Microsoft
Productivity applications & tools
Since joining Microsoft in 2021, I've been part of a period defined by rapid change. The global shift toward hybrid work and the rise of AI have reshaped how people live, collaborate, and create. These changes bring new possibilities but also new complexities, as people juggle more tools, information, and responsibilities than ever before.
Design plays a crucial role in meeting these challenges. By simplifying complexity, it helps people focus on what matters, stay connected, and feel empowered by their tools rather than overwhelmed by them. This philosophy aligns with Microsoft's mission to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more.
In the M365 Core Studio, I've applied this philosophy through many incubation projects that bridge design and AI. My work has included shaping Cortana's voice accessibility in Outlook and Teams, defining extensibility for Microsoft 365 Copilot plugins, and leading design for People Companion in Windows. Across these initiatives, the focus has been on creating intuitive, accessible, and productive experiences that help people do more with less friction.
My journey at Microsoft continues to be an inspiring exploration of how design and AI can transform the way people engage with technology. By pushing the boundaries of innovation, we're creating experiences that not only serve today's needs but also anticipate what comes next. AI is opening doors to more intuitive, accessible, and empowering tools that help people do more in a world full of potential.
Please note: While mindful of the confidentiality protocols that surround incubation projects, the specifics detailed here are limited to those publicly released.
My RolesDesign Lead, User Experience, User Interface
My DomainsAccessibility, AI, Calendar & Time Management, Conversational Design, Cross-Platform Integration, Extensibility, People, UX Leadership, Voice Assistant
CollaboratorsBing, Cortana, Dynamics 365, Edge, Fluent, Microsoft 365 (Copilot, Outlook, Teams, Word, PowerPoint, Excel), Power Platform, Substrate, Viva, Windows
RightsCopyright © 2025 Microsoft. All rights reserved.
Websitemicrosoft.com
Microsoft 365 Companion
Microsoft 365 Companion for Windows is a lightweight, intuitive app designed to elevate productivity and creativity in the modern workplace. It brings Microsoft 365 Graph entities such as people, files, and calendar events directly into the Windows environment. Instead of switching between apps or navigating multiple layers, users can access what they need instantly from the taskbar. This reduces friction, streamlines workflows, and helps people stay focused on their work. Microsoft 365 Companion is scheduled for global launch in Fall 2025.
As part of this suite, I lead the design efforts for People Companion, a fast and intuitive gateway to colleagues across an organization. Built for simplicity and speed, it combines people discovery, profile insights, and communication tools into one distraction-free space. Whether searching by name, role, or skill, checking availability and time zones, or pinning frequent collaborators for quick access, People Companion transforms the traditional directory into a powerful productivity tool that keeps users connected, in control, and ready for what comes next.
Microsoft 365 Copilot: Plugins
Microsoft 365 Copilot is an AI-powered productivity assistant built across the Microsoft ecosystem, seamlessly integrated into apps like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. It leverages large language models (LLMs) and organizational data through Microsoft Graph to generate content, automate tasks, and provide context-sensitive insights, all with enterprise-grade security and privacy.
I helped define the user experience for Copilot's extensibility by shaping the Plugin Management Framework, which enables users to seamlessly access both internal and external data sources. Whether retrieving business data from Microsoft Graph or connecting to third-party services like Jira or Salesforce, people can complete complex tasks without leaving the Microsoft 365 environment. My work included designing intuitive plugin workflows, handling latency messaging, authentication, and management flows, collaborating with legal to define privacy and security copy, and building the enablement framework. This approach empowered end users with a seamless and trustworthy experience while also giving admins the confidence to manage and deploy plugins across their organizations with control and compliance.
Cortana
Cortana was Microsoft's AI-powered virtual assistant designed to integrate assistive, conversational AI directly into Microsoft 365, enabling users to manage tasks through natural voice interactions that enhanced accessibility and inclusivity. My work spanned across multiple areas of Cortana's capabilities, from enabling reminders, to-do lists, email, search, and contextual suggestions that simplified productivity workflows, to shaping the voice accessibility framework in Outlook and Teams so anyone could stay organized, connected, and productive using voice alone.
Although support for Cortana officially ended in 2023 as Microsoft transitioned toward Copilot in Windows 11 and Microsoft 365 apps, the work laid an important foundation for AI-driven productivity experiences within the Microsoft ecosystem.
