Transforming Network Detective Pro with an End-to-End Product Design Approach
1 of 4 modules within RapidFire Tools, a comprehensive, automated IT risk management software. Network Detective Pro (NDPro) is a network scanning and IT assessment tool. Previously a 10-year-old desktop app with outdated UI and complex workflows.
RapidFire Tools — a suite of 4 IT risk management modules
Without a doubt, being a 10-year-old product causes many issues. Feedback from our customers showed that these issues were hindering product adoption, and we knew this needed to change.
To address these challenges, I led the design and launch of over 20 features over the course of 3 quarters. The goal was to reduce complexity, improve usability, and increase adoption. I collaborated closely with product managers, developers, sales, and QA team to ensure we were aligning user needs with business goals.
Before jumping into the design, I led a comprehensive research to define user pain points. We conducted interviews with stakeholders, spoke to customers, and analyzed competitors to benchmark against modern security tools.
Through research, we gathered the following three key takeaways, which later informed our redesign priorities.
Users struggled with multi-step processes that lacked clear context, often abandoning tasks midway.
The decade-old visual language created cognitive overload and slowed adoption among new users.
Key workflows required excessive manual steps, reducing efficiency for time-pressed IT administrators.
The success of this redesign hinged on balancing user needs with business objectives and a strong understanding of the technical feasibility.
Collaboration was key to this project. Although I led the design, I couldn't have done it without the support of all my team members.
Our design approach focused on 4 core principles: simplifying workflows, ensuring consistency across all Kaseya products, improving task efficiency, and making the interface accessible to all users.
Reduce multi-step processes to clear, intuitive flows that guide users to completion.
Align visual language and interaction patterns across all Kaseya product suite.
Minimize clicks and cognitive load so users can complete critical tasks faster.
Design an interface that meets accessibility standards and works for every user.
Imagine you're an IT administrator at a Managed Service Provider, responsible for delivering seamless network and security support to a busy medium-sized dental organization.
Your days are packed, balancing multiple clients with ongoing monitoring, troubleshooting, and reporting tasks. You need quick access to critical insights, with minimal navigation and maximum clarity. Efficiency and accuracy are paramount, and you need a tool that not only keeps up with your demands but streamlines the way you gather, analyze, and present data—making each report valuable, actionable, and easy to deliver.
Real-Time Network & Security Overview
Get a clear, high-level view of your client's network and security health at a glance. The dashboard delivers real-time insights, helping you quickly identify risks and trends, so you're always prepared to address your client's most pressing needs.
Dashboard — real-time network and security health overview
Instant Reports with Actionable Insights
Create assessments on-demand with a streamlined flow that generates insightful reports in minutes. You can respond to urgent client requests and present findings with confidence and precision.
Ad-Hoc Assessment — data collection and scan configuration
Set It and Stay on Top
Schedule regular assessments with automated workflows that run in the background, ensuring you're ready with up-to-date insights for every client check-in. Say goodbye to manual oversight and hello to proactive, consistent reporting.
Automated Workflows — schedule and configure recurring assessment tasks
Tailored for Every Client
Elevate your service with fully customizable reports that reflect each client's brand. This feature not only strengthens your client relationships but also makes each report presentation-ready and relevant to each audience's needs.
Upon designing, my first goal was to refine the information architecture of Network Detective Pro, as it supports countless features and cannot be migrated overnight.
When a user onboards to NDPro, their main goal is to set up network and IT assessments for their client. There are two ways to do that: 1) manual assessment through computer scanning and manual form input, 2) set up tasks so they can be run automatically for recurring check-ins. Once assessments are done, users can view scans, generate reports, and explore the database.
Because of the amount of work it takes to design and develop the entire product, we strategically divided into 4 phases spanning over 3 quarters, 6 JIRA epics.
Phase 1 involved launching a minimum viable product with a redesigned UI. The goal was to excite users and gather early feedback.
In this phase, features were quite limited. We focused on simplifying navigation, reducing clutter, and ensuring accessibility. We made key actions more prominent and reduced distractions, making the interface much easier to use.
Phase 1 MVP Launch — lay out foundations for data collection
Phase 2 focused on migrating more core features, such as manual data collection through forms, and the ability to view their database after scanning.
We streamlined the entire workflow for common tasks like running manual assessments. We also added contextual help and tooltips to guide users through the interface, improving task flow efficiency.
Phase 2 Core Features — manual data collection and assessment flow
Phase 3 was all about automation, which significantly improved efficiency. Close collaboration with engineering ensured a smooth integration of these features.
In the legacy Desktop version, users are able to set up automated scan tasks, report tasks, and export tasks. However, when talking to the sales and support team, we realized not many users use this feature because of its complex flow with countless modals, repetitive and uncategorized tasks.
Phase 3 - adding automation as the final piece to streamline workflows
In the first iteration, I implemented the updated design system. However, it's still a very long process for setting up an automated task. Although it has a fresh look, it's still easy for users to quit in the middle of the process because of the waiting time, long flow, and lack of context.
In a later iteration, I laid over the context on a full page, letting users configure scans they would like to automate separately. This allows users to reduce time they need to fill in repetitive information, such as selecting the data collector, verifying the schedule, etc.
In the final phase, we polished the UI to ensure consistency across all Kaseya products.
With the four phased approach, we embraced agile development and iterative design, enhancing the user experience for business growth.
I was recognized as the sole designer for this critical redesign project within the entire product lineup. The redesign also received strong endorsements and positive feedback from stakeholders, signaling confidence in the design's impact.
Throughout this project, I advocated for a standardized design system and reinvented collaboration process in the product org, making product development more efficient and consistent.
More importantly, I led efforts to improve design maturity at Kaseya and especially in my own product org by hosting multiple product demos and design workshops. One of the highlights was hosting a Figma workshop last year after the launch of DevMode.
Getting stakeholders engaged early on was crucial for understanding their evolving needs and aligning the design vision with real-world workflows. This approach enabled better buy-in and faster iteration based on practical insights, enhancing the final product's relevance and effectiveness.
While our design cycles were already agile, I saw the impact of frequent, even shorter cycles in adapting quickly to feedback. More frequent releases allowed us to validate assumptions sooner and keep improvements aligned with user needs—ultimately resulting in a more user-centered product.
Looking back, I would invest additional time in exploring varied design concepts at the start. Testing a wider range of ideas could bring fresh perspectives to complex workflows, opening up more innovative solutions and allowing for quicker refinements in the final design.