Revamping McAfee’s VPN to make online protection feel less invisible.

Revamping McAfee’s VPN to make online protection feel less invisible.

Overview

Overview

McAfee's VPN tool — a core product in the protection suite, was left neglected due to resource constraints. As the rest of the protection suite evolved, VPN was being left behind. To address the amassed tech debt, leadership greenlit a full redesign initiative.

I was brought onto the newly formed VPN team to assist with initial research, feature planning, and end-to-end design implementation.

Team

Team

3 product designers

2 UX researchers

1 Copywriter

Role

Role

Product Designer

Timeline

Timeline

Jan 2024 - 1 month sprint

Background on VPNs

VPNs can't prevent viruses, but they do encrypt your internet activities.

VPNs can't prevent viruses, but they do encrypt your internet activities.

VPN's do more than help you
watch European Netflix.

It's like driving a car with tinted windows.
By encrypting internet traffic and masking the users location, VPNs keeps online activity private from bad people that want to intercept your passwords, credit card details, or private messages. And yes, it can also let you stream geo-blocked shows you normally can't see.
By encrypting internet traffic and masking the users location, VPNs keeps online activity private from bad people that want to intercept your passwords, credit card details, or private messages. And yes, it can also let you stream geo-blocked shows you normally can't see.
By encrypting internet traffic and masking the users location, VPNs keeps online activity private from bad people that want to intercept your passwords, credit card details, or private messages. And yes, it can also let you stream geo-blocked shows you normally can't see.
Internet providers also want this information to sell to advertisers. It’s part of their business model.
Common tasks like online banking can result in your accounts being breached.

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How a VPN works

Problem

Problem

McAfee users are confused about what their VPN tool does,
and don't know when to enable it on their device(s).

McAfee users are confused about what their VPN tool does,
and don't know when to enable it on their device(s).

McAfee users are confused about what their VPN tool does,
and don't know when to enable it on their device(s).

CSAT feedback showed users lack of confidence in their VPN tool, feeling that it isn't doing anything when turned on. The value for a premium protection service felt invisible, resulting in subscriptions lapsing.

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McAfee's Current VPN design

How did simplicity backfire? It's a normal on/off switch.

How did simplicity backfire? It's a normal on/off switch.

How did simplicity backfire? It's a normal on/off switch.

"It’s like turning on a lamp with no lightbulb".
"It’s like turning on a lamp with no lightbulb".
"It’s like turning on a lamp with no lightbulb".
The problem with VPN's is you're not supposed to know it's working because everything happens behind the scenes. Even when turned on, users are left feeling the tool they just paid an annual subscription for isn't doing anything.
The problem with VPN's is you're not supposed to know it's working because everything happens behind the scenes. Even when turned on, users are left feeling the tool they just paid an annual subscription for isn't doing anything.
The problem with VPN's is you're not supposed to know it's working because everything happens behind the scenes. Even when turned on, users are left feeling the tool they just paid an annual subscription for isn't doing anything.

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McAfee's Current VPN design

Setting a North Star goal

We need to better communicate how our VPN is protecting the users privacy and make it feel contextual - encouraging users to instinctively enable it whenever they feel unsafe on a network.

HMW better communicate what a VPN does and how it protects their privacy in different scenarios?

HMW better communicate what a VPN does and how it protects their privacy in different scenarios?

Overview

Overview

VPN's won’t stop a virus, but it can encrypt your internet activities.

VPN's won’t stop a virus, but it can encrypt your internet activities.

VPN's do more than help you
watch European Netflix.

Discovery

I sat down with TunnelBear, a lead VPN service, to get insight on the people who use VPN's and their struggles.

I learned if we overeducate users with technical VPN details, it builds skepticism among newcomers. We need to build trust with their VPN by showing immediate value allowing users to explore additional features as their confidence grows.

Our users need to be comfortable with their VPN before

we introduce them to more complex features.

People need more than a toggle to know they're

being protected, they need constant reassurance.

VPN users range from "set it and forget it" types to tech-savvy ones who explore deeper customization like "split tunneling" or auto-connecting to networks.

Mapping our current journey

Mapping our current journey

With our new insights, I mapped out a typical VPN user's E2E flow to see where we can find opportunities to build confidence when using their VPN. This is the moment I discovered a big uh-oh :(

Problem

Problem

We're only educating about what a VPN does before a purchase.

We're only educating about what a VPN does before a purchase.

We're only educating about what a VPN does before a purchase.

After we get your money, we ghost you.
After we get your money, we ghost you.
After we get your money, we ghost you.
This means there is no support for users who revisit VPN after they purchase, or had expected further guidance when setting up their VPN.
This means there is no support for users who revisit VPN after they purchase, or had expected further guidance when setting up their VPN.
This means there is no support for users who revisit VPN after they purchase, or had expected further guidance when setting up their VPN.
We quickly identified onboarding as needing the most improvements to solve for our North Star.
We quickly identified onboarding as needing the most improvements to solve for our North Star.
We quickly identified onboarding as needing the most improvements to solve for our North Star.

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Old: Showing information only before making a purchase

Rebuilding the flow to offer education early, and spotlight more advanced features.

Rebuilding the flow to offer education early, and spotlight more advanced features.

Rebuilding the flow to offer education early, and spotlight more advanced features.

Additionally, we moved advanced tools from the settings page onto the home screen, making it easier for users to explore new features available without having to randomly come across them.
Additionally, we moved advanced tools from the settings page onto the home screen, making it easier for users to explore new features available without having to randomly come across them.
Additionally, we moved advanced tools from the settings page onto the home screen, making it easier for users to explore new features available without having to randomly come across them.

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New: Setup guides + spotlighting advanced features

Early design planning

Early design planning

Group sketching clarified our components and layout.

Group sketching clarified our components and layout.

Group sketching clarified our components and layout.

4 rounds of rapid sketches and ugly wireframes.
4 rounds of rapid sketches and ugly wireframes.
4 rounds of rapid sketches and ugly wireframes.
This was important when helping our team align on the overall look and feel. After each round we voted on ideas that made the most sense and discussed how to combine or tweak them into the end-build.
This was important when helping our team align on the overall look and feel. After each round we voted on ideas that made the most sense and discussed how to combine or tweak them into the end-build.
This was important when helping our team align on the overall look and feel. After each round we voted on ideas that made the most sense and discussed how to combine or tweak them into the end-build.

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Compilation of 4 sketch sessions

Though often overlooked in workflows, sketching proved valuable to our process, with clear influences visible in our final designs.
Though often overlooked in workflows, sketching proved valuable to our process, with clear influences visible in our final designs.
Though often overlooked in workflows, sketching proved valuable to our process, with clear influences visible in our final designs.

Interactive

V1 Sketch compared to final output

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
This case study is still in progress

The groundwork is there, but between you and me, it looks choppy!
Check back in like a week or two!

Final designs

Making education always available when activating VPN for the first time.

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Imagine you just purchased VPN for the first time.

When VPN activates, we show contextual info that reassures users are protected and delivers immediate value.

Final designs

Making VPN's less invisible with motion.

Just like a progress bar that moves we show progress.
Just like a progress bar that moves we show progress.

Testing with users

"What does fastest mean? I need an actual location."

On default new users are connected to the fastest server for the best possible first experience, but participants didn't know what this page was trying to accomplish.
Users carried their uncertainty throughout the guide, constantly second-guessing their actions - like a nagging "did I leave the stove on?" feeling.

Users carried their uncertainty throughout the guide, constantly second-guessing their actions - like a nagging "did I leave the stove on?" feeling.

On default new users are connected to the fastest server for the best possible first experience, but participants didn't know what this page was trying to accomplish.
Users carried their uncertainty throughout the guide, constantly second-guessing their actions - like a nagging "did I leave the stove on?" feeling.

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Old: Connect to fastest regardless of country

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New: Showing country + fastest indication

Personal reflection

Despite the hype, priorities changed and VPN's revamp was shelved. But it wasn't a waste.

The value of sketching is starting a discussion, not a beauty contest.

The value of sketching is starting a discussion, not a beauty contest.

I often skipped sketching thinking it had no impact on final designs, but I learned the actual purpose of sketching is to ask for feedback in a casual setting. It won't look good but it will weed out bad ideas.

Good copywriting can feel like a cheat code.

Good copywriting can feel like a cheat code.

There is a balance between saying what we as a business want users to know vs what a user wants to know. This project helped me learn how to use metaphors on boring language into legible content Also, People hate to read.

A new framework to self-evaluate my work. Rose, Buds, Thorns.

A new framework to self-evaluate my work. Rose, Buds, Thorns.

This reflective method summarizes "what went well and what to continue doing" (Rose), "What I should I should do in future projects" (Buds) and "what went wrong and should be avoided" (Thorns). This framework has now become a habit where my approach to new projects feels much more intentional rather than "let's try this and see how it works".

Check out my other work!

Check out my other work!

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© 2025 Clayton Harding

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