Design Lead and Project Manager
As the Design Lead and Design PM for Microsoft Photos Video Editor, I seamlessly combined hands-on design work with project management responsibilities. From shaping the interaction model to crafting the UI, I ensured a seamless user experience. Additionally, I led the Design Project Management efforts, defining the overall design process and fostering collaboration across teams. My passion for hands-on design and effective project management drove our success in creating an intuitive and dynamic video editing experience, achieving seamless integration and collaboration across multiple products.
Setting the vision
We prioritized casual video creators, who make short-form videos such as home movies. We planned to establish a foundation that could evolve over time.
The team debated between a timeline and tile-based model. Considering user preference for simplicity, I opted out of a feature rich timeline.
One day, creatively blocked, I found inspiration in a deck of cards. Cards became our interaction model. They were simple and universally understood.
I created a card game, tabletop-inspired interaction model with modifier tokens for stylizing videos and images.
Paper prototype: Participants were given cut-out pieces and asked to create a story and fill it with content. Everyone understood the model.
Using customer insights, we created a high-fidelity vision video to gather feedback and seek production approval, solidifying our vision and ensuring alignment with customers and stakeholders.
Pushing pixels
With a clear vision, it was time to make it a reality. I deconstructed the concept and created functional wireframes, establishing primary control surfaces and entry points for editing. These wireframes formed the foundation for a seamless and intuitive user experience.
With a working model in mind, I explored visual approaches and layouts, aiming for a simplified interface. Initially, the content library was hidden and optimized for touch at the bottom of the screen. However, user testing revealed a lack of resonance. In response, I reintroduced the content library as a collapsable panel.
The final design incorporated Windows features like acrylic background and streamlined player controls. A responsive command bar adapted its controls based on the selection of an image or video clip. This dynamic command bar later inspired an updated Office command bar with similar functionality.