Forest Druid 2.0
This project aimed to help cybersecurity professionals proactively identify and secure vulnerabilities in critical Tier 0 assets by addressing excessive privileges. As the lead product designer, my role encompassed conducting user research and refining the design iteratively within a cross-functional team, enhancing usability and overall user experience.
Semperis Inc
Cybersecurity
Problem statement
Through extensive surveys, user interviews, and heuristic evaluations, we identified key usability pain points: complex onboarding, unclear navigation, confusing reporting, and excessive cognitive load. Users needed streamlined workflows and clearer insights into security risks.
Many users struggled with the complexity of the existing interface and needed clearer reports and better usability.
Results
I evaluated the usability of the existing solution, uncovered what users found confusing or cumbersome, and provided recommendations to improve both engagement and usability.
The redesigned UI features a clean, clutter-free interface, making it easier for users to navigate and access essential features.
Process
Survey insights
Need for Improved Reports: Users expressed a desire for creating reports on existing risks and problems to assess attack paths more effectively.
Difficulty in Onboarding: Users found it challenging to grasp the product's full potential, with many mentioning that they downloaded it out of curiosity but struggled to use it productively.
User interview insights
Outcome and impact
The redesign delivered clear experiential improvements, significantly streamlining workflows and enhancing user engagement. Users reported reduced frustration, quicker achievement of core tasks (‘time-to-value’), and notably improved clarity in reports.
Qualitative usability tests showed significantly enhanced ease of use and overall satisfaction. Internal stakeholders, including engineers and product managers, praised the clarity and efficiency improvements during development handoffs and noted the enhanced alignment with strategic goals.
Reflection
The redesign of Forest Druid 2.0 underscored the importance of user-centered design in cybersecurity tools. By simplifying complex features, improving data visualization, and addressing user frustrations, I was able to make the product more user-friendly and effective. Going forward, continuous user feedback and iterative improvements will be key to ensuring Forest Druid remains a valuable tool for managing Tier 0 asset security.
This project underscored the importance of qualitative user feedback and heuristic-driven improvements to achieve measurable experiential benefits. It influenced my approach toward consistently incorporating accessibility and collaborative enhancements in all future design initiatives