Corporate Sponsor
Microsoft Azure AI
Timeline
9 months
(Dec 2024-Aug 2025)
Team
Microsoft Principal PM
Microsoft Senior UX Researcher
+3 UW MHCI+D UX Designers
(Me) UX Designer + PM
1. Overview
Three Azure-powered Accessible AI features & Custom AI System instruction that address pain-points in the everyday workflow for professionals
The main goal was to expand accessibility-focused use cases for Microsoft Azure AI technology and the final deliverables were three accessible AI features, and one custom-AI prompt. Finding myself at a 17-person, self-funded, basement startup with no clear product vision, strategy, or design system, I rallied multiple departments and company leaders together with an ambitious plan that helped lead to a 4-year product transformation, propelling us to 350 employees and a staggering $1.2 billion valuation.
My Contributions
Increased productivity retention by 40%
✅ 100% user-adoption,
✅ Led end-to-end design and prototype for three key AI features
✅ Led as Azure AI Foundry SME
2. Context
Recently launched; goal to create accessiblility-focused use cases with Microsoft Azure AI
The main goal was to expand accessibility-focused use cases for Microsoft Azure AI technology and the final deliverables were three accessible AI features, and one custom-AI prompt. Finding myself at a 17-person, self-funded, basement startup with no clear product vision, strategy, or design system, I rallied multiple departments and company leaders together with an ambitious plan that helped lead to a 4-year product transformation, propelling us to 350 employees and a staggering $1.2 billion valuation.
My Contributions
Increased productivity retention by 40%
✅ 100% user-adoption,
✅ Led end-to-end design and prototype for three key AI features
✅ Led as Azure AI Foundry SME
2. Problem
Identified Workflow Pain-Points: Communication Block, Context Switching, Scattered Focus
To come up with the accessible use-cases, I did an in-depth generative research with neurodiveregent professionals. However, these pain-points proved universal.
Communication Block
Our tool empowers you to break through creatives and discover fresh ideas.
Communication Block
Our tool empowers you to break through creatives and discover fresh ideas.
Communication Block
Our tool empowers you to break through creatives and discover fresh ideas.
Communication Block
Our tool empowers you to break through creatives and discover fresh ideas.
Context Switching
Our tool empowers you to break through creatives and discover fresh ideas.
Scattered Focus
Our tool empowers you to break through creatives and discover fresh ideas.
3. Final Solution
Three Accessible AI Features & ADHD-friendly AI System Instruction
These 3 accessible AI features are encompossed in a desktop widget toolkit called Flow. These features are layered with the custom ADHD-friendly AI System instruction that does XYZ.
Why create a custom-AI System Instruction?
Increased productivity retention by 40%
Increased productivity retention by 40%
4. Key Features
1. Magic Mouse
Any on-screen selection/highlight instantly becomes an input to LLM
Pain-Point
When interacting with LLM, there is a high cognitive load because users need to provide context from scratch and craft effective prompts.
Solution
Remove the burden of re-explaining the context by letting users instantly turn any on-screen selection into LLM input.
Text & Area Select Mode
Switch between modes depending on the context and task load
ADHD-friendly AI Assistant
Emotionally and psychologically grounded communications can be made with th
2. Activity History
Instantly regain context & resume task through AI-powered searchable timeline
Pain-Point
When interacting with LLM, there is a high cognitive load because users need to provide context from scratch and craft effective prompts.
Solution
Remove the burden of re-explaining the context by letting users instantly turn any on-screen selection into LLM input.
Text & Area Select Mode
Switch between modes depending on the context and task load
ADHD-friendly AI Assistant
Emotionally and psychologically grounded communications can be made with th
2. Activity History
Instantly regain context & resume task through AI-powered searchable timeline
Pain-Point
When interacting with LLM, there is a high cognitive load because users need to provide context from scratch and craft effective prompts.
Solution
Remove the burden of re-explaining the context by letting users instantly turn any on-screen selection into LLM input.
Text & Area Select Mode
Switch between modes depending on the context and task load
ADHD-friendly AI Assistant
Emotionally and psychologically grounded communications can be made with th
Research
45 survey responses, 8 in-depth Interviews with the neurodivergent professionals & SMEs
In partnership with Microsoft’s Neurodivergent ERG, I conducted three research methods to deeply understand the daily challenges, their motivations, and the used tools and strategies.
Through 10+ user interviews, we validated our assumptions as to why it was so impactful:
Key Insights
“Maybe it knows everything about my whole computer and, like, it knows about all the stuff in, like what I need to do. So maybe it would tell me exactly what I needed to know. But regardless, I would want it to give me a sub list."
- ADHD-user (usability testing)
“I tend to read documents online while highlighting them with my cursor. I’d like more options for different interaction formats."
- Senior Full-stack Engineer
(usability testing)
“Maybe it knows everything about my whole computer and, like, it knows about all the stuff in, like what I need to do. So maybe it would tell me exactly what I needed to know. But regardless, I would want it to give me a sub list."
- ADHD-user (usability testing)
“I tend to read documents online while highlighting them with my cursor. I’d like more options for different interaction formats."
- Senior Full-stack Engineer
(usability testing)
“Maybe it knows everything about my whole computer and, like, it knows about all the stuff in, like what I need to do. So maybe it would tell me exactly what I needed to know. But regardless, I would want it to give me a sub list."
- ADHD-user (usability testing)
“I tend to read documents online while highlighting them with my cursor. I’d like more options for different interaction formats."
- Senior Full-stack Engineer
(usability testing)
Design
Translating complexity to usability
A key piece to this project was figuring out how to deliver up to date information to users without bogging them down with complex flows of syncing with a 3rd party. Users need to focus on their key goal: sending legal holds.
To accomplish that, I sought out engineers' perspectives, who described the complexity of receiving data from Microsoft and potential errors, including disconnecting during server restarts. Informed by their technical explanations, I designed a resilient system that builds users' trust in their data without distracting them.
“Maybe it knows everything about my whole computer and, like, it knows about all the stuff in, like what I need to do. So maybe it would tell me exactly what I needed to know. But regardless, I would want it to give me a sub list."
- ADHD-user (usability testing)
“I tend to read documents online while highlighting them with my cursor. I’d like more options for different interaction formats."
- Senior Full-stack Engineer
(usability testing)
“Maybe it knows everything about my whole computer and, like, it knows about all the stuff in, like what I need to do. So maybe it would tell me exactly what I needed to know. But regardless, I would want it to give me a sub list."
- ADHD-user (usability testing)
“I tend to read documents online while highlighting them with my cursor. I’d like more options for different interaction formats."
- Senior Full-stack Engineer
(usability testing)
7. Design: Magic Mouse
Exploring the existing AI interaction Modes
What was the Challenge (business, tech constraints, user needs?)
How solved it
What was the impact
Real-Time Updates
Automatic Categorization
Unified Account View
Detailed Spending Insights
Problems
Struggling to track all your expenses in one place?
Overspending without realizing it?
Difficult to save for long-term goals?
Handle
Managing multiple accounts can feel overwhelming.
Without real-time updates, it's easy to lose track of spending.
Saving for long-term goals requires consistency and planning.
Solutions
Payble integrates all your accounts in one dashboard.
Receive real-time alerts when you're approaching your budget limits.
Set custom savings goals and let AI automate the path to reaching them.
8. Design: Activity History
Our Results in Numbers
Discover the real impact Payble has made on budgeting, saving, and financial health across our growing community.
9. AI Assistant
Our Results in Numbers
Discover the real impact Payble has made on budgeting, saving, and financial health across our growing community.
9. Reflection
Our Results in Numbers
Discover the real impact Payble has made on budgeting, saving, and financial health across our growing community.