Project Overview

the problem

XGen had a very steep learning curve. Workflows and features in the original Disney version were not always easy to find. Artists at Disney would receive training on its use because its complexity made it difficult to use.  The version Autodesk received needed to be developed in a way that was user friendly and better integrated into Maya (undo did not work, for example).  Features were not easy to find, workflows were not obvious and the UI was confusing to new users.

the solution

XGen needed to be integrated more fully into Maya. The UI was updated and improved. Features and workflow solutions were made more obvious and accessible through onscreen guidance and redesigned icons.  In testing, several subjects gave up after twenty minutes of getting nowhere and we had to make sure that they would see the results of the actions they made.

my role

As Product Owner and Designer, my role was to identify problem areas and design solutions, such as adding Undo and improved viewport support, automating default material assignments, redesigning the UI and Icons. I created the design 'Stories' that were broken down into tasks for a team of developers to work on, such as adding Multi-threading, Guide Sculpting tools and namespace support. I also worked closely with QA to find and fix bugs and with the Documentation team to ensure the Help pages and User Docs were correct and up to date as well as offering full coverage of the tools and workflows.

Story Designs & Workflow Mapping

These flows helped in defining the necessary features required for users to successfully navigate through XGen.

UI Redesign

Icon Mockups

DEMO MATERIAL | USER SUPPORT | USER TESTING

In addition to being the designer for XGen in Maya, I presented to film and gaming studios as the Subject Matter Expert for Grooming. In doing so, one of my roles was to create demo materials for customer visits and sales associates. I modeled various creatures and characters and created grooms for them, recording the process and making demo videos.  Customers informed my design decisions.  I was also the moderator on the Autodesk Beta forum for XGen, and a Customer Champion on Autodesk Area forum, answering questions and solving user problems.