During my Summer 2024 internship at Nokia Bell Labs, I redesigned the internal Open AR Cloud tool used to manage spatial services and content. The goal was to improve usability, visual consistency, and efficiency for internal developer workflows.
Background
Open AR Cloud is part of Nokia’s spatial computing platform, enabling engineers to upload 3D assets tied to real-world GPS coordinates. It is an essential step for developing AR application.
Problem
The existing tool lacked design coherence — poor form layout, inconsistent styling, and no design system usage — which led to confusion, inefficiency, and increased cognitive load for users. As a result, even simple content updates became frustrating for engineers.
Challenge
I had to modernize the interface using the Nokia Design System while preserving the existing backend structure. Working within tight technical constraints, I needed to align UX goals with engineering feasibility. Below are the old interfaces without any design.
Design Process
I began by auditing the current tool, identifying UX flaws, and mapping key user flows. I collaborated closely with engineers, collected feedback, and iteratively redesigned screens using Figma with Nokia’s design system components.
User Pain Points
Internal users (engineers) struggled with navigation, visual clutter, and unclear hierarchy in the UI. They often made errors while uploading assets due to non-intuitive field labeling and inconsistent data formatting.
poor UX slowed down efficiency
Solution
The redesigned interface introduced a clean, minimal layout with consistent spacing, field alignment, and hierarchy. I prioritized clarity and streamlined data entry to reduce errors and support faster task completion.
Before and After
✓ Improved consistency
✓ Better user efficiency
✓ Professional appearance
✓ Deployed to production
old UX design
new UX design
Validation
To evaluate the redesign, we conducted internal usability testing using eye-tracking and mouse-click heatmaps. Compared to the previous version, engineers showed 35% faster task completion and more focused gaze patterns, indicating clearer visual hierarchy and improved usability.
Impact
The final design was implemented into the live internal tool, improving usability and increasing team satisfaction. Engineers reported a smoother workflow and significantly reduced friction in content management tasks.