UX Enhancements for the Wire App and Teams Redesign
Secure Communication Technologies
.UX Strategies
UI Design
Re-branding & Design System Re-design
Handover to Development
Roadmapping, Design Team Management
Cross-functional Team Collaboration
Berlin
2020-2021
I collaborated with the Wire Swiss product and engineering teams to enhance the user experience of the secure calling feature for both mobile and desktop Wire applications. Additionally, I led the redesign of the Teams management tool, conducted a comprehensive rebranding initiative, and revamped the design system for both light and dark interfaces to meet AA Level Accessibility Standards, ensuring inclusivity for visually impaired users. As a hands-on product team lead, I restructured design team workflows and enhanced user research and testing strategies for lean development. I also contributed to successful investment rounds, including securing a deal valued at $24.4M.
Wire Swiss
Wire Swiss GmbH is the creator of Wire, an encrypted communication and collaboration app launched in 2014. Founded with contributions from a Skype co-founder and employing former Skype team members, Wire provides a secure platform for messaging, voice and video calls, file sharing, and external collaboration, all protected by end-to-end encryption. Available across iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, and web browsers, Wire ensures seamless syncing across devices. The app is built on a security-by-design approach, with privacy and security at its core.
Wire offers three business solutions tailored to different needs. Wire Pro delivers collaboration features for businesses, Wire Enterprise adds advanced functionality for large-scale or regulated organizations, and Wire Red provides an on-demand crisis collaboration suite. For personal use, Wire Personal offers secure messaging with the same commitment to privacy.
Wire supports group calls with up to 25 participants, video conferences with up to 12 attendees, and stereo audio for spatial voice differentiation. Features include ephemeral messaging, GIF integration via Giphy, sketching on photos, and secure guest rooms for encrypted external collaboration without registration or downloads. Deployment options include cloud, private cloud, or on-premises hosting for flexible use.
Remote Work Environment
When I joined Wire, the COVID-19 pandemic began just two weeks later, forcing a swift transition to a fully remote work environment. My 15-month design and leadership journey with Wire unfolded entirely remotely, requiring adaptability and strong virtual collaboration skills. Despite the challenges, I successfully led projects, maintained team cohesion, and delivered impactful design solutions, proving the effectiveness of remote leadership and teamwork in a dynamic, uncertain environment.
Calling Feature Improvements
I collaborated with the UX Researcher to conduct comprehensive internal and external user research aimed at enhancing the calling feature of the Wire apps. The research included quantitative surveys designed to uncover user preferences, explore competitor apps, and identify key benefits and missing features that could improve user satisfaction. The survey insights provided a clear understanding of user needs and expectations.
After presenting our findings to stakeholders, we developed a prioritized list of potential features to implement. Given time constraints and technical feasibility, we conducted ideation and brainstorming sessions with stakeholders to refine the list and focus on features with the highest impact. Once the feature set was finalized, I began working on UI designs to align with the planned objectives and deliver an improved calling experience for users.
Design Audit
I conducted an extensive Design Audit of the Wire apps, engaging colleagues and stakeholders to compile a comprehensive list of features and areas for improvement. This collaborative effort ensured diverse perspectives and a thorough understanding of user needs and potential enhancements for Wire apps.
To prioritize these features effectively, the head of the product designated key team members to collaborate with me on evaluating the list using the RICE scoring method. RICE stands for Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort, a framework used to assign scores to features based on their potential reach (number of users affected), impact (expected benefit to users), confidence (certainty in the outcome), and effort (time and resources required for implementation).
This structured approach allowed me to objectively prioritize features that would deliver the highest value to users while considering technical feasibility and resource constraints. The resulting design roadmap provided clear direction for implementing impactful improvements to the Wire apps. I was syncing with the product team designers and several engineering squads leads to communicate the desired accomplishments that align with the company’s milestones and KPIs.
Team Leadership and Accessibility for Visually Impaired People
I facilitated brainstorming and feedback sessions with product designers, UX researchers, and squads, fostering a collaborative environment and encouraging creative problem-solving. Additionally, I restructured design team workflows and enhanced user research and testing strategies to align with lean development principles. Alongside these responsibilities, I ensured that my interface and experience designs consistently met the expectations outlined in the business and design roadmaps.
A key design task during my work was adapting the brand guidelines to address the needs of visually impaired users, a crucial requirement for serving government-controlled institutions. In compliance with EU accessibility laws, I revised the brand color palette to meet AA-level accessibility standards, ensuring optimal contrast and readability across all digital products.
Once the rebranding was approved, I undertook the extensive process of rebuilding the on-brand design system. This involved redesigning both light and dark user interfaces while addressing outdated legacy UI components. I collaborated closely with developers to synchronize the design system with the development component library, ensuring consistency across platforms. Following these updates, I communicated the changes to the design team and oversaw the integration of the revised color guidelines into new features of the Wire app’s light and dark interface.
Teams Management Web App
Wire Swiss, like many standalone applications for teams, includes a Teams Management web app. This tool allows team managers to review memberships, handle billing, manage members, customize teams, enable services, and contact support.
The existing Teams Management web app had significant usability and accessibility issues, with certain features poorly designed and difficult to navigate. Recognizing these challenges, I took on the task of a full redesign of the tool. I began by creating a comprehensive UI component guide and proposed a new information architecture that introduced a more logical layout, clustering related features for improved relevance and usability.
I designed the key user interface screens and delivered a fully documented handover to the development team. The redesigned tool was built to simplify and streamline everyday tasks for team administrators, ensuring they could efficiently manage their teams using the Wire Teams Management web app.
Collaborating with a World-Class Team
During my time at Wire Swiss, I had the privilege of working alongside some of the most talented professionals dedicated to creating sustainable products that prioritize user privacy, security, and accessibility. The collaborative spirit and shared commitment to excellence within the team were truly inspiring.
I extend my deepest gratitude to CTO Alan Durik, Senior Product Manager Eva Cigic, Product Manager Julian Spittka, CPO Srikant Vemuri, UX Researcher Lis Ojeda, and Senior Product Designer Wolfgang Lattermann for their trust in my expertise and their exceptional collaboration, even during the most demanding and high-pressure moments. Their professionalism and shared vision made a significant impact on our ability to deliver meaningful and user-centric solutions.
