URSA

Class Project

Fall 2023

RedDot Award, Indigo Award

UX Design

UX Research

UX Design

Overview

Ursa is a desktop security solution for small businesses, designed to detect phishing threats, educate employees, and simplify reporting. By proactively scanning emails and fostering cybersecurity awareness, Ursa strengthens digital safety and empowers teams to navigate online communications with confidence.

Role: UX Research Lead

Specifications

Team:

Sejoon Kim, Team Lead, UX Research

Lucilla Fell, Visual Design Lead

Belle Duffner, UX Strategy, UI Design

Owen Hudock, Branding

Duration: 10 Weeks

Tools: Figma, Illustrator

Role: UX Research Lead

Specifications

Belle Duffner, UX Strategy, UI Design

Owen Hudock, Branding

Team:

Lucilla Fell, Visual Design Lead

Sejoon Kim, Team Lead, UX Research

Duration: 10 Weeks

Tools: Figma, Illustrator

Problem Space

As AI advances, protecting personal data is crucial. Small businesses, often lacking cybersecurity resources, are vulnerable to phishing. Ursa bridges this gap, strengthening their digital security.

324,000

cases a year

Sourced from PurpleSec

Phishing

Secondary Research

In our secondary research, my team and I identified pain points, analyzed market trends, and defined our target audience. We examined similar platforms, compared their content with our goals, and explored audience needs.

Small businesses struggle to protect against phishing, which targets individuals despite security measures. As frequent cyberattack victims, only 15% of cases are reported.

Target Audience

Small businesses operate with slim margins, making them particularly vulnerable to any data or resource disruptions – that's why we made them the focus of our initiative.

Not every small business applies to our problem space. So, in this case, we defined our audience to be the archetype of “inquisitive”– those who function in a business that is more technology heavy and have higher level of concern for company safety.

Our target audience consists of tech-driven small businesses with a strong focus on security, specifically those with an inquisitive mindset toward safeguarding company data.

Expert Interview

25 Survey Responses

While 60% of employees report having cybersecurity programs at work, only 40% of those participants find their training adequate.

User Interview

Through interviews with employees and owners, we gathered 100+ insights revealing urgent phishing vulnerabilities that require immediate action.

User Interview

Through interviews with employees and owners, we gathered 100+ insights revealing urgent phishing vulnerabilities that require immediate action.

Expert Interview

Through affinity mapping and expert interviews, we identified key opportunities for improving employee education and security protections.

Expert Interview

Through affinity mapping and expert interviews, we identified key opportunities for improving employee education and security protections.

Interviews revealed gaps in cybersecurity tools and how users fall for phishing scams. Experts shared effective strategies, which we unified into a single platform to strengthen protection.

Feature Ideation

Before getting into lo-fi development, we had an ideation session to brainstorm every possible feature for our project.

Idea Dump

Our team ideated different ways to visually display different features.

Feature Feasibility

We reviewed our Feasibility map to help support which features to focus on.

Lo-fi Sketching

Team sketches evolved from low-fidelity concepts to refined mid-fi wireframes.

Lo-fi Sketching

Team sketches evolved from low-fidelity concepts to refined mid-fi wireframes.

Navigation Bar

The employer navigation bar focuses on tracking the business's reporting progress and monitoring phishing emails. By analyzing this progress, employers can introduce randomness in campaign launches, resulting in more realistic data for identifying phishing emails.

The employee navigation bar is designed for simplicity, ensuring a user-friendly experience that helps employees quickly find what they need and stay focused on their work.

> The employer navigation bar tracks reporting progress and phishing emails, enabling randomized campaign launches for more realistic threat analysis.

The expert interviews revealed two primary challenges: employees can often predict the timing of phishing emails used for training, and the lack of diversity in email contexts makes it easier for them to identify these test emails.

> The employee navigation bar is designed for simplicity, ensuring a user-friendly experience that helps employees quickly find what they need and stay focused on their work.

> The employer navigation bar tracks reporting progress and phishing emails, enabling randomized campaign launches for more realistic threat analysis.

The employee navigation bar is designed to minimize unnecessary complexity, ensuring a user-friendly and less intimidating experience. This streamlined design enables employees to quickly find what they need, complete tasks efficiently, and return to work without distractions.

The employer navigation bar tracks reporting progress and phishing emails, enabling randomized campaign launches for more realistic threat analysis.

> The employee navigation bar is designed for simplicity, ensuring a user-friendly experience that helps employees quickly find what they need and stay focused on their work.

User Flow: Email Widget

Integrating security awareness into the email interface ensures constant accessibility. Placed within employees' peripheral vision, the widget enables seamless engagement without disrupting workflow.

Interface Developing

To effectively convey a large amount of data, our interface prioritized three key factors.

Simple Design

Clear Userflow

Intuitive Information Architecture

Usability Testing

Conducted 15 of A/B Testing

6 Usability Testing

2 Expert Evaluation

We've reached a key milestone with our functional prototype, now ready for user testing. Usability testing and expert evaluations ensured a seamless experience, with feedback integrated into the design.

Brand Development

Hi-Fi — Employee Interface

To respect employees' time, we provide concise, strategically placed security insights. Our email reporting campaign ensures high visibility and effortless engagement without overwhelming users.