Hi #SmartCommunity friends, in this episode of the Smart Community podcast I have a brilliant discussion with Kuhu Gupta. Kuhu is a data visualisation engineer at Illumio, working at the intersection of cybersecurity, data storytelling and design.
In this episode Kuhu tells us about network flow visualisations and zero trust segmentation in cybersecurity. We discuss the difference between exploratory and explanatory visualisations, including how hybrid visualisations combine network diagrams with hierarchical structures. We talk about designing for diverse user personas and the importance of personalisation in data tools.
We finish our chat discussing the lessons learned from choosing parallel coordinates over Sankey diagrams and the critical importance of talking to users early and often. As always, we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it.
What we cover in this episode:
- What Illumio does and how they use zero trust segmentation in cybersecurity
- The submarine analogy: understanding enterprise networks as 20,000 interconnected compartments where security teams need visibility to prevent breaches from spreading
- Network flow visualisation in cybersecurity, representing billions of daily network flows across hybrid cloud and on-premise environments
- The difference between exploratory visualisations (investigative, interactive tools) and explanatory visualisations (dashboards answering specific questions)
- Designing for diverse user personas within security teams, from threat hunters to application owners to compliance officers, each needing different views of the same data
- Personalisation and flexibility in data visualisation, giving users control over layouts, hierarchies, and visual encodings to match their mental models
- The mesh project: innovating on parallel coordinates to handle hierarchical data and massive scale in network traffic analysis
- Why aesthetically pleasing solutions aren’t always the answer, the importance of prioritising usability and user needs over visual appeal
- Starting with action, not the chart: focusing on what decisions users need to make rather than jumping straight to visualisation choices
Quotes:
“Visualisation is never about pretty pictures. It gives you the ability to discover patterns, compare them. It’s very important to see if it’s even giving value to your users. It’s your responsibility as data visualisation creators or developers to bring the best thing to them which solves their problem.”
“The key insight is there’s no one size fits all view and our job when we are designing or building visualisations is to provide the flexibility for each stakeholder to shape the data in a way that aligns with their mental model or immediate needs.”
“My first instinct was Sankey diagrams because they were aesthetically pleasing and seemed like a natural fit. But very quickly when I started doing user research, I realised that aesthetics weren’t the answer.”
“Start with action, not the chart. What do you want your users to take action on once they have seen your data representation? Talk to your users earlier and often. Don’t make assumptions.”
Links:
Connect:
Connect with Kuhu Gupta on LinkedIn
Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.community
Connect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn and watch on YouTube
Podcast Production by Perk Digital
This podcast is recorded on the traditional lands of the Kabi Kabi peoples and edited on the lands of the Gaibal peoples. I pay my respects to traditional owners of country and their elders past and present. I also extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today. Here on the Smart Community Podcast, we talk about data, technology, communities and the future. First Nations peoples have been sharing knowledge, caring for country, and telling stories for tens of thousands of years. I honour that deep connection of storytelling and community connection as we continue our conversation together here today.
Disclaimer
The views, opinions, and perspectives expressed by guests on The Smart Community Podcast are solely those of the individual speakers. They do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the host, Zoe Eather, or of The Smart Community Podcast as a whole.
Any discussion of ideas, products, organisations, or services by podcast guests does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the host or the podcast. Listeners are encouraged to form their own opinions and seek professional advice where appropriate.
