THE PROJECT

IPVanish is a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service provider offering secure access and high speeds. Their VPN Network provides online security and fast, easy-to-use software.  

IPVanish, like many other VPNs, had an outdated and highly technical interface. While most consumers know about the importance of internet safety and privacy, many do not understand the high-level jargon that most VPNs contain. The goal of this redesign was to create a consistent UI across platforms and simplify the app to effectively communicate with users of all levels.

THE CHALLENGE

First, I needed to gain insight on the product and coordinate with the Application Development team. I collaborated with the project manager, five developers, and a UX designer to provide insight and translate concepts that addressed customer behaviors and motivations. From these meetings, we laid out a roadmap and prioritized features for launch and beyond.

An important feature we wanted to include was the ability to quickly connect, which was aptly named QuickConnect. QuickConnect would allow users to select the “Best Available” country, city, or server, and connect right away. Users would also have the ability to access this via the server list or map.

Version 3.0

Customer insights

By version 4.0, I led the design and UX of IPVanish across Android, Android TV, iOS, OS X, and Windows. My main efforts were to evolve the product by addressing customer pain‐points related to the server list and discovery experience. Through a series of tests, it was revealed that most of our audience was not concerned with specific servers, but moreover specific locations. For example, one of our testers wanted the ability to watch BBC from the states and nothing more.

So, for the next release, we decided to move the the dedicated server list down in the hierarchy of the app. Additionally, we added the capability to change from dark to light mode.

THE RESULTS