At Rapid7, our Product Designers are at the forefront of reimagining how users experience our cybersecurity platform. The team operates with an AI and platform-first mindset, embedding intelligence and automation directly into core workflows to make every interaction smarter and faster.

Ronan McKinless, a Staff Product Designer based in our Belfast hub, shares his experience on the team, the unique challenges of designing for security, and the collaborative global culture that drives our innovation.

Designing for clarity in a complex world

What’s one thing about the cybersecurity space that you see differently now than you did on Day 1? 

Ronan: It’s simultaneously more and less complicated. The questions we are trying to answer remain very simple: “Is this activity malicious?” then, “What simple steps do we need to take to remediate?” Answering these questions with confidence requires us to tackle complex details with how we set up data sources and manage alerts. Wrestling with these details behind the scenes is what allows us to create a better experience for our users.

What is the "Big Rock" challenge you are most excited to solve in your next six months? 

Ronan: I would say Access Control. We’re working on making big changes to our infrastructure regarding how we manage user roles and data access. I can’t give too much away just yet, but this progress represents a huge improvement for all users across the platform.

Collaboration and the Belfast hub

How do you partner with and influence cross-functional teams at Rapid7?

Ronan: My favorite aspect of this job is the active, cross-functional problem-solving. Bringing together Product Managers, Engineers, and Designers to solve a problem in real-time offers significant advantages for each function and ultimately enhances the experience for our end users. We are all aligned when it comes to delivering high-quality work that meaningfully improves our customer experience. 

Rapid7 Belfast is a massive engine for the company. What is it like to work in that hub?

Ronan: I truly appreciate the opportunity to have so much of the team collaborating in person. We have experts from across the business located here in Belfast, and they are all very approachable and accessible. Seeing people passionately engaged in their respective areas is really energizing, especially when we can work together on a whiteboard and brainstorm ideas.

Lessons from the first 180 Days

What is one "piece of yourself" or your previous experience that you’ve successfully integrated into the team’s workflow?

Ronan: I’m focused on getting super precise with where the value is. When timelines and project scope start to shift, it’s important to stay laser-focused on and prioritize work that will be most valuable to the business or the user. It’s a simple thing, but very easy to lose sight of in complex, multi-team projects.

What milestone stands out to confirm you made the right choice to join this team?

Ronan: Working across all the modules on Platform Notifications was a great learning experience. Having to dive into each area and learn about their user processes was a great way to meet everyone and build strong relationships. It’s the people here that made me realize I made the right choice to join Rapid7.

Advice for future candidates

Why should someone consider a role on the Rapid7 product design team?

Ronan: There are a mountain of challenges to solve in this industry, especially now with the rise of AI-powered hacker groups. This gives us massive opportunities to create new experiences that help our customers keep their assets safe. If you want to work with amazing people and solve hard challenges that make a difference for customers, come on in.

What it means to be a Staff Product Designer at Rapid7

As a Staff Product Designer at Rapid7, you don't just design screens; you build flexible, intelligent frameworks rooted in object-oriented thinking. Our designers:

Lead platform transformation: Drive the evolution of foundational architecture and end-user workflows.

Integrate AI & automation: Use generative AI to increase efficiency and decision-making speed for security professionals.

Translate complexity: Turn technical, complex data into clear interfaces that enable rapid investigation and response.

Scale design systems: Extend our design system to support cross-product consistency and accessibility.

Are you ready to take command of your career?
Explore our open roles