Crafting a user-friendly experience for Verizon’s advanced cyber threat detection tool
Verizon sought design innovation for its cyber risk initiatives, specifically within its Managed Detection and Response Services. Our team tackled two major projects, with my primary focus on redesigning Verizon’s Network Threat Advanced Analytics (NTAA) tool. The NTAA service aimed to provide a solution that goes beyond traditional network monitoring, offering proactive threat analytics, management, and prevention.
In my role as lead UX designer, I crafted a fluid and engaging experience for the network threat analytics platform, focusing on simplifying complex data interactions.
My Role
My primary responsibility was to understand the complexity of the tool enough to create an experience that was more intuitive as well as visually consistent with Verizon’s branding guidelines.
I collaborated closely with the service architect to understand technical requirements and ensure that functional needs were being met. These insights were crucial in shaping the redesign, enabling me to develop a more intuitive interface that enhanced usability while addressing the tool’s technical complexities.
As an additional part of the redesign, I created a comprehensive component and style guide, which ensured design consistency across all elements.
Goal #1
Enhance usability with an intuitive and user-friendly dashboard
Goal #2
Integrate analytics and data visualizations for actionable insights
Goal #3
Ensure design consistency with clear guidelines and standards
Project phases
- Sketching and Ideation. Quick iteration on dashboard layout concepts
- Discovery and design. Crafting the user experience based on insights
- Component & Style Guide. Establishing uniform design practices
Initial sketching and ideation
Early on in the project, I engaged in light sketching to explore various patterns and concepts that I could use in discussions with our stakeholders and experts. Initial sketches like this laid the groundwork for the dashboard layout and widget arrangement.
Discovery & design
I conducted deep dives into the existing experience to identify areas for improvement and ensure that the redesign would meet the needs of network administrators. Discovery focused heavily on understanding the technical functionality the tool but also included an evaluation of existing functionality that needed to be updated in line with the new visual direction.
The core project deliverables were the dashboards. I collaborated with stakeholders to identify and integrate various widgets that delivered essential insights into network activity.
Component & style guide creation
To ensure consistency across the NTAA tool and future Verizon projects, I developed a comprehensive style guide. This guide included detailed specifications for the experience, including data, typography, and layout.
Conclusion
In leading the UX for this initiative, dedicating time to understanding the technical complexity of the product was crucial. Collaborating closely with engineering and security experts allowed me to grasp the nuances of the tool, ensuring that the dashboard met critical needs effectively. By seeking early feedback from stakeholders and establishing consistent design standards, I created a user-friendly and visually appealing dashboard. This approach not only addressed immediate challenges but also set a strong foundation for future improvements. Comprehensive documentation and a detailed style guide further ensured consistency and supported ongoing enhancements in network security.
