TikTok

3D Designer / Experience Designer / Project Manager / Creative Lead

Goals

I lead the development of AR creative tools and effects that empower users to tell stories on TikTok.

Featured In

Immersive Music Creative Effects - TikTok Newsroom
Techcrunch
Popline
Social Media Today

Summary

I inspire and guide internal designers in creating captivating AR effects and tools using new technologies. I solve technical challenges, steer visual direction, and lead cross-functional partners, overseeing the entire pipeline from ideation and UX design to production and protoypting. Notably, I've driven initiatives like Immersive Music Creative Effects, which introduced a new range of interactive music feature to our app.

creating viral effects project management

Creating Viral Effects

Each viral effect creation process includes ideation, iteration, and problem solving. I drive user research and cross-functional brainstorms to discover the best experiences for our users.

Ideation

I prioritize user research and trends, dedicating 2 hours daily to TikTok. I bring these discoveries to our internal and cross-functional teams, which drives targeted ideation for our demographic.

After Effects Ideation Demo;
giving designers and engineers better idea of interaction

Final effect compilation ; reacts to music

Meteor Shower

Audio reactive effect with atmospheric rain drops that collide with the user

• Discovered a lack of atmospheric effects compared to face effects on TikTok through app research

• Proposed an idea that utilized our new human-segmentation technology which encourages users to engage with their full body

• Created visual prototype demos that clearly communicated interactions and reduced production bottlenecks

Iteration

For projects with complex user interactions, I lead multiple iterations to polish the experience. I work alongside other UI designers to revise the user flow until we find the most effective approaches.

Animal Audition

Audio reactive effect that deforms the user's face into an animal based on the sound they make

• Created multiple interaction flow options using assets created by UI designer

• Conducted internal A/B testing on employees with no knowledge of effect interaction

• Determined friendlier interaction flow through testing, leading to better user experience

Interaction Flow Iteration
Iterated on effect interaction using assets by UI designer

Final effect compilation ; reacts to voice

Creative Solutions

We often run into technical bottlenecks during development. I partner with the engineering team to devise lasting solutions. At the same time, I ensure our designers have the necessary resources to create effective short-term fixes.

Face Deformation Artifact;
solving issues through creative solutions

Final effect compilation ; reacts to smile

Horrify

3D Face deformation effect that changes the user's face based on the intensity of their smile

• Discovered visual artifact caused by algorithm and mesh limitations

• Separated out deformation process into two stages to avoid visual glitch

• Successfully resolved technical issue through creative solutions and maintained original timeline

Project Management

Immersive Music Creative Effects Initiative

I spearheaded the Immersive Music Creative Effects initiative which introduced music reactive effects in a dedicated "Music" tab in the TikTok Creative Effects tray. With this initiative, we launched 6 different music creative tools and gained coverage on multiple news outlets such as Techcrunch, Popline, and Social Media Today. This initiative became the foundation for all of the audio-related functionalities in our public facing Effect House engine.