Senior Product Designer, defined AI-assisted workflows, worked with founders to scope project
Key Contributions
Led design efforts, taking work from ambiguous requirements through exploration and execution
Designed 5+ core SDK flows and delivered a north-star experience for how developers could interact with the platform
Created 20+ visual and brand assets to establish a more cohesive product identity
Designed and contributed to the company website, connecting the product's technical capabilities to a clearer external story
Worked directly with the founding team to rapidly synthesize feedback and iterate within the constraints of an early-stage startup
Overview
Origami robotics needed a way for users to easily interact with their robotic hand prototype. The commercial prototype will be manipulated through a teletraining dashboard, and will be rolled out to factories, research labs, and warehouses to collect data on fine gesture manipulation.
Pictured above: Linkedin viral video of Origami robotics’ hand prototype.
The Challenge
Adapting a technically complex product for non-technical users...
Origami’s main customers are not roboticists and may be considered robotics-naive. Robotics setup is intimidating for first time users. Before interacting with the robotic hand, first-time users must complete several setup and configuration steps that can feel technical and overwhelming.
Pictured above: Existing hand-interaction interface used by the founders.
We mapped two clear user touchpoints.
Designed to simplify robotic hand setup for non-technical users.
Competitive Audit
Without direct competitors to reference, we mapped flows and audited existing systems, focusing on hardware and software system integration to identify what patterns best support user clarity, control, and comprehension.
I led my team through defining a set of guiding principles for the project — what we wanted every design decision to carry forward, and just as importantly, what we wanted to actively avoid.
We then translated those principles, along with our flow audits, into a user flow we defined from the ground up.
UX principles at play
Drew layout and interaction inspiration from other common apps to preserve user mental models.
Apple Installation package wizard served as inspiration for the vertical progress bar on the onboarding layout.
Pictured above: Manus metaglove product analyzed during our competitive analysis.
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Drawing inspiration from commonly used interfaces
Without direct competitors, we mapped flows and audited existing systems, focused on hardware and software system integration to identify what patterns best support user clarity, control, and comprehension.
Through research, we identified the key features that would simplify how users interacted with the robotic hand.
Branding
In preparation for Origami Robotics' Demo Day, I helped lead the team's exploration of a visual direction that could communicate the company's technical vision while establishing a more distinctive brand.
Pictured above: concepts I created for the brand.
AI-assisted asset creation
From there, I supported asset creation through both hands-on and AI-assisted exploration. I joined the team in person for a video and photo shoot. I used AI tools to enhance, elevate, and expand 20+ visual assets, rapidly testing different concepts, compositions, and expressions of the brand.
Brand book compilation
From there, I supported asset creation through both hands-on and AI-assisted exploration. I joined the team in person for a video and photo shoot. I used AI tools to enhance, elevate, and expand 20+ visual assets, rapidly testing different concepts, compositions, and expressions of the brand.
Website
The landing page was created using the visual direction and guidelines established through the brand book.
AI-assisted design workflows
Reflection
AI was especially valuable in this project as a tool for expanding the range and speed of exploration. It allowed me to quickly translate early ideas into tangible visual directions, iterate across concepts, and elevate existing assets without investing heavily in each individual direction. At the same time, the project reinforced that speed of generation doesn't replace design judgment. The most important work was still deciding what felt right for Origami, identifying which outputs supported the brand we were building, and refining those ideas into a cohesive system. I came away seeing AI less as a shortcut to a finished product and more as a way to create more possibilities for a designer to evaluate, direct, and build upon.
