Project
AR/VR Software, Design Systems
Date
Jun - Nov 2023
Role
Sole UI/UX system designer, VPG engineering team
Tools
Sketch, Keynote, SwiftUI,Xcode
Career Experience Overview
In the summer of 2023 I had the opportunity to work with the UI frameworks Engineering team at Apple in Sunny California. As UI designer, my 6 month long project included prototyping, researching, designing , and testing internal softwares.
🔒Due to this work being under NDA I would not be able to share the specific of the work I contributed to at Apple. If you would like to chat about some of the work I did in detail feel free to reach out to me!
What I learned
During my time on the UI Frameworks team, As UI Design Engineer, my 6 month long project included
I learned how apple teams prototyping, researching, designing , and test internal softwares. I got exposed to how a product is built from end to end by one of the best engineering teams in tech.
What I worked on
Coding Tools for Internal Teams:
Collaborated closely with engineering and project management teams to develop three QA testing tools for UI testing, utilizing SwiftUI. These tools improved the accuracy and efficiency of internal QA processes, ensuring seamless testing of new UI components.
Design Systems:
Led the handoff process between the HI Design and Engineering teams, validating UI elements for consistency and accuracy. Made adjustments using UI design software and worked closely with engineers to develop interactive prototypes, ensuring smooth integration of design into the development phase.
Research
To identify user pain points and align business goals with the current VisionOS design system:
Understanding the User: I collaborated & interviewed with stakeholders, including Frameworks Engineers, Project Managers, and QA Testers, to ensure alignment with design specifications.
Auditing the Design System:
I performed a detailed audit of the existing design system, uncovering gaps and inconsistencies in the prototypes. These findings were crucial in refining the overall user experience.
Data-Driven Enhancements:
I leveraged data analytics, user reviews, and reports to inform decisions, leading to measurable improvements in the design system.
Key Outcomes:
Strengthened communication and alignment between design and engineering teams.
Developed tools that made debugging faster and more intuitive for engineers.
Took ownership of the design process while gaining deeper insights into engineering workflows.
My Contributions to the team
I implemented several key changes to improve collaboration:
Cross-functional collaboration: I worked closely with both teams to streamline communication and align design systems with engineering processes.
Immediate design updates: As bugs were reported, I quickly updated the design system to reflect real-time changes, reducing the turnaround time for fixes.
Prototyping in Xcode using Swift: I developed tools that helped engineers debug more efficiently, ensuring the UI systems were implemented correctly and aligned with the design specs.
Impact
My six-month career experience with Apple's UI Frameworks team was an eye-opening and transformative experience. One of the most impactful outcomes of my project was influencing cross-functional stakeholders to consider the end-user experience more deeply when developing software and products.
My background in Apple retail allowed me to bring unique insights and perspectives to the table, which shaped our approach. Additionally, I contributed by building prototypes and tools to assist the engineering team when debugging.
Thank You!
This experience has taught me valuable lessons in collaboration, shipping products at scale, and creating user-centered designs. Leveraging my background in customer service, I aim to bring a unique perspective to UI/UX design, focusing on empathetic, user-focused solutions. I hope to continue developing my career by offering insights on how customer service expertise can be a strong foundation for a successful journey in UI/UX design.
While all of my work in this project is protected by NDA, I would be happy to discuss my contributions further over some coffee.
I want to extend my sincere gratitude to the UI Frameworks team, with a special thanks to my manager, Cedric, for their unwavering support and guidance. The collaborative environment fostered incredible learning and growth, and I’m grateful for the valuable experiences I gained during my time with the team.