Elastic
Detections

01 Overview

Reducing complexity for new Elastic users

Elastic's detections experience had grown complex over time new users faced a steep learning curve when setting up rules and configurations for the first time. As Design Lead, I was brought in to simplify this journey and make the first-run experience feel intuitive and empowering.

The goal was to reduce cognitive load, surface the right information at the right time, and help users reach their first meaningful moment of value faster.

02 The Problem

Too much, too soon

New users were being presented with the full complexity of Elastic's rule configuration system from the very first interaction. This created confusion, drop-off, and a reliance on support teams to get users unblocked.

Through early research and stakeholder interviews, we identified three core pain points: information overload at setup, unclear terminology, and a lack of progressive guidance through complex workflows.

03 My Role

Design Lead

I led the end-to-end design process from initial discovery and research through to final interaction design and handoff. Working closely with product, engineering, and customer success teams, I was responsible for setting the design direction and ensuring every decision tied back to user needs and business goals.

04 Process

Research, iteration, and refinement

The process began with a deep dive into existing user behaviour analysing support tickets, conducting user interviews, and mapping the current onboarding flow to identify where users were dropping off and why.

From there I developed a series of concepts around progressive disclosure breaking the complexity of rule configuration into digestible, contextual steps that guided users forward without overwhelming them.

05 Results

Impact & outcomes

The redesigned detections experience delivered measurable improvements across key activation and retention metrics. Results to be added once data is confirmed.