Founding design for a 0-to-1 privacy platform
TerraTrue helps product teams accurately document how their features use personal data, so companies can comply with global privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA. I joined as the founding designer when only product concepts existed, working in 1-week design-and-build sprints toward a product whose users — product managers and engineers — are not privacy experts.
The problem the whole product hangs on: how might we help non-experts accurately document how their product uses personal data, without overwhelming them or creating ambiguity that could lead to compliance risk?
THE PROBLEM
Early content and designs added friction
The original Data Spec framed privacy decisions at too high a level for non-privacy stakeholders. Questions assumed prior knowledge, repeated themselves, and lacked a clear sense of progression.
Original concept problems
Required written explanations from users. Repeated questions. No clear sense of progress.
Initial iteration problems
Heavy use of accordions. Too much clicking to compare options. Still intimidating for first-time users.
THE INSIGHT
We needed a new way to ask complex questions
Reframing the problem produced the design principles that carried the rest of the work:
Break complex privacy concepts into smaller, approachable steps
Introduce complexity progressively, not all at once
Build a system that scales across launches and teams
THE SOLUTION
The Data Spec became a guided flow
Instead of asking users to explain everything upfront, the Data Spec was restructured into a progressive flow: Basics, Data Subjects, Data Uses, Data Types, Third Parties, Consent, Review. Each step captures a single decision, and earlier answers shape what comes next, which reduces cognitive load while preserving accuracy.
EXECUTION
Each screen supports 1 focused decision
With the flow defined, every screen was designed around a single decision: plain-language prompts that are neither legal nor technical, visual grouping instead of dense lists, and a clear primary action.
Heavier decisions waited their turn. Complexity like data types and retention only appeared after users understood why they were collecting data, at which point it felt manageable instead of overwhelming.
UX polish isn't enoughwhen the underlying structure is wrong.
IMPACT
Reducing friction without sacrificing compliance
This work contributed to TerraTrue's ability to scale enterprise workflows, part of the foundation that led to a successful $15M Series A.
Approachable questions
Lowered the barrier for non-privacy experts to complete required reviews with confidence.
Aligned teams
Created a shared language across product, legal, and privacy stakeholders.
Quicker approvals
Enabled faster, more consistent launch approvals.
REFLECTION
Progressive disclosure helps non-experts build confidence before encountering complexity.
Designing systems instead of screens is what allows scaling across teams and keeps the product consistent.
HARD LESSONS
A custom design systemis not a 1-week task
This was my first time designing a product from the ground up, and I didn't know how to manage evolving requirements once components were already shipped. As the project progressed, requirements grew and component structures needed to change, or we'd have had to sacrifice clarity. The result was rework, friction, and a clear lesson in how fragile systems become when boundaries aren't set.
It was uncomfortable. It also fundamentally changed how I approach design work today.
