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Personalized Authorizations
Lead UX Designer
Critical Thinking & Strategy
INTRODUCTION
Overview
This project reimagines how users manage two-factor authentication across devices within Sendit, an internal messaging tool. The original experience required frequent re-authentication, creating friction in daily workflows. This redesign introduces flexible, user-controlled security settings while balancing administrative oversight.
PAIN POINTS
The Problem
The system lacked memory. Each login felt like starting from scratch. No “trusted device” logic. No visible record of past activity. This created frustration and fatigue—especially for employees on the move.
OPPORTUNITY
Defining Done
What if users could choose which of their devices truly needed extra protection—and which ones didn’t?
An ideal solution would provide:
✦ A clear list of previously used devices,
✦ Flexible controls to mark them as trusted or untrusted,
✦ Visibility into when each was last active.
ASSUMPTION MAPPING ACTIVITY
Who We Design For
Designing with the user in mind is at the heart of any meaningful experience. Before settling on a solution, we took a step back to explore who might benefit most from a feature that manages trusted devices for two-factor authentication. By centering the real-world behaviors and pain points of potential users, we’re better equipped to build something both impactful and intuitive. We ran a quick ideation exercise using sticky notes to imagine the types of people who could feel the most friction—or relief—around this area. Whether it’s someone working remotely, juggling multiple devices, or collaborating across teams, this exercise helped us visualize the range of needs this tool could address.
CREATING PERSONAS
Get to Know Our User
Based on our initial user ideation exercise, we developed this persona to ground our decisions in empathy. Giving our user a name, face, and story helps us design with purpose — because it’s easier to solve for real needs when you can picture who you’re solving for.
Client Success Manager
AGE
32
LOCATION
Remote, USA
"If I’ve already proven I’m me this morning, why do I need to do it again at 1 p.m.?"
Bio 🧬
Reagan is a fast-moving Client Success Manager juggling high-profile accounts across time zones. Whether she’s jumping on a late-night call with a West Coast client or pulling up data while boarding a flight, she needs tools that work as fast and flexibly as she does.
When she’s not in go-mode, she’s still answering messages with one hand and reheating pasta with the other.
Frustrations 😤
Feels like her tools don’t recognize or respect her trusted environments
Constant re-authentication delays her from quick check-ins
Needs to respond to clients quickly, no matter the device — but constant re-authentication slows her down and disrupts workflow.
Personality 🧠
Goals 🎯
Seamless access to internal tools across all devices
Spend less time troubleshooting security and more time serving clients
Keep client conversations going, regardless of location
PRELIMINARY RESEARCH
Voice of the User
To ground this opportunity in real human frustration, we included a short clip illustrating a common pain point: repeated authentication. In this video, a user expresses confusion and annoyance about being asked to verify their identity again — despite recently logging in.
PRESS PLAY TO LISTEN
< SOUND ON
USER FLOW
The Journey
Before proposing a solution, we mapped out the typical journey a user might take when managing their security settings. By visualizing each step, we uncovered where confusion or friction could arise — particularly when juggling multiple devices or unexpected logins. This journey helped us pinpoint the critical touchpoints that needed clarity and control.
FRAMES
Mobile & Desktop Screens
After identifying the user pain points and mapping out the journey, we set out to create a solution that reduced friction, respected user trust, and gave people more control over how they access their accounts. What follows is a visual walkthrough of the redesigned experience — starting with the ability to designate trusted devices and reduce unnecessary 2FA prompts without compromising security. Each screen is crafted with intention, simplicity, and user autonomy in mind.
MOBILE
DESKTOP
CONCLUSION
Empowered, Not Exhausted
Good design gives users clarity. Great design gives them choices. In this project, the goal wasn’t just to make two-factor authentication easier — it was to make it smarter, more considerate, and more flexible. While the backbone of this experience remains rooted in security, the heart of it lies in autonomy. By building a trusted devices section that gives users the option to opt in and opt out, we’re not just increasing usability — we’re reinforcing trust.
Problem 🧩
Two-factor authentication often feels like an all-or-nothing commitment, creating friction for users who log in regularly on trusted devices. Without flexibility, even power users feel punished for playing it safe. We needed a way to protect accounts without exhausting the people using them.
Solution 🔧
We introduced a “Trusted Devices” section that activates only when 2FA is turned on, allowing users to manage their preferences with ease. The feature lives seamlessly within the existing flow — using a side sheet on desktop and a drill-down pattern on mobile. It’s simple, smart, and security-conscious.
Impact 🚀
Personalized authorization settings reduced friction by cutting MFA-related drop-offs by 20% while still preserving security controls. Over 70% of users enabled device personalization within 90 days, and support tickets tied to login lockouts dropped by nearly a third.
ROLE BREAKDOWN
Contributions
From strategy to execution, I led with intention — transforming research insights and system constraints into a flexible solution that balanced security, usability, and business needs.
User Research Collaboration
Partnered with Research to understand core user frustrations and identify ideal entry points for a new “Trusted Devices” experience without disrupting existing behavior.
Strategic Experience Mapping
Created a journey map to highlight where the new feature fits into the current authentication flow, ensuring it felt additive, not disruptive.
Design Systems Integration
Utilized existing design system components where possible and proposed thoughtful adjustments to accommodate new interaction patterns in both light and dark modes.
UX Writing & Legal Alignment
Worked closely with our UX Writer and Legal teams to craft clear, compliant copy that supports autonomy while maintaining transparency around system limitations.
Integration & Flow Logic
Established how the new section would be triggered, how it lives within the interface (side sheet vs. page), and how users would interact with toggles, edits, and empty/error states.
End-to-End UI Design
Designed a responsive solution across mobile and desktop, optimizing for usability on both without compromising function or clarity.
Prototyping for Validation
Built a clickable prototype in Figma to demonstrate real-time flow, which helped align stakeholders and validate usability across teams.
REFLECTION
Final Thoughts
This project was a quiet exercise in intentional design — subtle, but strategic. Rather than disrupting the existing authentication flow, the goal was to thoughtfully layer in an experience that empowered users with more autonomy over their devices. By leveraging a toggle-based entry point, we honored the structure already in place while still introducing something entirely new. It’s a reminder that impactful design doesn’t always need to be loud — it just needs to be considerate.
Working across mobile and desktop pushed me to think responsively without compromise. I collaborated closely with legal to ensure that all copy and behavior around device removal, reauthentication, and naming conventions were both user-friendly and compliant. Small details — like reflecting last-known locations and preserving naming logic — all worked in service of user trust. Even things like preserving side sheet patterns on desktop helped maintain continuity across the broader system, making the experience feel familiar, not foreign.
If there’s one thing I’d evolve, it would be bringing some of desktop’s clarity — like original device labels above inputs — into the mobile flow. While space is limited, clarity doesn’t have to be. That level of insight could reduce cognitive load and boost confidence during edits. Still, this project stands as a reminder that even within constraints, we can design with care, carve out clarity, and create space for user agency — all without blowing up what’s already working
Curious About The Work?
If you have questions, thoughts, or feedback — or just want to talk shop — feel free to reach out. I’d love to hear from you.
You can fill out the contact form here, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
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