This case study outlines my process of ZUNU Drive app. Designing a user experience tailored to individuals and Organisations who seeking a platform that ensures the secure storage of their data, regardless of their preferred storage location.

Disclaimer: The initial designs had to undergo a ton of changes due to time & engineering constraints. What I am showing here are the final designs that reflect a refined & optimized solution that meets the desired objectives.

Problem Statements

Users are navigating a complex digital landscape with various cloud storage platforms, each with its own user interface and security protocols.

Problem: Designing Zunu Drive to be a unified, user-friendly platform that allows effortless data management across multiple cloud storages and local devices while ensuring top-tier, user-friendly security.

Key Design Objectives

1. Unified Data Management

Challenge: Users struggle with managing data across different platforms due to varied interfaces and functionalities.

Goal: Create a single, intuitive dashboard that allows seamless navigation and management of data across various cloud platforms.

2. Embedded Security

Challenge: Users need robust security that is also easy to understand and manage.

Goal: Integrate strong, yet easily manageable, security features that users can control and trust.

3. User Education and Guidance

Challenge: Users often lack awareness and understanding of managing data securely.

Goal: Design interfaces and guides that educate and navigate users through secure data management practices within Zunu Drive.

Design Considerations

• Ensure simplicity and consistency in design to facilitate easy navigation.
• Embed educational and guidance elements naturally within the user journey.
• Prioritise user control and transparency in managing security features.

Expected Outcome

A user-centric design of Zunu Drive that not only simplifies data management across various cloud platforms but also ensures that users, irrespective of their technical knowledge, can securely and effectively manage their data with enhanced awareness and control over the platform’s security features.

The Prelude to Zunu Drive

Ziroh Labs

Ziroh Labs Nestled in the tech hub of California and founded in 2016, our team, a blend of top engineers, distinguished scientists, and adept business leaders, is dedicated to safeguarding your digital assets with our patented, award-winning Fully Homomorphic Encryption Technology.

We not just protecting your data; you’re ensuring it’s always, unequivocally yours. Let’s embark on a journey towards impeccable data privacy, together!

Behind the scene

I started at Ziroh Labs as an intern, and my first task was an exciting project called ZUNU Analytics. The concept was thrilling: a decentralized network linking countless computers globally, all anonymous, creating the first-ever secure supercomputer. However, the project was unexpectedly put on hold. I felt a mix of disappointment and concern, unsure of what lay ahead. But then, something uplifting happened.

Just two days later, the CEO called me! He appreciated the hard work I'd poured into the project and offered me a full-time position. Even better, he presented me with a new challenge: a problem statement for Zunu Drive. I was beyond excited and eager to dive deep into understanding what this innovative idea could blossom into in the future.

Embarking on a Design Odyssey!

When the challenge to designing Zunu Drive came to me, I began with sketching a dashboard for a desktop app, thinking about all the features and user flows that currently available platforms provides to their users. I mixed ideas from these platforms and came up with a new, combined dashboard design for Zunu Drive. It was a fun and exciting start, blending different elements to create something new and user-friendly!

In the world of digital design, creating Zunu Drive was a journey where practical use and user experience (UX) came together. As a product designer, turning the idea into a reality was a unique challenge and opportunity.

Objectives of this Project

1. Friendly Onboarding: Users struggle with managing data across different platforms due to varied interfaces and functionalities.

2. Dashboard for All type Users: Creating a single, user-friendly dashboard that lets users manage data across various platforms easily, ensuring a consistent and friendly interface.

3. Security Made Simple: Integrating strong security features in a way that is easy for users to manage and understand, ensuring they always feel in control of their data.

4. Building User Trust: Using customer stories, security certifications, and clear communication within the design to reassure users of Zunu Drive’s safety and reliability.

Defining The User

Zunu Drive stands as a beacon of security in the digital space, offering a unique solution that encrypts data not just on cloud storage services like Google Drive and Dropbox, but also local memory and application data on every device a user owns. This all-encompassing approach enables Zunu Drive to provide a suite of features, ensuring robust privacy and unyielding security for all your digital assets, regardless of their location.

Users are individuals or organisations who seek robust security for the files they've stored, whether on local devices or in the cloud, ensuring their digital assets are shielded from unauthorized access and threats.

Competitive analysis

In my journey to shape Zunu Drive's place in the market, I knew I needed a clear picture of the landscape. So, I turned to the real-world experiences of users, diving into reviews on the Play Store and Apple Store for our competitors: Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, and OneDrive. Here's the insight I gathered:

1. User Experience (UX)

Others: Generally, people find these services handy - they're all about ease of sharing and collaboration. But they're not without flaws. Sync issues and mobile app troubles are common pain points I observed in the reviews.

Zunu Drive: This highlighted an opportunity. My aim became to craft an experience that was not only intuitive but also reliable. And when it came to security, we wanted it to be a seamless aspect of the user journey, not a roadblock.

2. Security Features

Others: They've got basic security, but the reviews showed that people are concerned about privacy. Full end-to-end encryption is a notable absentee.

Zunu Drive: That's our ace. We're building a fortress around user data, making top-notch security our norm, not an add-on.

3. What Makes Zunu Drive Special

Others: Each service has its perks, no doubt. Integration with other services, file recovery, administrative features, compatibility with Microsoft Office - the reviews confirmed that users love these.

Zunu Drive: Our niche? Unparalleled security. Plus, our platform's ability to consolidate files from various storages while maintaining user privacy is something not commonly found.

4. User Feedback

Others: The reviews were a goldmine. Yes, there's appreciation, but also valuable criticism that provided us with direction.

Zunu Drive: We're not just assuming; we're listening. Early feedback is a compass for our journey, guiding our enhancements and feature additions.

5. Pricing

Others: Various plans exist, but users are questioning the value for money, especially concerning security aspects.

Zunu Drive: We're weighing our options here. Our offering is premium, but we also understand the importance of competitive pricing.

6. Opportunities for Growth:

Understanding user discontent with other services carved out a clear path for us. We're not here to just compete; we're here to fill the gaps and provide a service that's a cut above the rest.

In evaluating the landscape, it's clear that the services mentioned aren't direct competitors to Zunu Drive. The mission of Zunu Drive is distinct: it prioritizes user data security, regardless of where the data is stored. What's more, it uniquely allows users to integrate and manage their preferred cloud services within the Zunu interface, providing a familiar yet secure environment. While these other services are valuable, Zunu Drive offers a comprehensive solution that could very well lead users to choose it over the aforementioned options. The security and convenience it offers stand out in a class of its own, redefining what users should expect from their cloud storage providers.

By analyzing real user feedback, I wasn't just sizing up the competition. I was learning where Zunu Drive could fit in and stand out. This wasn't just about being another option in the cloud storage market; it was about being the preferred choice, where users know that their data isn't just stored, but cared for.

The Onboarding Gateway

While working on the user registration process, I paused to consider: How will people learn about Zunu Drive? And how will Ziroh Labs let potential users know it's here and ready for them?

Reaching out to users could take many forms. Ziroh Labs might use digital marketing to make Zunu Drive pop up in online searches about secure storage. Social media campaigns and ads targeted at tech users could also spread the word.

Partnerships could also boost visibility, and teaming up with tech companies or influencers could get Zunu Drive talked about in the right circles.

Zunu Drive broadens its accessibility by being available across multiple platforms. Whether you're using MacOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, or Android, you can effortlessly download the application and start your journey towards secure digital storage.

Establishing the Sign-Up Process

The user flow for signing up to Zunu Drive is a streamlined process designed for simplicity and ease, ensuring a user-friendly experience from the start. Here's how it unfolds:

Unveiling Zunu Drive's Capabilities

The Zunu Drive popup is a quick, user-friendly intro to the platform's powerful features. It reassures users about their data's safety, highlights easy file management across multiple clouds, and emphasizes hassle-free sharing. This clear, brief message boosts user confidence and trust right from the start, making complex tech feel simple and secure.

A Tour of the Dashboard

Upon first landing on the Zunu Drive dashboard, users are greeted with a clean, intuitive interface designed for effortless onboarding. The dashboard is meticulously designed as a unified hub for all user operations, ensuring a seamless and intuitive experience. At first glance, the interface presents a cohesive arrangement of file and folder icons, facilitating easy access to varied content ranging from images to documents.

With every primary action users initiate, a discreet pop-up emerges, offering concise guidance on the feature's workings. This not only educates the user in real-time but also ensures that they're not overwhelmed by unsolicited information. Should a user miss out on any of these hints, the system ingeniously channels them into the notification section. Here, they patiently await user attention, allowing for a revisit and ensuring that the learning journey remains unhindered. This combination of streamlined design and user-centric guidance makes the Zunu Drive dashboard a beacon of user-friendly innovation.

Commitment to Privacy and Encryption

Imagine encrypting a hefty 1 Gigabyte file in the blink of an eye before shooting it up to the Zunu cloud. While upload times hinge on your internet connection, Zunu Drive dazzles with its ability to lock down that file in a mere 38 seconds. Thrilling, isn't it?

Here's a nugget that truly sets Zunu Drive apart: When you action a file within Zunu Drive, we don't go through the tedious cycle of decrypting and re-encrypting. Instead, your commands seamlessly penetrate the encrypted veil, interacting with the data and refreshing it instantaneously. To you, it feels just like any other file operation, blissfully oblivious to the heavy-duty encryption beneath. A seamless experience, every single time.

As you juggle larger files, our intuitive notification panel keeps you in the loop. Every step, every phase – it's all there, just a tap away on your dashboard.

Merge & Expand: Integrate Your Favorite Clouds

Expanding your digital realm has never been this seamless. With Zunu Drive, integrate your favorite cloud platforms like Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, and OneDrive, centralising all your files in one place. This not only gives you a unified view of all your documents but also the power to select key files for encryption or even secure an entire cloud with just a click. Once encrypted, your original platforms won't have access to your files until you decide to reintegrate them with Zunu Drive.

Explore the seamless unification of multiple cloud services within Zunu Drive. Once users merge their preferred cloud accounts, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, or OneDrive, they gain a streamlined view in their dashboard, organized by file type like galleries or documents. This organization isn't just about tidiness; it's about transparency. Users can instantly see the origin of each file, understanding where their data resides.

But it's not just about viewing; it's about ease of control. Users can add files through:

Manual Uploads: With a simple click of the 'add' button, users can choose the precise cloud and folder destination for their new files. It's all about giving users the reins to their digital steeds.

Drag and Drop or Copy and Paste: For those who prefer a hands-on approach, this method is as easy as moving files around on your own desktop. Whether it's a quick drag and drop or a simple copy and paste, moving files feels familiar and effortless.

This section emphasises not just the convenience Zunu Drive offers but also the control it places in the users' hands, allowing them to manage their digital realms with confidence and clarity.

Simplified Security to Seamless Safeguards.

Let's delve into the diverse applications Zunu Drive provides for its users.

Secure Encryption of Storage Drives

The system enables users to encrypt their storage devices, granting access exclusively to specified Zunu Drive account holders or those provided with a secure passkey.

Within the 'Drive Session', users can seamlessly add and encrypt connected storage devices. They have the option to designate access to specific Zunu user IDs or utilize a default passkey created by Zunu Drive, which can be shared at the user's discretion.

As a product designer, my primary goal was to simplify this intricate process, ensuring users can achieve secure encryption without unnecessary complications or additional steps.

Effortless Secure File Sharing

Zunu Drive revolutionises file sharing by intertwining unmatched security with simplicity. Users can effortlessly share files, safeguarded by robust encryption, with anyone—regardless of whether the recipient is within the Zunu ecosystem. Each file is fortified by a user-generated password, maintaining its encrypted state during transit until the recipient unlocks it. In the rare instance of unintended access, the content remains indecipherable, a testament to Zunu's encryption prowess.

Moreover, Zunu Drive prides itself on its intuitive user experience. I have meticulously crafted the interface to align with familiar sharing methodologies, ensuring users can continue their standard practices without deviation. The seamless integration of encryption occurs behind the scenes, enhancing security without burdening the user with additional steps

Shielding Against Malware

Imagine a fortress, impervious to the marauding hordes of malware and viruses. That's what encrypted files are like. These malicious codes find themselves lost in translation, unable to decipher or interact with your encrypted treasures. It's not just a feature; it's a default shield in the realm of Zunu Drive. As simple as that, your digital kingdom remains unscathed.

Introducing Zunu

Engaging with digital data necessitates an operating system. However, existing operating systems haven't guaranteed complete user data privacy. Enter Zunu System. Initially introduced as software, it's on the trajectory to evolve into a full-fledged operating system.

Zunu Drive is not just a component but the heartbeat of the Zunu System. It serves as the primary cloud and file explorer, ensuring seamless data management and enhanced security. As Zunu System grows, Zunu Drive's role becomes even more pivotal, bridging user needs with advanced technological solutions. Dive deeper to learn more ↗

Learnings & Challenges

Collaboration was a key aspect of the project, as working closely with stakeholders allowed for diverse perspectives to be considered and ultimately led to a more well-rounded final product.

Through out this project, I had the chance to explore a wide range of design patterns, including navigation, page layouts, and information architecture.

And that’s a wrap!

You made it to the end of the case study, I hope this was an informative read!
✨ Grateful to each and every individual who has contributed to this project.