Leadership through a pandemic at Absolute

Client

Absolute Software

Role

Sr. UX Design Lead

Deliverables

Design strategy, customer engagement

Overview

Amidst the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous IT administrators found themselves compelled to adapt to a remote work / distant learning setting. This necessitated the operation of devices beyond the confines of traditional office and institution spaces and the formulation of novel policies governing access privileges.

Within my team, we played a pivotal role in facilitating our clients' smooth transition by enhancing visibility and reporting on asset inventory, expeditiously crafting security protocols, and diligently monitoring the health of their device fleet to fortify defence against cyber threats.

Challenges & opportunity

Many companies were without a remote work policy, leading to a sudden transition to remote operations and the urgent need to secure devices on a large scale to ensure business continuity.

Security administrators and CISO audiences are in search of scalable solutions that provide enhanced visibility into their device fleet's status, facilitate the adjustment of security policies, and enable prompt threat response. This highlights the criticality of implementing efficient and adaptable security measures.

Design process

Refining product capabilities

In my role as the Senior UX Lead, my primary responsibility involved deeply understanding Absolute customers' use cases and refining interactions across all touchpoints. This initiative substantially improved the visibility of vulnerabilities and introduced contextual workflows, thereby aiding users in effectively mitigating threats.

Designing with customer use cases

Transitioning from a 'What features to build' to a 'Why are we building it' model, we clarified customer needs by articulating use cases. This approach ensures teams comprehend the purpose behind feature development and workflow improvements, fostering opportunities for future enhancements without the need for rebuilds or disposable code.

Building customer relationships

Partnering closely with customer-facing teams, we actively engaged customers in providing feedback and shaping foundational use cases. This increased customer investment in the product, resulting in a notable rise in the Net Promoter Score by 29 points and an increase in customer satisfaction loyalty rating score to 91%.

Rapid prototyping & iterations

To accelerate the delivery of essential features, we conducted user testing using rapid prototypes, which provided early feedback for refining builds. Creating proof-of-concept beta demos enabled iterative refinement with customers, fostering a sense of inclusion as their change recommendations were implemented.