Bdrive

Insight

Bdrive, is a highly secure cloud solution developed by my former employer Nexenio for the German Federal Printing Office. It is based on the innovative Redundant Array of Independent Clouds (RAIC) technology, which divides encrypted data into smaller chunks and disperses these segments among various cloud storage providers, effectively safeguarding against data loss or compromise. Bdrive offers all the expected features of a cloud storage solution, but sets itself apart with exceptional security, reliability, and user-friendliness.

Process

Achieving a user-friendly experience akin to other major tech companies’ cloud services is no small feat. Doing so while implementing additional encryption and security measures, such as zero-knowledge encryption and RAIC technology, adds complexity. Gathering user input for higher entropy, a key factor in effective encryption, is an additional challenge.

Introducing extra steps before regular product use can be disconcerting for users, particularly when the reasons behind these steps are unclear. In the design process, which involved creating a design system, custom components, and designs for web, mobile, and desktop apps, the focus was on minimizing the need for user input and to design interactions that users find gratifying and informative. Achieving this required incorporating creative gamification mechanisms, effective communication, and ongoing user feedback.

Personal Role

During my time at Nexenio, I worked on improving Bdrive’s overall design, including working on its user interface and experience, designing and developing its website, and creating brand assets. The Bdrive interface itself ensures a seamless user experience, making additional security measures intuitive and rewarding rather than frustrating.

Additionally, I created a new product identity, which involved developing a new logo, establishing a unique illustration style, and formulating an icon design language. The corporate identity reflects the state-of-the-art technology and a strong focus on security and usability.

Bdrive has been since partly discontinued as a result of Nexenio’s strategic shift towards their highly successful product, Luca, along with other products within their domain of expertise.