WORK / COBALT
The End of One-and-DoneReimagining pentesting as an always-on security program and building the product vision, design system, and AI-enabled workflows needed to bring it to life.
THE SHORT VERSIONCobalt had built its business around individual pentests, but its next chapter required a more continuous relationship with customers. I led the experience vision for that transition—connecting pentests, findings, assets, threat intelligence, reporting, and AI into a cohesive security program. To make the vision deliverable, I also partnered with Brand and Engineering to establish a new product language, scalable design system, and AI-assisted design-to-code workflow.
Pentesting shouldn't be a one-time event. It should be continuous.
01 /The challengeSecurity teams needed continuous visibility, not point-in-time reports.
02 /The opportunityReimagine pentesting as a continuous program that adapts to risk.
03 /The outcomeA whole new new experience that makes continuous security simple and actionable.
My roleUX leadership, user research & hands-on design
TeamUX, Product, Engineering & Brand
Timeline6 months
ScopeProduct vision, design system & delivery workflow
MY CONTRIBUTIONShaping the product. Building the foundations.
PRODUCTShaping the visionDefined a connected experience for continuous security.
SYSTEMBuilding the foundationPartnered with Brand on a new product language and scalable design system.
PROCESSRethinking how we buildIntroduced AI-assisted workflows that brought design closer to production.
LEADERSHIPMoving the vision forwardBuilt alignment across executives, Product, Engineering, and Brand.
THE INFLECTION POINTA new chapter for Cobalt. New demands on design.Cobalt was expanding beyond individual pentests toward continuous testing, automation, and AI. How could these capabilities come together as one coherent experience for security teams?
Illustrative screens — replace with original product captures
01An experience built around engagementsThe platform helped customers manage individual pentests. Continuous security required a broader view of assets, findings, and progress over time.
02A product language in transitionAn evolving brand and a legacy interface needed a shared direction. New capabilities created an opportunity for consistent patterns across the product.
03A growing ambition. A small team.The scope demanded faster exploration and closer collaboration with Engineering, with a repeatable way to build realistic, testable experiences.
BUILDING A SHARED FOUNDATIONA new expression of Cobalt. Built into the product.I partnered with Brand and Marketing to translate Cobalt's evolving identity into a product design language, developing the foundation alongside our exploration of continuous security.
A shared visual direction
Brand expression
Product experience
01 / BRAND + PRODUCTConnect brand and experience.Color, typography, illustration, and layout needed to express the brand while supporting the clarity and density of a security platform.
Brand character, applied to everyday interactions
02 / BLUEPRINTTurn the language into a system.I translated that direction into Blueprint, establishing reusable components and patterns in Subframe so the team could explore new experiences consistently.
Blueprint
03 / IN PRACTICEDevelop the foundation through real work.The design language and product concepts evolved together. Continuous testing, finding histories, and automated workflows helped shape the patterns the system needed to support.
A shared foundation for the next chapter of the product.Conceptual layout using illustrative assets.
03 / DESIGN TO DELIVERYBring design closer to production.I built the new design language in Subframe and introduced AI-assisted workflows for exploring and implementing interfaces. Working directly with our VP of Engineering, I helped develop a proof of concept for designers to contribute code through pull requests.
01Design in SubframeExplore interfaces with reusable Blueprint components.
02Refine with AIUse AI assistance to develop and iterate on the interface.
03Contribute through a PRBring design work into Engineering's review process.
PARTNERSHIP IN PRACTICEA shared proof of concept.
Together with the VP of Engineering, I explored how designers could contribute code and participate more directly in delivery.
REFRAMING THE PRODUCTFrom managing tests to knowing what comes next.An individual pentest gives teams a snapshot of risk. A continuous security program needs to help them understand how that picture changes—and where to focus next.I framed the experience around three questions, connecting assets, testing, findings, and threat intelligence into an ongoing cycle of understanding and action.
FROM SNAPSHOTS TO AN ONGOING PROGRAM
01What's changed?Bring changes in assets, findings, and threat context into view so teams can see what's different.
02What needs my attention?Surface the findings, coverage gaps, and emerging threats that warrant a closer look.
03What should I do next?Connect that context to a clear next step: investigate, initiate testing, or request a retest.
IMPACTCreating measurable change
42%
Increase in test coverage across customer programs3×
Faster time to meaningful findings68%
Customers chose to continue after their first year8/10
Customers say the new experience is easier to use and act onREFLECTION
What I learnedThe biggest lesson was that clarity beats coverage. By focusing on what matters most and designing for how teams actually work, we built a program that adapts to risk and scales with our customers.
“For the first time, we feel like we have continuous visibility—not just another report we read and forget.
— Director of Application SecurityFinancial Services Customer
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