DESIGNING SELF-SERVICE ONBOARDING AND A USER DASHBOARD FOR A B2B/B2C CYBERSECURITY PRODUCT
COMPANY
SafeDNS
ROLE
UX/UI Designer
YEAR
2022
SafeDNS is an internet traffic filtering service for home users and companies. To start using the product, customers need to independently configure equipment, network settings, and connect the service on their devices.
PROBLEM
Connecting the service was the most difficult stage of the user journey. After registration, users landed in the personal account without a clear sequence of actions and had to figure out technical instructions on their own. This created several problems: the setup process was scattered across different sections of the account; instructions existed separately from the product and required constant switching between the interface and the knowledge base; users regularly contacted technical support instead of connecting the service independently; and the product’s complexity became a barrier before users had even started using the service.
RESEARCH
To understand why users did not reach successful setup, I used several sources of information: interviews with new users who had recently gone through the setup process; analysis of technical support requests; and a joint workshop with the product team and technical specialists. As a result, we formulated several hypotheses about the reasons for drop-off and identified the most critical points in the user journey.
Key insight: “Users did not understand where to start or what action should come next. Instead of moving through a guided scenario, they opened articles or immediately contacted technical support.”
SOLUTION
Fully redesigned the user scenario
Before moving into interface design, I built a new user journey map, identified all connection options, and combined them into one coherent scenario. This flow became the foundation for the future onboarding experience.
Moved instructions into the product
Users no longer had to search for articles or open additional instructions. Each next step included the necessary explanations, links, and concrete actions directly inside the interface.
Added scenario branching
The process automatically adapted to the user’s chosen setup method. Instead of a universal instruction, users saw only the actions that were relevant to their scenario.
Rebuilt the personal account
The account became the central place for setup and future product use, with clearer navigation, more predictable actions, and less dependence on external documentation.
RESULT
After the new onboarding launched, users contacted technical support much less often during service setup, because the main questions were now resolved directly inside the product. In addition, users became less dependent on technical specialists; the setup process became sequential and predictable; product knowledge moved from documentation into the interface; and the personal account became a single space for both connection and ongoing work with the service.
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WHAT I WOULD ADD IN 2026
If I were designing this scenario today, I would complement it with quantitative research, product analytics tools, and A/B testing of individual onboarding steps. At the time of the project, the team did not have those resources, so decisions were based on interviews, support-request analysis, and the team’s expert assessment.
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