Redesigning Upfort Shield: Making Cybersecurity an Intuitive Experience
I led the complete UX transformation of Upfort Shield's admin experience, streamlining onboarding flows and increasing user engagement.
Challenge
Core Problems
Upfort Shield’s confusing cybersecurity workflows caused user drop-off and low engagement.
In addition, the company needed to rebrand to avoid trademark conflicts.
Project Summary
Role & Approach
Role
Principal Designer at Upfort
Duration
Aug 2023 - Apr 2025
(Delivered in phases: rebranding first, then workflows and redesigns over time)
Approach Included:
Rebranding
Design system
User research
UI designs
Prototypes
Solutions
Designed & delivered:
Rebrand kit
Illustrations
Website redesign
Onboarding workflow
User admin workflow
Cyber University redesign
Admin dashboard redesign
Inbox Defender workflow
Phishing Sims workflow
Passwordless login workflow
Impacts
Since these implemented changes are fresh, key metrics are still being gathered. There has been a noticeable drop in support calls. More users are completing onboarding and engaging more.
It Started with a Rebrand
The company needed to change its name from Paladin Cyber for trademark reasons. I led the initiative and directed a team of designers in this effort. The rebranding included the new company name, Upfort, and a complete visual identity (including an illustration library).The new logo has elements of a castle or fort, a shield, and even a knight's mask. Blue is associated with trust, and its warmer hue is more inviting.
The rebranding project informed the development of the Aragorn design system, which is based on Mantine.
Admin Overview Page
This fresh new UI fixed numerous usability issues and improved engagement. This is the start page as soon as the fully onboarded admin logs in.
Admin Onboarding
This UI is seen by the admin early in the onboarding flow. It replaces a six-step modal dialog that few users ever completed. With this new UI, the admin can explore all areas of the app and complete onboarding at their own pace. Most admins, however, easily complete this setup right away, and the UI updates to the fully functional Overview page.
Rich Details Easily Available
The information drawers, which animate from the right side of the screen, help the user easily find details about features.
Making it Easy to Add New Users
A previously cumbersome experience of adding users was replaced with an improved design that simplified decisions and removed ambiguity.
Manage Users & Track Their Progress
A simple UI enables the admin to view the protection status of users and track their training progress.
Easy Training Setup
The admin can easily and quickly set up their company with cybersecurity training. All courses are selected by default, and admins can deselect those less applicable to their team.
Progressive Disclosure of Course Details
A simple click opens a drawer with rich details about the course contents. The admin knows precisely what their team will be getting in their training.
Tracking Training Progress
The admin can easily see how well their team is progressing with cybersecurity training.
Rich Training Progress Details
The admin can easily drill down to see which courses a user completed and when. They'd also see which courses had not started or which are due for a refresher.