Enterprise Platform
Visual Design
Interaction Design
Department of defense · globalnet
Reimagining a Global Intelligence-Sharing Network for Security Practitioners
Reimagining a Global Intelligence-Sharing Network for Security Practitioners
Reimagining a Global Intelligence-Sharing Network for Security Practitioners
Product Outcome
Restructured participant management and community workflows, eliminating redundant data entry and reducing admin time through research-validated design decisions.
Timeline
2023 – 2024
2023 – 2024
2023 – 2024
Role
UX Designer
Product Strategy
Interaction Design
Information Architecture
Design Systems
UX Designer
Product Strategy
Interaction Design
Information Architecture
Design Systems
UX Designer
Product Strategy
Interaction Design
Information Architecture
Design Systems
Reusable Template Slot
Swap this column for team, scope, tools, constraints, or platform context in future case studies.
Swap this column for team, scope, tools, constraints, or platform context in future case studies.
Swap this column for team, scope, tools, constraints, or platform context in future case studies.
The Problem
14,000+ security professionals unable to discover relevant content or connect effectively across a legacy platform.
14,000+ security professionals unable to discover relevant content or connect effectively across a legacy platform.
14,000+ security professionals unable to discover relevant content or connect effectively across a legacy platform.
GlobalNET connects security practitioners worldwide to share expertise, build relationships, and collaborate on complex challenges. As the platform evolved, users struggled to discover relevant content, navigate discussions, and identify opportunities to engage.
GlobalNET connects security practitioners worldwide to share expertise, build relationships, and collaborate on complex challenges. As the platform evolved, users struggled to discover relevant content, navigate discussions, and identify opportunities to engage.
GlobalNET connects security practitioners worldwide to share expertise, build relationships, and collaborate on complex challenges. As the platform evolved, users struggled to discover relevant content, navigate discussions, and identify opportunities to engage.
Admins faced critical workflow problems: managing participants required repetitive data entry across disconnected interfaces, and the tools didn't match the actual tasks they needed to complete. The platform's structure reflected its technical architecture rather than how people actually worked.
Admins faced critical workflow problems: managing participants required repetitive data entry across disconnected interfaces, and the tools didn’t match the actual tasks they needed to complete. The platform’s structure reflected its technical architecture rather than how people actually worked.
Admins faced critical workflow problems: managing participants required repetitive data entry across disconnected interfaces, and the tools didn’t match the actual tasks they needed to complete. The platform’s structure reflected its technical architecture rather than how people actually worked.
Product Strategy
Designing Around High-Value Workflows
Designing Around High-Value Workflows
Designing Around High-Value Workflows
Strong products support the activities that matter most. I centered the experience around discovering expertise, participating in discussions, and building professional connections, using those workflows to guide decisions across navigation, information architecture, and interaction design.
Strong products support the activities that matter most. I centered the experience around discovering expertise, participating in discussions, and building professional connections, using those workflows to guide decisions across navigation, information architecture, and interaction design.
Strong products support the activities that matter most. I centered the experience around discovering expertise, participating in discussions, and building professional connections, using those workflows to guide decisions across navigation, information architecture, and interaction design.
Mapping existing workflows uncovered unnecessary branching and repeated data entry. Restructuring the experience around shared context eliminated redundant steps and created a more intuitive administrator workflow.
Mapping existing workflows uncovered unnecessary branching and repeated data entry. Restructuring the experience around shared context eliminated redundant steps and created a more intuitive administrator workflow.
Mapping existing workflows uncovered unnecessary branching and repeated data entry. Restructuring the experience around shared context eliminated redundant steps and created a more intuitive administrator workflow.
Rapid usability testing guided each iteration, ensuring every refinement reflected real user behavior.
Rapid usability testing guided each iteration, ensuring every refinement reflected real user behavior.
Rapid usability testing guided each iteration, ensuring every refinement reflected real user behavior.
Decisions that shaped the product
Workflow restructuring over interface polish
Workflow restructuring over interface polish
Workflow restructuring over interface polish
The existing interface had cosmetic issues, but the root problem was the underlying workflow architecture. We invested in restructuring flows rather than reskinning screens.
The existing interface had cosmetic issues, but the root problem was the underlying workflow architecture. We invested in restructuring flows rather than reskinning screens.
The existing interface had cosmetic issues, but the root problem was the underlying workflow architecture. We invested in restructuring flows rather than reskinning screens.
Eliminating redundant data entry
Eliminating redundant data entry
Eliminating redundant data entry
Redesigned the participant addition workflow so admins entered course information once, then could add participants via bulk CSV upload or individually, without re-entering context. The old system required choosing a track upfront and duplicating information.
Redesigned the participant addition workflow so admins entered course information once, then could add participants via bulk CSV upload or individually, without re-entering context. The old system required choosing a track upfront and duplicating information.
Redesigned the participant addition workflow so admins entered course information once, then could add participants via bulk CSV upload or individually, without re-entering context. The old system required choosing a track upfront and duplicating information.
Status visibility and bulk actions
Status visibility and bulk actions
Status visibility and bulk actions
Added status icons so admins could see at a glance which accounts needed attention, plus the ability to unlock accounts directly from the dashboard rather than clicking into each one. These small decisions eliminated hours of repetitive admin work.
Added status icons so admins could see at a glance which accounts needed attention, plus the ability to unlock accounts directly from the dashboard rather than clicking into each one. These small decisions eliminated hours of repetitive admin work.
Added status icons so admins could see at a glance which accounts needed attention, plus the ability to unlock accounts directly from the dashboard rather than clicking into each one. These small decisions eliminated hours of repetitive admin work.
Discovery
Understanding how a global security community finds value
Understanding how a global security community finds value
Understanding how a global security community finds value
Before redesigning the platform, we needed to understand how members engaged with GlobalNET and where the experience was falling short.
Before redesigning the platform, we needed to understand how members engaged with GlobalNET and where the experience was falling short.
Before redesigning the platform, we needed to understand how members engaged with GlobalNET and where the experience was falling short.
I conducted stakeholder interviews, reviewed existing platform feedback, and worked with users representing different roles and levels of experience within the security community. Our goal was to understand how members discovered information, participated in discussions, built professional relationships, and navigated the broader network.
I conducted stakeholder interviews, reviewed existing platform feedback, and worked with users representing different roles and levels of experience within the security community. Our goal was to understand how members discovered information, participated in discussions, built professional relationships, and navigated the broader network.
I conducted stakeholder interviews, reviewed existing platform feedback, and worked with users representing different roles and levels of experience within the security community. Our goal was to understand how members discovered information, participated in discussions, built professional relationships, and navigated the broader network.
Audience mapping clarified the range of roles, motivations, and participation patterns across the GlobalNET community.
Audience mapping clarified the range of roles, motivations, and participation patterns across the GlobalNET community.
Audience mapping clarified the range of roles, motivations, and participation patterns across the GlobalNET community.
Interview synthesis helped translate community needs into clearer product opportunities for discovery, participation, and networking.
Interview synthesis helped translate community needs into clearer product opportunities for discovery, participation, and networking.
Interview synthesis helped translate community needs into clearer product opportunities for discovery, participation, and networking.
Interaction Design
Optimizing workflows for discovery, participation, and administration
Optimizing workflows for discovery, participation, and administration
Optimizing workflows for discovery, participation, and administration
Discovery surfaced several connected workflow problems: members needed clearer ways to find relevant peers and conversations, while administrators needed better tools to support community health at scale.
Discovery surfaced several connected workflow problems: members needed clearer ways to find relevant peers and conversations, while administrators needed better tools to support community health at scale.
Discovery surfaced several connected workflow problems: members needed clearer ways to find relevant peers and conversations, while administrators needed better tools to support community health at scale.
We translated those insights into task flows, journey maps, and interface concepts that could help members move from passive browsing to active participation.
We translated those insights into task flows, journey maps, and interface concepts that could help members move from passive browsing to active participation.
We translated those insights into task flows, journey maps, and interface concepts that could help members move from passive browsing to active participation.
Through moderated usability testing, I observed how administrators and participants interacted with the platform, uncovering friction points that weren't apparent during design reviews. Rather than treating each issue as an isolated fix, I looked for patterns in user behavior and refined the experience to make complex workflows feel more intuitive and predictable.
Through moderated usability testing, I observed how administrators and participants interacted with the platform, uncovering friction points that weren’t apparent during design reviews. Rather than treating each issue as an isolated fix, I looked for patterns in user behavior and refined the experience to make complex workflows feel more intuitive and predictable.
Through moderated usability testing, I observed how administrators and participants interacted with the platform, uncovering friction points that weren’t apparent during design reviews. Rather than treating each issue as an isolated fix, I looked for patterns in user behavior and refined the experience to make complex workflows feel more intuitive and predictable.
Decision 1
Decision 1
Make user intent explicit
Make user intent explicit
Challenge
Users consistently interpreted the first visible option as the intended path, overlooking alternative workflows even when they were presented on the same screen.
Challenge
Users consistently interpreted the first visible option as the intended path, overlooking alternative workflows even when they were presented on the same screen.
Design Response
Introduced clearer decision points, stronger visual hierarchy, and explicit primary actions that helped users recognize available paths before committing to a task.
Design Response
Introduced clearer decision points, stronger visual hierarchy, and explicit primary actions that helped users recognize available paths before committing to a task.
Before
Before
Before
After
After
After
Decision 2
Decision 2
Eliminate redundant data entry
Eliminate redundant data entry
Challenge
Administrators repeatedly entered the same information as they progressed through participant management workflows. Each repeated step increased friction and made the system feel more complicated than the task itself.
Design Decision
Restructured the administrator's workflow so course information was entered once, then reused throughout the process. Administrators could seamlessly switch between bulk CSV uploads and individual participant entry without re-entering context or restarting the workflow.
Challenge
Administrators repeatedly entered the same information as they progressed through participant management workflows. Each repeated step increased friction and made the system feel more complicated than the task itself.
Design Decision
Restructured the administrator’s workflow so course information was entered once, then reused throughout the process. Administrators could seamlessly switch between bulk CSV uploads and individual participant entry without re-entering context or restarting the workflow.
Challenge
Administrators repeatedly entered the same information as they progressed through participant management workflows. Each repeated step increased friction and made the system feel more complicated than the task itself.
Design Decision
Restructured the administrator’s workflow so course information was entered once, then reused throughout the process. Administrators could seamlessly switch between bulk CSV uploads and individual participant entry without re-entering context or restarting the workflow.
Streamlined workflow
Streamlined workflow
Streamlined workflow
Concept directions explored multiple entry points through locations, sectors, topics, interactive maps, and data tools.
Concept directions explored multiple entry points through locations, sectors, topics, interactive maps, and data tools.
Concept directions explored multiple entry points through locations, sectors, topics, interactive maps, and data tools.
Decision 3
Decision 3
Make system status obvious
Make system status obvious
Challenge
Long, multi-step workflows left users unsure where they were in the process and whether previous actions had been completed successfully.
Design Decision
Improved navigation, progress indicators, and confirmation states to reinforce where users were, what had been completed, and what came next.
Challenge
Long, multi-step workflows left users unsure where they were in the process and whether previous actions had been completed successfully.
Design Decision
Improved navigation, progress indicators, and confirmation states to reinforce where users were, what had been completed, and what came next.
Designing the Solution
Translating community needs into a navigable platform system
Translating community needs into a navigable platform system
Translating community needs into a navigable platform system
From the research findings, we moved into task flows, wireframes, prototypes, and visual design explorations that made GlobalNET feel easier to navigate and more purposeful for different types of members.
From the research findings, we moved into task flows, wireframes, prototypes, and visual design explorations that made GlobalNET feel easier to navigate and more purposeful for different types of members.
From the research findings, we moved into task flows, wireframes, prototypes, and visual design explorations that made GlobalNET feel easier to navigate and more purposeful for different types of members.
The design direction emphasized clearer entry points, stronger content hierarchy, member-centered discovery patterns, and flexible interface components that could scale across a complex Drupal platform.
The design direction emphasized clearer entry points, stronger content hierarchy, member-centered discovery patterns, and flexible interface components that could scale across a complex Drupal platform.
The design direction emphasized clearer entry points, stronger content hierarchy, member-centered discovery patterns, and flexible interface components that could scale across a complex Drupal platform.
Connecting tasks between admin and participant flows.
Connecting tasks between admin and participant flows.
Connecting tasks between admin and participant flows.
Final Designs
A more connected professional network
A more connected professional network
A more connected professional network
The final designs brought research, workflow improvements, and visual system direction together into an experience that made GlobalNET easier to navigate, administer, and personalize for a global security community.
The final designs brought research, workflow improvements, and visual system direction together into an experience that made GlobalNET easier to navigate, administer, and personalize for a global security community.
The final designs brought research, workflow improvements, and visual system direction together into an experience that made GlobalNET easier to navigate, administer, and personalize for a global security community.
This section can continue to expand with more screens, prototypes, and implementation notes as the story evolves.
This section can continue to expand with more screens, prototypes, and implementation notes as the story evolves.
This section can continue to expand with more screens, prototypes, and implementation notes as the story evolves.
Administrator
Administrator
Participant
Participant
IMPACT
Creating a More Connected Collaboration Experience
Creating a More Connected Collaboration Experience
Creating a More Connected Collaboration Experience
By redesigning the platform around how people actually discover expertise, participate in discussions, and build professional relationships, the experience became more intuitive, efficient, and scalable.
By redesigning the platform around how people actually discover expertise, participate in discussions, and build professional relationships, the experience became more intuitive, efficient, and scalable.
By redesigning the platform around how people actually discover expertise, participate in discussions, and build professional relationships, the experience became more intuitive, efficient, and scalable.
Product Strategy
Centered the product around the workflows that create the most value.
Centered the product around the workflows that create the most value.
Centered the product around the workflows that create the most value.
Information Architecture
Simplified navigation and content organization to improve discoverability.
Simplified navigation and content organization to improve discoverability.
Simplified navigation and content organization to improve discoverability.
INTERACTION DESIGN
Reduced friction across administrator and participant workflows through iterative usability testing.
Reduced friction across administrator and participant workflows through iterative usability testing.
Reduced friction across administrator and participant workflows through iterative usability testing.
Design System
Created reusable interaction patterns that improved consistency across the platform.
Created reusable interaction patterns that improved consistency across the platform.
Created reusable interaction patterns that improved consistency across the platform.
✨Principles I Still Design By ✨
The most effective products support how people naturally work. Understanding user goals first leads to simpler workflows, clearer decisions, and more intuitive interactions.