Sentry

A 24-hour cross-disciplinary technology sprint aimed to develop a digital solution for a challenge presented by Microsoft.

Role:
UX/UI Designer
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Duration:
August 2023, 24 hours
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Responsibilities:
UX Research, Design Strategy, UI, Slide Deck

Tools:
Figma, Figjam, Grammarly

View Prototype

Overview

Situation

Within a team comprising Software Engineers and Data Scientists, I faced a 24-hour deadline to tackle a tech challenge presented by Microsoft.

Solution

An e-mail plugin that allows users to safely access their e-mail accounts by scanning for pesky AI phishing scams

A person is working at a computer and an image of a Sentry E-mail plugin example is shown on the left

The client

A heavy hitter enters the fray

Since its establishment in 1975, Microsoft Corporation has played a pivotal role as a leading American multinational technology company in the computer industry.

Microsoft Annual Report

4:00 PM - The Challenge

How might we transform data privacy settings and practices across multiple platforms, making them more appealing and secure for individuals?

An image of a clock counting down the time of 24 hours remaining

4:01 pm - forming the avengers

Great things are not done alone

I was assigned to a team comprised of 3 Software Engineers, 2 Data Scientists, and 1 UX Designer (me!). Initially, we struggled to be on the same page and decide on a direction. It was a struggle.

In the end, we were able to put aside our differences and work towards a common goal. I suggested we take some time to explore the problem space before committing to anything first.

An image of a team of engineers, data scientists, and ux designers

4:30 pm - Planning

Exploring the problem space

We explored the problem space by doing independent research, bringing back ideas, and doing a group vote to decide the direction we wanted to go. Our choice was AI-powered phishing / Social Engineering.

An image of the team doing research and voting

6:00 pm - Narrowing it down

Using Data Science for the win

Although we struggled at first, we got back together and tried to assign each other roles. I tasked the data scientists to come back with some more secondary research.

1.7 Billion phishing attacks per year

$2.7 Billion USD lost to phishing e-mails

ChatGPT is being leveraged by scammers

An image of a clock counting down the time of 21 hours remaining

7:01 pm - User interviews

Asking the people who matter most

With such little time, I still made it a priority to talk to users who were affected by the problem space. I called three people who fit the criteria of people working at tech companies. Through listening to their answers, I was able to refine the problem space and create a new HMW statement.

An image of three men in their middle thirties being interviewed

8:00 pm - User Persona

Meet John Banks: A victim of AI phishing scams

Through the user interviews, I better understood the problem by asking real people. I called three people who fit the criteria of people 25 and up, currently working in tech, and familiarity with Microsoft. From there, I crafted a basic persona from the data I got from the interviews and presented it to the team.

An image of John Banks, a 30-something male

8:30 pm - Reframing the Problem Space

Focusing on the problem with a new HMW

How might we help employees working in tech decrease the risk of phishing attacks to prevent their company from losing money to these attacks?

A countdown timer saying there is 19 hours and 15 minutes left

8:46 pm - Taskflow

A taskflow fit for everyone

Finally, armed with a taskflow and a persona, my teammates could fully grasp the concept I was designing. The software engineers were also grateful that I kept mindful of their capabilities and was willing to share ideas.

9:15 pm - ITERATIONS

Going from lo-fi to hi-fi

I made sketches using good old pen and paper. I used Figma to make high-fidelity versions once everyone was on board with the sketches. I did a little bit of user testing with the team as much as I could, but was limited due to time constraints.

An image of different sketches for Sentry

⬇️

An image of different wireframes that was translated from the previous wireframes

1:00 am - please let me sleep. Not yet? okay.

Securing a smooth hand-off

I finished a little bit before 1:00am and made sure to stay on another two hours to help ensure a smooth transition. As I was waiting, I started creating a logo and started the slide deck. At around 3:00am, I took a quick nap and woke up in the morning to finalize everything before the deadline.

Picture taken for PuppyHero – https://puppyhero.comby BRUNO CERVERA

A countdown timer saying there is 13 hours

3:00 pm - finishing before the deadline

Stay secure using Sentry

After a long night, we were able to build our concept to be an e-mail-based solution add-on called "Sentry". It would detect AI phishing and thus create a more secure environment for Microsoft users.

Harley working in the Studio Republic office, Winchesterby Studio Republic

Features

We decided on an e-mail-based solution add-on called "Sentry" to detect AI phishing and thus create a more secure environment for Microsoft users.

The plugin would detect AI phishing scams and give users options for handling them.

Detects potential phishing scams and AI usage in communications
Protects customer information 
Maintains communication integrity for individuals and enterprises

A countdown timer saying there are 0 hours left

Hi-Fi Demo

The final unveiling

We made it. It was time to present our solution proudly to the judges. We were all proud of what we could accomplish in such a short amount of time.