable, and difficult to scale — both from a user and a design perspective.

Product mapping

Product mapping

Product mapping

Finding a Common Structure

Finding a Common Structure

Finding a Common Structure

Despite the fragmentation, we identified a repeating pattern that existed across nearly every part of the product.

Each screen was essentially built from the same foundational elements:

A data table

A data table

A data table

A side panel or info page with more in-depth information

A side panel or info page with more in-depth information

A side panel or info page with more in-depth information

Optional top-level KPIs or summary info

Optional top-level KPIs or summary info

Optional top-level KPIs or summary info

This insight gave us a clear starting point. Rather than redesigning screen by screen, we focused on these shared building blocks — redesigning them to be modular, customizable, and consistent across the platform. This decision became the foundation for our system-first design approach.

Learning from Market Leaders

Learning from Market Leaders

Learning from Market Leaders

We kicked off the project by reviewing Tipalti’s competitors and leading table-heavy platforms like Notion, Airtable, Monday.com, and Asana. The goal was to understand how modern products handle complexity, customization, and data-heavy interfaces.

This helped ensure our design vision felt modern, competitive, and aligned with user expectations.

DESIGN

DESIGN

DESIGN

A Strategic Sprint, System-First

A Strategic Sprint, System-First

A Strategic Sprint, System-First

In just two weeks, we needed to create a design vision that was not only clear and compelling, but also scalable and grounded in real-world constraints. Our process focused on speed, structure, and consistency.

Core UX Structure

We redesigned shared components to bring consistency and impact where it mattered most.

Core UX Structure

We redesigned shared components to bring consistency and impact where it mattered most.

Core UX Structure

We redesigned shared components to bring consistency and impact where it mattered most.

UI Uplift

The interface was refreshed with a cleaner look, modern typography, and a more cohesive design language.

UI Uplift

The interface was refreshed with a cleaner look, modern typography, and a more cohesive design language.

UI Uplift

The interface was refreshed with a cleaner look, modern typography, and a more cohesive design language.

System-First Execution

A mini design system ensured consistency and set the foundation for future scaling.

System-First Execution

A mini design system ensured consistency and set the foundation for future scaling.

System-First Execution

A mini design system ensured consistency and set the foundation for future scaling.

Quick Prototyping

High-fidelity prototypes helped align the team and secure stakeholder buy-in quickly.

Quick Prototyping

High-fidelity prototypes helped align the team and secure stakeholder buy-in quickly.

Quick Prototyping

High-fidelity prototypes helped align the team and secure stakeholder buy-in quickly.

Flexible Tables for Complex Workflows

Flexible Tables for Complex Workflows

Flexible Tables for Complex Workflows

We introduced a powerful, flexible table experience with advanced filtering, intuitive sorting, and grouping. These changes allow users to manage complex data with ease - and without leaving the page.

Filters

Filters

Filters

Sorting

Sorting

Sorting

Grouping

Grouping

Grouping

Customizable Views with Powerful Actions

Customizable Views with Powerful Actions

Customizable Views with Powerful Actions

Users can now show or hide columns, save custom views, and take bulk actions on multiple items - streamlining repetitive tasks and enabling tailored workflows.

Columns customization

Columns customization

Columns customization

Bulk actions

Bulk actions

Bulk actions

Quick Insights at a Glance

Quick Insights at a Glance

Quick Insights at a Glance

We added a lightweight KPI bar at the top of each screen to surface key metrics - giving users instant context without needing to dig into reports.

Fast Access to Details

Fast Access to Details

Fast Access to Details

The updated side panel offers quick access to item-level information without disrupting workflow. It’s fully resizable and optimized for multi-tasking - replacing the need for separate detail pages.

OUTCOME & IMPACT

OUTCOME & IMPACT

OUTCOME & IMPACT

What we achieved

What we achieved

What we achieved

In just two weeks, we delivered a focused, high-impact design vision that required zero development effort — yet helped Tipalti gain momentum for real change.

The prototype helped Tipalti’s CEO and leadership team clearly visualize the product’s future
The prototype helped Tipalti’s CEO and leadership team clearly visualize the product’s future
The prototype helped Tipalti’s CEO and leadership team clearly visualize the product’s future
The concept received immediate buy-in and was added to the product roadmap
The concept received immediate buy-in and was added to the product roadmap
The concept received immediate buy-in and was added to the product roadmap
Additional budget and headcount were approved for the redesign initiative
Additional budget and headcount were approved for the redesign initiative
Additional budget and headcount were approved for the redesign initiative
Our system-first approach set the groundwork for the company’s future design system
Our system-first approach set the groundwork for the company’s future design system
Our system-first approach set the groundwork for the company’s future design system

Key Takeaways

Key Takeaways

Key Takeaways

This project proved that even a short design sprint can drive strategic change when focused on real user needs and scalable systems. It reinforced the importance of:

Designing flexible systems, not static screens

Designing flexible systems, not static screens

Designing flexible systems, not static screens

Moving fast while maintaining quality

Moving fast while maintaining quality

Moving fast while maintaining quality

Using design vision as a tool for alignment and momentum

Using design vision as a tool for alignment and momentum

Using design vision as a tool for alignment and momentum

Thank you

for reading!

Found what you
were looking for?

Want to see
more?

©

2025

Natalie Ainimer

Thank you

for reading!

Found what you
were looking for?

Want to see more?

©

2025

Natalie Ainimer

Thank you

for reading!

Found what you
were looking for?

Want to see
more?

©

2025

Natalie Ainimer