Mobile App Scanning
helping software teams strengthen their mobile app privacy
Details
Privado is a data privacy tool for software teams. Using code-scan technology to analyze privacy issues in web apps. This meant that we couldn't tap into a sizable mobile app market.
We started researching the technology for mobile app scanning and thinking how we can turn it into a business opportunity. With mobile app scan, Privado will be able to provide software teams visibility into privacy issues in their apps.
My role involved working with my Head of Design and CEO on the product and design.
Role
Product, Design
Team
Timeline
2024 - ongoing
Links
Prototype
Goal
1
Understand how software teams build mobile apps
2
Work with engineering team to create a βeta
3
Create a product gives privacy teams visibility into mobile apps
Understanding mobile development
Mobile apps are made a bit differently from conventional web apps where instead of continuous updates pushed via git, mobile apps were made in versions. This meant we had to design Privado workflow around versioning. Allowing them to see privacy issues arising in each version.
Web
Mobile
Web app vs Mobile app development
We had to accommodate our product to work around these two problems: Versioning and manual tests.
Mobile App Tester
Just with the APK and IPA (mobile app) files, we could already see the SDKs (third party plugins) and the permissions asked by the app but many things were still missing. Dataflows and consent compliance could not be automated and required manual testing. For this we set out to create a simulated an testing product.
appetize to simulate apps → build a testinging recorder → using metaphors similar to video to make it easier to understand → added features to make tests easier
Versioning
Mobile apps are deployed in versions, each one could pose new privacy issues. We had to allow our users to keep track of this in Privado.
???
adding apps
overview
Results
We shared a Figma prototype with stakeholders, getting their thoughts and opinion on our redesign and were mostly received with positive comments. Feel free to play and see the prototype for yourself.
Learnings
•
How important research is, and how even more important is synthesising it into a product.
•
Your first version is full of holes. The massive improvements human centered iterative process can make is unreal.
•
The importance of an amazing team alongside you to push not just the product but yourself to its best potential.
What is Privado?
Privado bridges the privacy engineering gap by automating personal data visibility and privacy governance
I was working a Product Designer, working with my manager, CEO and engineering team to design this new initiative in Privado.
To include mobile apps in our suite of privacy tools.
What process did I follow?
Nothing specific, over the years my process has boiled down to two simple steps.
1. Collect: Problems, ideas, user feedback, internet browsing, inspiration, thoughts.
2. Create: Wireframes, sketchnotes, instant ramen, interfaces, prototypes, visuals.
This runs in a cyclic manner until the result is desirable or I run out of caffeine.
my team
my mentor
