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IPVanish, like many other VPNs, had an outdated and highly technical interface.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

ITERATION

For version 4.0 we explored how to further simplify the app and analyze what users benefited from most. Through a series of tests, we asked select users to interact with our Invision prototype and explain how they felt about the overall experience. We found that most of our audience were not concerned with servers so much as locations. For example, one of our testers wanted the ability to watch BBC from the states and nothing more. With results such as these, as well as analyzing Google Analytics, we found that specific server selection was not a high priority for our customer base. More than anything, users wanted to "click it and forget it".

So, for v4.0 we decided to negate the server list all together. Users could still access it from the QuickConnect section on the main screen. Furthermore, we added the capability to change from a dark to a light theme and vice versa. 

THE RESULTS