Letting Go of the Pixel: How Cogent Automates UX (So I Don’t Have To)

Hyun Kim, Product Designer

Imagine showing up to work as a product designer and realizing your job isn’t to move pixels anymore-it’s to build the machine that moves them for you. That’s what it feels like at Cogent. As we launch ahead of BlackHat, I want to share something radical: at Cogent, we don’t just design products. We design the process that designs the product.

Why Automate Design? Because Security Moves Faster Than Humans

Let’s be honest: security is a battlefield. Threats evolve overnight. The old way-painstakingly crafting every button and screen by hand-just can’t keep up. So, what do you do when you’re outnumbered and outpaced? You automate. But not in the soulless, “robots take over” way. Instead, we build systems that do the heavy lifting, freeing us to focus on what really matters: judgment, taste, and the human touch.

This isn’t just about efficiency. It’s about survival. When you’re a solo designer at a fast-moving security startup, you need to multiply yourself. So I did what any designer facing an onslaught of requirements would do: I built a design process that works for me, not the other way around.

The Design System as Your Co-Pilot

Think of our design system like a fighter jet cockpit. The pilot (that’s you) is always in control, but the plane is loaded with automation, surfacing only what matters most. At Cogent, our automated design process is the cockpit. It runs usability checks, generates UI variants, and stress-tests layouts-all before I even have my first coffee. My job? Set the parameters, review the results, and make the final call.

This is where the magic happens: I’m not drawing every dial and switch. I’m building the dashboard that builds itself, according to the principles we care about. And those principles? They’re simple, but non-negotiable.

Our Three Pillars: The DNA of Every Cogent Experience

Every output from our system is checked against three pillars:

Usability: If you have to think twice, we’ve failed. “Don’t make me think” isn’t just a mantra-it’s a requirement.

Innovation: Security never stands still, so neither can we. Our system is wired to try new patterns, test new flows, and push the boundaries of what’s possible.

Aesthetics: First impressions matter. If our product doesn’t look and feel “legit,” users won’t trust it with their security.

When all three overlap, that’s our bullseye. Anything less, and the system tries again

Agentic UX: Designing for a World Where Agents Are Your Teammates

Here’s where it gets fun. The same automation that powers our design process also shapes the product itself. We’re not just building tools; we’re building agents-digital teammates that work alongside you, anticipate your needs, and sometimes even do the work before you ask.

What makes Agentic UX different at Cogent?

Agents act as collaborative partners, working alongside users to share the workload and support decision-making.
Users naturally take on a “manager” role, guiding agents that anticipate needs and proactively assist with tasks.
Agents operate in parallel with users, enabling efficient, multi-threaded workflows and acting as reliable investigation buddies.
As agents become more capable, they simplify the interface by handling complexity behind the scenes, allowing users to focus on what matters most.

And just like our design process, these agents are built to get out of your way. As they get smarter, the UI gets simpler. Less clutter, more clarity.

Taste Still Matters (And That’s Where I Come In)

Automation doesn’t mean abdication. The system proposes, I dispose. My job is to inject taste, context, and the occasional “nope, that’s ugly” veto. Like a chef tasting the sauce before it goes out, I make sure every release feels distinctly Cogent.

Why This Matters (For You, and For Security)

Security is too important to be left to chance-or to manual labor. By automating the design process, we’re not just moving faster; we’re making sure every experience is as usable, innovative, and trustworthy as possible. And because the system handles the grunt work, I can spend more time thinking about you: the user, the defender, the person who just wants to get their job done without wrestling with the UI.

So next time you use Cogent, know this: behind every screen is a process that designs, tests, and refines itself. My job? To make sure it feels like it was made just for you-because, in a way, it was.