Project Summary
Autodesk Fusion was powerful. Complex. And trapped on desktop.
For years, this wasn't a problem—until our competitors launched mobile and web experiences while we watched potential customers slip away. Manufacturing engineers couldn't access their designs on the factory floor. Distributed teams struggled with workflow continuity. Product designers wanted tablet flexibility but had no option.
The stakes were existential: We faced a potential 5-10 year subscription loss to mobile-first competitors. But the real challenge cut deeper.
How might we transform a desktop CAD application—built for mouse precision and keyboard shortcuts—into a unified experience that maintains its power while scaling across touch, stylus, and traditional inputs?
My Role & Approach
As Lead Product Designer on this multi-year initiative, I owned the strategic vision and end-to-end design. This required:
Strategic Leadership
- Product & design strategy — Defining the north star vision and multi-year roadmap
- Information architecture — Restructuring complex workflows for cross-platform use
- Vision & strategy — Creating frameworks other Autodesk teams could build upon
Design & Research
- End-to-end design — From initial concepts through production-ready specs
- User research & testing — Leading workshops, interviews, and validation studies
- Prototyping — Building interactive prototypes and coding in QML
Cross-Functional Collaboration
I worked closely with 2 senior UX designers, 2 researchers, multiple product managers, and various development teams to ensure alignment on strategy, design principles, and technical feasibility.
Regular cross-team coordination was essential for success. I facilitated bi-weekly design reviews with other UX teams, conducted collaborative workshops to gather diverse perspectives, and created asynchronous presentations using FigJam boards to keep stakeholders informed of progress and decisions.
Beyond the immediate project team, I also served as an advisor to the Autodesk Design System team, helping to integrate new multi-platform patterns into the existing desktop experience and ensuring our innovations could benefit other product teams across the organization.
Where We Started: 20 Users in a Room
I needed to understand what users actually needed on each device—not what we assumed they needed.
I ran a workshop with 20 users representing design, manufacturing, engineering, and electronics roles. For an hour, we explored how they used CAD tools across their workflows, diving into seven dimensions of software adoption.
What We Heard
"I need to update CNC parameters while standing on the factory floor."
— Manufacturing Engineer
"I want to sketch concepts on my iPad, then refine them on desktop."
— Product Designer
"I just need to check measurements and approve changes while traveling."
— Engineering Manager
The patterns were clear:
Tablets
High demand for modeling, annotation, CNC updates
Browser
Preferred for flexibility (with performance concerns)
Phone
Quick edits, sharing, annotations—"editing in a pinch"
Cross-device
Users constantly switched between devices and locations.But here's what surprised me: Users weren't asking for different features on different devices. They were asking for the same capabilities with varying levels of complexity.
Defining Success
My approach was rooted in extensive user research and competitive analysis, leading to four core strategic pillars:
Drive User Adoption
Increase engagement and active users across all new device platforms.
Enable Cross-Device Workflows
Seamlessly transition design tasks between desktop, web, and mobile.
Improve Task Efficiency
Optimize key design and manufacturing workflows for faster completion.
Create a Scalable Framework
Develop a robust, adaptable system for future product expansion.
Design Solution: Responsive Architecture
Adopting progressive disclosure as a core principle, I developed an architecture that scales intelligently—keeping Fusion's power accessible on every device while using available space effectively on larger screens.
The key was creating a system where UI elements adapt based on:
- Available screen real estate
- Primary input method (touch vs. mouse)
- User's current workflow context
- Device ergonomics
Deep Dive: The Toolbar Redesign
The toolbar is Fusion's command center—central to nearly every workflow. Transforming it was critical.
The Problem
The legacy toolbar had several issues:
- Consumed too much vertical space on smaller devices
- Commands became buried unpredictably when horizontal space narrowed
- Fixed top position failed to adapt across screen sizes
- Inconsistent across different workspaces
- Not scalable for touch interfaces
Research: Optimal Placement
I approached toolbar placement from an ergonomic perspective, considering how users naturally interact with each device type.
Through user testing with 22 participants across design, manufacturing, engineering, and electronics roles, I discovered:
Tablet
Left placement won decisively—users wanted easy thumb access in both portrait and landscape
Desktop/Web
Top placement aligned with familiar patterns
Mobile
Results were mixed between left/top, so I flagged for ongoing testing
Information Architecture
Before redesigning the interface, I needed to solve the information architecture. I took a multifaceted approach, analyzing:
Usage
How frequently is each command used? (Analytics review)
Customer expectation
Where do users expect to find it? (Card sorting with 22 users)
Hierarchy
Application-level vs. document-level vs. workspace-specific
New user friendliness
Will this be intuitive for less technical users?
Card Sorting Insights
Users classified tools by function and usage. They wanted related tools grouped together, not scattered across different menus. This led to reorganizing:
- Navigation commands → Near the ViewCube
- View options → Grouped in ViewCube menu
- Display settings → Directly on toolbar
- Rarely-used settings → Moved to preferences
- Named views → Relocated from model browser to view menu
Final Solution
After analyzing modern CAD tools, I recognized a pattern: most prioritize condensed, icon-driven interfaces with overflow menus.
I designed a new toolbar where:
- All commands are accessible through a dropdown on the right
- As the toolbar narrows, it predictably hides commands from the right
- Overflow dropdown stays in the same place
- Users can search and browse with collapsible sections and grid view
- Toolbar can collapse entirely to maximize canvas space
Validation
I conducted moderated testing with 5 users:
- 5 of 5 successfully switched from Constrained Orbit to Free Orbit
- 4 of 5 successfully changed Camera to Perspective
- The navigation toolbar fit users' mental models, confirming prior research
"Tools that involve specific views of the model go well with the viewcube area." — User testing participant
Deep Dive: 2D Sketch Workflow
One of the toughest challenges was designing 2D Sketching for touch devices. 2D sketching is like creating architectural plans for 3D shapes—precision is essential.
The Challenge
The legacy workflow relied heavily on:
- Cursor and hover feedback
- Text inputs for exact values
- Keyboard shortcuts
Without a keyboard and mouse, I needed to completely rethink the experience.
The Precise Cursor
After reviewing competitors, I noticed they placed a precise cursor just above the finger, functioning like a mouse cursor.
Design Iterations
I explored multiple cursor designs—through internal design critiques, I kept returning to plus (+) variants as most precise and least intrusive. The breakthrough came with a centered square inside the plus icon, providing optimal precision without compromising canvas clarity.
Interaction Pattern
- Double-tap activates the precise cursor
- Users position the cursor
- Lift finger to complete selection
Validation
Testing with 5 users showed the double-tap gesture became second nature after a single demonstration, with a usefulness rating of 4.1 out of 5. Users repeatedly used it throughout the prototype session.
Exiting Sketch Mode
Using state charts to map user flows, I uncovered a critical gap: the only way to exit a Sketch tool was pressing Escape.
I needed an exit pattern that worked across all input types. The solution:
- Blue call-to-action button with white icon
- Placed directly in toolbar
- Same icon and button style connects toolbar and command panel
- Makes it immediately clear users are in a special mode
Supporting Features
Canvas snack bars
Display the active tool at top center, providing clarity without cursor changes
Numeric keypad
Compact input for precise values without triggering the full OS keyboard
Validation
Testing the complete sketch workflow with 5 users:
- 4 of 5 successfully completed drawing a rectangle on tablet
- Participants liked the numeric keyboard
- Overall satisfaction: 4.4 out of 5
Exploring Beyond Constraints
During this project, I stepped back for a thought experiment: What if Fusion was designed from scratch today with multi-device in mind from the start?
Freed from legacy constraints, I explored:
- Unconventional interaction patterns
- Motion design principles for progressive disclosure
- Alternative visual styles and hierarchies
- High and low density modes
- Light and dark themes
Drawing from these experimental designs, I integrated:
- Rounded corners and subtle drop shadows
- Floating elements creating an open, modern feel
- Spaciousness and accessibility as core principles
The feedback from leadership and users indicated I had captured Fusion's future style and direction—concepts that influenced the broader product vision.
Impact & Results
This project delivered significant organizational impact:
Production-Ready Frameworks
Two device-agnostic development frameworks now used across Autodesk
Functional Prototypes
Two fully functional Fusion POCs validated on Surface tablet
Design System Contributions
Multi-platform guidelines, architecture, and reusable components that enhanced Autodesk's design system
Team Enablement
Enabled two new apps built by other teams using these patterns
Strategic Vision
Created a North Star vision deck and demo that leadership now uses to drive Fusion's strategic direction for the next five years
Key Learnings
Innovation requires stepping outside conventional thinking.
When I gave myself permission to explore untested ideas and unconventional approaches, it became easier to narrow in on solutions that were not only inventive but also simpler and more intuitive for users.
Users are your best collaborators.
This project reaffirmed the importance of engaging directly with users and actively listening to their insights. When prompted with thoughtful questions, users consistently offered valuable feedback and innovative ideas that shaped the final solution.
Tasks don't differ across devices—they scale.
This fundamental insight unlocked the entire strategy. Rather than creating separate experiences for each platform, recognizing that users want the same capabilities at different scales of complexity led to a truly unified, scalable solution.