Case study
Case study
Threat Intelligence Platform
Threat Intelligence Platform
Role
UX Designer
Duration
April 2018 -
April 2020
Employer
IBM
Contributions
UX design
Role
UX designer
Duration
April 2018 - April 2020
Employer
IBM
Contributions
UX design
Visual design
Context
Threat Intelligence Insights is an application on IBM’s Security Platform, designed to work seamlessly with other applications on the platform. Our teams mirrored this structure, with each of us collaborating closely across various projects. For this project, I served as the UX designer for Threat Intelligence Insights, working directly with a visual designer. As part of the broader platform team, we collaborated closely with other UX designers and researchers working on different components of the platform. I joined the team after the project had already begun, so some foundational work was in place when I arrived.
Challenge and Opportunity
Context
With the growing number of cyberattacks today, security analysts face challenges in filtering out noise to focus on the most relevant and severe threats. Our core question became: How might we create a solution that helps security analysts proactively identify and protect against cyberattacks?
Threat Intelligence Insights is an application on IBM’s Security Platform. It works in tandem with other applications on the platform, and that’s exactly how our teams were structured as well. For this project, I was the UX designer on Threat Intelligence Insights working directly with a visual designer. As part of the larger platform team, we also collaborated closely with UX designers and researchers working on other parts of the platform.Additionally, I joined the team after the project started, so some foundational work was done to get the project rolling.
Challenge and Opportunity
With the increasing number of cyberattacks in today’s modern world, security analysts struggle to filter out noise and focus on the most relevant and severe threats to their organizations. How might we create a solution that enables security analysts to proactively identify and protect against cyberattacks?
Threat score
Although I was responsible for the UX design of the entire application, one problem I want to highlight specifically is around transparency in the threat score. The threat score is is a feature that is intended to help security analysts prioritize threats. It indicated to users how relevant a threat is to their environment and how severe it may be.
Initially, the design team chose to display the threat score as a percentage. However, through user research, we discovered that users didn’t understand what the score represented or how it was calculated. They lacked trust in the score and wanted more transparency in the calculation process, allowing them to explore the underlying algorithm if necessary.
Although I was responsible for the UX design of the entire application, one problem I want to highlight specifically is around transparency in the threat score. The threat score is is a feature that is intended to help security analysts prioritize threats. It indicated to users how relevant a threat is to their environment and how severe it may be.
Initially, the design team chose to display the threat score as a percentage. However, through user research, we discovered that users didn’t understand what the score represented or how it was calculated. They lacked trust in the score and wanted more transparency in the calculation process, allowing them to explore the underlying algorithm if necessary.
Explorations
Solution
Contributions
My contributions included delivering user flows, creating high-fidelity mockups and prototypes, and designing the end-to-end user experience for Threat Intelligence Insights. I also coordinated with product managers and engineers to align stakeholders, support design implementation, and help shape the product strategy to launch both the MVP and the General Availability (GA) release.
Some of my most notable contributions to Threat Intelligence Insights include defining and establishing the foundation for the application's information architecture, designing and delivering the onboarding experience to help users get started, and creating an end-to-end data visualization to help users prioritize threats.
Additionally, I established best practices for UX artifacts such as user flows and concept models. In collaboration with another UX designer I helped standardize these practices across the broader UX Security team.
My contributions included delivering user flows, creating high-fidelity mockups and prototypes, and designing the end-to-end user experience for Threat Intelligence Insights. I also coordinated with product managers and engineers to align stakeholders, support design implementation, and help shape the product strategy to launch both the MVP and the General Availability (GA) release.
Some of my most notable contributions to Threat Intelligence Insights include defining and establishing the foundation for the application's information architecture, designing and delivering the onboarding experience to help users get started, and creating an end-to-end data visualization to help users prioritize threats.
Additionally, I established best practices for UX artifacts such as user flows and concept models. In collaboration with another UX designer I helped standardize these practices across the broader UX Security team.