A complex problem.
A simple solution.
The Problem
How can Database Admins encrypt sensitive information when they must find it in the mile-long lists of millions of rows in a database?
Before I came into the picture as the first and only product designer at Vaultree, the solution available to the user was painstaking: manual selection of data. One by one. Row by row.
This tedious process needed to be improved upon so that users could remain alert, and thus accurate and efficient when protecting users' most private information.
Designing The Solution
Research
I knew that our users, Database Administrators, already manage millions of rows in tens of thousands database daily, so I set about learning the tools and skills theat they already had at their disposal. This involved learning about the code, and database management systems they employ.
The Solution
After much study, all of the pieces starting fitting together in my mind: we could make our users feel like experts...while using a tool they'd never touched before.
Step 1. Users write a block of simple dynamic SQL, which contains two directives:
Step 2. Using a standard feature of a familiar tool, Database Management Systems, users export the labeled data so it can be sent off to our encryption program.
Step 3. Finally, the user hops onto the command line and submits the exported labeled data. Our encryption program reads the file, and encrypts the labeled data.
Learnings
Once I'd concocted this solution, I presented it to the CEO, Head of Product, Head of Engineering, and my team of engineers...to rave reviews. Later, I discovered that a strikingly similar user experience was being implemented by one of our competitors - who had a much larger budget for user research. This is as good a metric of success as I could ask for. If I could do it all again, I would love to conduct some user research to get feedback and find ways to improve this further.