The Cortana app introduced Microsoft's digital assistant across mobile platforms (Android and iOS). Our team explored, validated, and delivered features where the company made significant investments in the new space.
The app transitioned from a "do-it-all" assistant to one focused on productivity, where the company has a long history of powering office and work-related scenarios. This was also the first time where Microsoft introduced smart devices, including speakers, headsets, and thermostats.
I managed a Design team to redesign the Cortana app's framework and align with our team's new goals for the app with partners across global sites (US, Beijing (CN), Suzhou (CN), Hyderabad (IN).
The new Cortana app framework was deeply integrated with Microsoft services and products (Office, Skype, Teams, Todo, Edge) to provide the best experience for our Office 365 users.
Discover
Cortana can help users communicate, join meetings, play their favorite songs and more. What differentiates it from other digital assistants, is its deep integration with Microsoft's Office suite, enhancing productivity at work.
Discovery of new productivity-focused skills, or things that Cortana can do, are personalized and accessible via one tap. They're dynamically shown based on user's signals around connected services, such as email clients or music providers, location, meeting frequency, email count, etc. By learning new skills, we aimed to lead our users to form habits around their workday.
Upcoming
Multitasking between calendars, emails, chat rooms, etc. throughout the day is a common challenge for many of our users.
The Cortana app help users stay on top of what matters most, prioritizing upcoming tasks and enabling quick actions to help complete them. It proactively help users respond to messages or calls, prepare for their next meeting, stay informed with personalized news, and continue where they left off across smart devices.
Proactively join meetings with Cortana
Cortana app answer and guide conversation framework
Notifications to follow up on tasks and continue where you left off (including across devices)
devices
For the first time, Microsoft launched a series of smart devices with Cortana as its native digital assistant. Our team enabled the Cortana app to bring the companion experience for setup, management, and continue and complete tasks from smart devices.
I lead features and managed a team to deliver user experiences for app and device onboarding (first-run experiences), enabling and discovering new Cortana skills, and partnering with voice/conversational designers, hardware, and cross-functional partners across remote sites (US, China, India).
I lead features and managed a team to deliver user experiences for app and device onboarding (first-run experiences), enabling and discovering new Cortana skills, and partnering with voice/conversational designers, hardware, and cross-functional partners across remote sites (US, China, India).
First run experience - aligning user expectation with Cortana capabilities
Device tutorial
Microsoft Surface Headphone
GLAS smart thermostat
Outcome
During my time leading the Cortana mobile app Design team, we increased our Android app Google Play store rating from 3.7 to 4.4/5 with 5X MAU, 8X DAU within a short 1.2-year span. Our team's effort to successfully deliver a great experience with Microsoft's digital assistant to the mobile (iOS, Android) and smart devices platforms was the first in the company's history and largely shaped by listening to our users and collaboration across product and hardware development teams.
We established strong partnerships across global sites with Microsoft US (Redmond), India (Hyderabad), and China (Beijing, Suzhou) as the leading team for Cortana's organic user growth.