Edgescan 2020

Designers: Marija Cosic, Kevin Dunne, Cormac Ó Conaire, David Kennefick, Matt Craig, Joe Douglas, and Owen Mooney, Design Partners, Bray, Co Wicklow, Ireland
Client: Edgescan, Ballycoolin, Dublin, Ireland

Challenge
In cyber security, a vulnerability is a weakness in an online system that can be exploited by actions such as stealing passwords, deleting data or holding data ransom. Vulnerability management is the practice of identifying, classifying, remediating, and mitigating such vulnerabilities. Many companies in the space use automated systems to deal with vulnerabilities. However, the problem with this approach is it provides organizations with a long list of identified risks to deal with. This takes time, effort and resources and many of the identified risks turn out to be false-positives. 

Edgescan takes a hybrid approach to solve this problem. They use their custom-built, cloud based scanning technology combined with human validation. Their clients are only exposed to the risks that matter – essentially reducing the noise for their customers and only providing information that is critical and actionable. Edgescan collaborated with Design Partners to redesign their software interface to ensure the UI design is as pioneering as their technology.
 
Design
Recognising the unique differentiator of the service, the design team began to tell a story around ‘noise-reduction’. This USP became the cornerstone for every design decision – simplifying all complexity, reducing noise of the UX and only exposing the users to relevant information - setting Edgescan apart from competitors in the security space with a clean, action-oriented design. The new design not only reflects Edgescan’s competitive advantage, it also delivers even more time saving for their clients:

“Support costs and overhead costs is reduced by introducing more intuitive design. Combined with more ways to authenticate, it’s much easier for organisations to train new staff on the Edgescan platform.” - David Kennefick, Product Architect, Edgescan

The UI is optimised based on responsive design principles allowing Edgescan to roll out the latest iteration on a broader range of devices. The pattern library was also delivered using atomic design methodology, giving flexibility to integrate and develop new features instantly.

“Having a well-defined and attractive set of building blocks ensures the UI is consistently appealing throughout. The comprehensive component library ensures developers aren't in danger of spending time making decisions outside their area of expertise bringing confidence that their work will reach a high visual standard.” - David Kennefick, Product Architect, Edgescan
 
Design
To differentiate from the older competition and to convey a more pioneering outlook, the design aesthetic needed to be fresh and inviting. However, due to the serious nature of the security industry it also needed to portray an air of assertive professionalism – balancing these contradicting requirements in a beautiful way was the secret to delivering a unique identity.  

The final palette was made fully colour-blind accessible, while remaining clear and consistent. Traffic light systems were used in all critical areas, so the information was understandable even for the first use of the product. The dashboard system was designed so that every user that logged in would have a personalized experience based on their user profile and a single sentence would inform them of the most immediate action to address.

Result
Great design reflects both the customers' needs and the brand promise. Edgescan’s customers are now able to generate reports “up to 25% faster” and decision-making times are “reduced by up to 15%”. “This represents a huge time saving for our clients.” - David Kennefick, Product Architect, Edgescan. The new app design also directly reflects what makes Edgescan stand out from the competition – noise reduction.