Overview

This course focuses on the intersection of UX design and security, demonstrating how user experience decisions can shape security outcomes. It explores how human-centered design can help achieve both usability and safety in systems. By learning these strategies, you'll gain the tools to design secure systems that are also user-friendly, addressing the growing need for security-conscious design decisions. Throughout the course, you will gain practical insights into improving security through UX, emphasizing collaboration with cross-functional teams. With real-world examples, you will be able to apply the knowledge to enhance the security of user-facing applications. The course covers a wide range of strategies and frameworks, offering a comprehensive approach to security design. What makes this course unique is its blend of design theory and practical security applications. By focusing on user experience, you'll learn how to manage security risks while keeping users' needs in mind, setting this course apart from traditional technical security training. This course is ideal for UX designers, product managers, and developers looking to enhance user-facing security. No prior security expertise is required, though some background in product development is recommended. Copyright © 2024 Heidi Trost. All rights reserved. Originally published by Rosenfeld Media, LLC. This course edition is published by Packt Publishing under license from Rosenfeld Media LLC. No part of this material may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission from the author or the publisher.

Syllabus

Security Impacts the User Experience

In this section, we map where security interrupts user experience journeys and shows human centered techniques that, through shared terminology, redesign touchpoints to minimize friction, build trust, and protect data.

The Players in the Security Ecosystem

In this section, we look at how UX can change behavior, ask if trying to force behavior change is the best option when designing UX features, and look at how a users experience, good or bad, can change their willingness to do what we want them to.

Beware of Unintended Consequences

In this section, we examine usability, security, and business trade-offs, adding intentional friction and multifactor authentication to curb human error, manage organizational risk, and prevent unpleasant surprises.

Find the Right People, Ask the Right Questions

In this section, we gather cross-functional user experience, engineering, and security partners, model realistic threats, and ask user-focused questions to stop attacks and craft accessible safeguards.

Design for Secure Outcomes

In this section, we will explore Secure by Default design, user experience nudges, and clear alerts to guide Alice and Charlie toward safer workflows while reducing friction and strengthening trust.

Design Access

In this section, we apply the Principle of Least Privilege, analyze usability-security tradeoffs, and craft scenario-aware authentication flows to create access control that protects data while preserving intuitive UX.

Learn and Iterate

In this section, we apply iterative, inclusive security-UX research to design data-driven passkey onboarding, then analyze FIDO metrics to refine authentication flows, replacing passwords with phishing-resistant, accessible sign-in experiences.

Your Users Are Relying on You

In this section, we map the security UX ecosystem, collaborate with security allies to enrich personas, and craft user-centric stories that embed safety and build trust across everyday digital experiences.