Add-In for Email Encryption
Product Type
Plug-in for Window MS Outlook 365
Duration
1 Month
Role
UX/UI Designer
The most correspondence in the business world is email-based and statistics even say the number will continue to rise (Source: Statisca). Since 2019 all companies in the EU have had to keep the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in an email-based communication, it isn’t easy for corporations and small businesses as well to keep updated about the steadily changing rules and equip an adequate technology and program.
This Add-In adds two more security options to the E2E option in MS Outlook and provides a wide range of the customers with the best security technology.
Summary
In the first release, I designed the core layout and the icons that help the users check the security status of each recipient at a glance. After that, I conducted user research and analysed the user behaviour. Throughout the process, I came up with several ideas to improve the usability and fill the gaps between the user requirements and the first version.
Contribution
-
Ideated solutions for the new feature
-
Explored design opportunities within MS design system to improve the accessibility
-
Crafted wireframes, prototypes, and design specifications
About Add-In
This Add-In adds two more security options (Organisational encryption, Personal E2E with certificate) to the standard E2E policy of MS Outlook. Users are informed how their email will be sent to each recipient and compare these three options to send the email with the most secure option. There are four types of information about the security status.
User Research
I started the revision with a survey posted on a forum to understand users' behaviour in business email communication.
-
The number of the emails per day
-
The number of recipients in sending an email
-
The form of business email communication
How many emails do you send regarding your work a day?
Which types of recipient do you usually communicate through emails with?
Which types of the business email communication do you have the most?
To dig deeper, I interviewed 4 people who are aware of the importance of security in situations and experiences in business email communication. Based on the interviews, I managed to create user personas.
User Persona
Mona
Lawyer
Age: 39
“I just wanna check if the option I chosen last time will work well this time too.”
Mona communicates with her clients through several emails every day. Although she gets many phone calls, her main communication channel is email. She usually repetitively emails a group of recipients.
Goal
-
to email known recipients with the high secure option
-
to be able to compare the available options for email security
-
to use the option used for the same recipient
-
to be able to skim which recipients will get the email secure and which won’t.
Frustrations
-
Always when I email a group of known recipients, I need to go through the tedious encryption process repeatedly.
-
To avoid mistakes, I have to check every time even though I choose the option I’ve used.
Tim
Chartered accountant
Age: 30
“I wanna be notified in simple way about security status”
Tim usually emails a single recipient (e.g. accountant in a company). He regularly needs to email every single client to notify specific occasions.
Goal
-
to email a known recipient with the high secure option
-
to use the option I have used for the same recipient
Frustrations
-
To avoid mistakes, I have to check every time even though I choose the option I’ve used for this recipient
Chad
Recruiter
Age: 38
“I feel overwhelmed when I have to check the security status of more than 25 new recipients”
Chad emails a group of applicants to inform their next step. Otherwise, he also uses email to communicate with the labor minister department or a headhunter agency.
Goal
-
to email a group of new recipients with the highly secure option
-
to check at a glance which recipients will get the email secure and which won’t.
-
to be able to compare the available options for email security to use the option I’ve used for the same recipient
Frustrations
-
When more than 25 recipients at one time is overwhelming to choose the best option
-
To avoid mistakes, I have to check every time even though I choose the option I’ve used.
-
I have to check the expirations of every single certificate.
After the interview about their email communication, an in-depth interview followed to deepen the understanding of their interaction with the plug-in.
Here are the pain points:
Pain Points
01
Low Visibility of Activated Option
The activated option is neither displayed on the pane nor perceived enough by users.
KEY FEATURE 01
The activated option should be displayed with the highest visibility
02
Difficult Comparing Process
Due to the difficulty of visualising each option as an icon, the options don’t have their own icon. The name of each option is also too complicated; that’s why users can’t intuitively associate each option with the information displayed on the pane.
Click the drop down menu and "Standard Gateway Policy"
The status of each recipient with the "Standard Gateway Policy" option
Click the drop down menu and "Personal E2E Encryption"
The status of each recipient with the "Personal E2E Encryption" option
KEY FEATURE 02
Improve the user flow to choose the most secure option
03
Repetitive Comparison User Fllow
Even if the email communication happens repeatedly, users should go through the whole user flow
User task flow of the first version
KEY FEATURE 03
In case of repeated email communication, users should be able to quickly choose the latest option used for the same recipient
Design Challanges
-
How might I inform users about the option they chose?
-
How might I help users to compare three options?
-
How might I prompt users to choose the latest option used for the same recipient?
For the ideation process, I came up with many ideas and narrowed them down to 2 realistic ideas. Then, one idea was chosen from voting to be a potential solution to the problem.
UX Concept
Display the Three Options on the Pane
This concept allows users to compare the three options and activate on the pane simultaneously. Although I had come up with many ideas for it, I decided to keep the design for the recipients' status of the first release. Because it would suit the case of over 10 recipients.
01
Three Taps + Confirm Button
Pro
Contra
-
It would be recognised as categories rather than options.
-
The process could be tedious because users have to click the “Select” button and then the “Confirm” button.
02
App Bar + Dialog Window
Pro
-
It can be recognised as “Activated” by users as they click it.
-
It notifies users once again on a modal window.
Contra
03
Master/Detail View + Toggle Switch
Pro
-
Users can get the analyses from the Add-In.
-
Users can inform themselves the detail of the option.
Contra
-
Too many elements (activation, flip icon, the option name) should be put together.
-
The layout is too complicated to be implemented.
Ideas
Chosen Idea: #2
App Bar with Dialog Window
#2 takes up the narrow space on the pane and informs users once again which option is activated.
Improve User Flow
Based on the insight, whether the email communication happens repeatedly or not, has a significant difference in the user behaviour, I improved the user flow.
How to Prompt Users to Choose the Option Used for the Same Recipient?
During looking up MS Design System, I came up with the idea of “Teaching tips” style that is prominent and has several configurations (e.g., button, tail, and hyperlink). After exploring “Teaching tips” style, I decided to implement a close button, a check box, and a hyperlink which users can configure the feature.
User Flow for New Communication
User Flow for Repetitive Communication
Streamlined Email Encryption
The Add-In for email encryption is designed to provide users the two security options and inform the status of the activated option. Here are the improvements which enable users to intuitively interact with security options.
Solution 01
Improved Notification System
The activated option is displayed on the pane. After click the “Send” button, users get informed once again on the dialogue window which option activated.
Solution 02
Intuitive Comparing Process
The three options are displayed on the pane so that users can compare these options with its diagnosis. They can activate an option just by clicking that.
Solution 03
User Prompting Tool-Tip
In the case of repetitive email communications, users can easily choose the option applied to the same recipient.
What I Learned
COVID-19 has accelerated a shift to a hybrid work model which requires the awareness of security for communication in business. It would raise demand for security equipment which can be embedded into the working environment in a simple way.
The target group and the existing users of the Add-In are already aware of the security within email communication; therefore, trust is the most important factor of the product. I’m really sure, that the design improvement will contribute to strengthening their trust of the product.
More Work to Come
-
Improving the layout of Teaching tip