Designing MASC –––

A Data Anonymisation Solution 
for Civil Society

Collaborative Wireframing

I collaborated closely with engineers during the wireframing phase, ensuring their technical expertise aligned with the design vision.
This partnership was key in confirming that the product could be built with the resources and skills available while staying true to the needs of its users.

When I joined the MASC project, the goal was clear but ambitious: to develop a robust data anonymisation solution that would transform victim statements from cases of modern slavery and sexual violence into fully anonymised data—far beyond pseudonymisation.

Partnering with civil society organisations City Hearts and Everyone’s Invited, this project aimed to protect the identities of survivors while enabling meaningful data use.

Understanding the Problem

The journey began with the stakeholders meeting, where I immersed myself in understanding the pain points of organisations working with sensitive survivor statements. This wasn’t just about anonymisation; it was about trust—ensuring data protection while maintaining the integrity of the information.

Together with a UX researcher, we collected real-world use cases, explored challenges faced by stakeholders.

The next steps was to review and refine the Project Manager (PM) “Problem - Solution Map” from a product design perspective, as well as studying the competitor analysis.
From this foundation, the PM and I collaboratively drafted user story maps to outline how the anonymisation process would function within the product.

I then translated these into user personas and a product profile, providing a clear vision of who we were designing for and the problems we were solving.

Designing for Minimalism

The technical requirements of MASC posed a unique design challenge. The product’s core features were minimalistic yet critical:

— Uploading data for anonymisation.

— Defining which elements of data to anonymise.

— Providing a repository log of all anonymised data.

— Visualising anonymised data.

— Export the anonymised data as cvs, pdf or xml files.

With such lean functionality, the risk was a UI that could feel uninspired or overly utilitarian.

My challenge as a Senior UX/UI designer was to craft a design that was not only intuitive but visually engaging, ensuring stakeholders and users would trust and adopt the system.

Creating an Engaging UI

Given the minimal content, I focused on leveraging clean design principles and meaningful interactions to make the experience engaging. Every interface element was deliberate:

— A streamlined data upload flow to simplify complex actions.

— Interactive data visualisations to bring the anonymisation process to life.

— A repository log designed for clarity, providing users with an intuitive way to track actions.

— Thoughtful use typography, and whitespace to create a modern, professional aesthetic and a strong brand identity.

I integrated engaging videos and micro animations to enhance user retention and create a more dynamic, appealing experience.
By incorporating subtle interactive elements, I aimed to make the interface more enjoyable, improve user engagement, and reinforce the brand identity, ensuring it reflects the product's tone and personality.

Outcome and Reflection

The result was a prototype that balanced functionality with a polished, user-friendly interface.

While the UI remained simple due to the nature of the content, the design succeeded in being engaging and trustworthy—key factors for a tool handling sensitive data.

Looking ahead, MASC highlights the importance of aligning user needs, technical feasibility, and thoughtful design. It was a project that reinforced my belief in the power of collaboration and minimalism done well.