A complete revaluation of an established data visualisation tool’s UX to address onboarding issues, align with ongoing product expansion and lay foundations for increased functionality.
The problem
Investigations is a graph-based data visualisation tool which had evolved organically over time into a highly complex and fragmented experience. As the product direction shifted alongside an expanding customer base — and an increased focus on cybercrime alongside the more traditional security focus — new functionality was frequently delivered within tight deadlines. This led to a pattern where features were positioned based on implementation convenience rather than a coherent structural logic or strategy.
Over time, whilst individual feature UX was strong, this resulted in inconsistent layout behaviours, poorly grouped functionality, and a lack of predictable interaction patterns. Users increasingly struggled to orient themselves within the application, often reporting frustration and uncertainty about where to begin or how to complete core tasks given the breadth of functionality available.
The approach
Having already begun independently documenting systemic inconsistencies across the product, I recognised that addressing the accumulated UX debt would require both evidence and cross-functional alignment to secure meaningful engineering investment.
To build this case, I led a UX discovery initiative. The team conducted user engagement sessions alongside a System Usability Scale (SUS) survey to establish a quantitative baseline (which returned a score of 59 - D). In parallel, I directed a full UI mapping exercise, breaking down the existing interface into structured block diagrams and cataloguing every interaction pattern. This allowed us to build a complete systems-level view of the product and identify core structural sections.
To strengthen the case further, I partnered with a customer participating in a proof-of-concept trial and led onboarding interviews throughout their early usage. These sessions surfaced consistent usability friction points that validated our internal findings. With both qualitative and quantitative evidence aligned, I was able to secure dedicated time in the development roadmap to address the issues.
Solution
I led the definition of a coherent interaction model for the product, introducing consistent, reusable patterns across the system. For example, all create and edit flows were standardised to open within a right-hand sliding drawer, while integrations with external services and APIs were consistently handled via modal patterns.
With the full catalog of interactions we were able to established a clearer spatial hierarchy across the application, creating a more predictable top-down, left-to-right flow that improved scanning, navigation, and task completion.
To further improve efficiency and usability, we applied interaction principles such as Fitts’s Law, ensuring that key actions were positioned to minimise effort and cognitive load.
“I know it’s not available yet but the team did show us a POC which was amazing!” — Cybersecurity team manager”
The redesigned system was implemented and received positively by both customers and internal stakeholders. A follow-up SUS survey, conducted after users had time to adapt to the new structure, showed a significant improvement to 77.5 (B+). Users reported a more consistent, predictable, and less frustrating experience, allowing them to remain focused on analytical work rather than interface navigation.
“I’ve come out in goosebumps!” — Leading cloud infrastructure provider”
Beyond usability improvements, the introduction of clearly defined UI patterns and structural guidance has increased delivery velocity. New features can now be more quickly and consistently mapped into the system, with established interaction models reducing ambiguity during design and development.
“Although it’s only just been released as a production feature [customer] have taken the unusual step of announcing how well it’s working which shows how excited they are about it” — Law enforcement agency”
Lessons Learned
In fast-moving, startup-style environments, rapid feature delivery can lead to significant UX debt accumulating over time and across multiple product owners if not actively managed. I learned the importance of making this debt visible early and creating structured opportunities to address it before it becomes a blocker to product evolution.
Most importantly, establishing and consistently applying clear interaction patterns early in a product’s lifecycle is critical to long-term scalability. Once a shared system language is in place, both user experience and delivery efficiency improve significantly. These established patterns and foundational work continue to bear fruit.