AI-POWERED TOOLS IN LIGHTROOM
Bringing AI-Powered Remove & Expand Tools to Lightroom
ROLE
Lead Designer
EXPERTISE
UX/UI Design, UX research
IMPACT
336K+ Generative Remove users, 15% YoY growth growth
I led the UX design for Generative Remove, Lightroom’s first generative-AI feature and the product’s entry point to the Firefly ecosystem. Building on the record-setting success of Generative Fill and Expand in Photoshop (over 7 billion images created in one year), Generative Remove streamlines distraction cleanup with smart, context-aware edits.
My Remove-panel redesign also shaped Generative Expand and Image Enhancements, producing a unified, scalable workflow across Lightroom Desktop, Lightroom Classic, and Camera Raw.
Timeline
June 2024 to September 2024
Background
The project introduced generative-AI capabilities to Lightroom for the first time. It demanded a complete re-imagining of legacy workflows and the creation of a flexible design system that scales across platforms while remaining intuitive for photographers.
Role & Scope
Led redesign of the Remove/Heal panel to integrate generative removal and distraction cleanup
Designed Generative Expand within the Crop tool for AI-driven canvas extension
Developed onboarding flows for Desktop, Classic, and ACR
Collaborated with engineers, researchers, content strategists, and prototypers
SOLUTIONS- GENERATIVE REMOVE IN LIGHTROOM
Generative Remove offers precise brush-based selections to eliminate unwanted elements. Edits render in real time on the canvas, and a dedicated panel lets users manage, revisit, and regenerate previous removals.
SOLUTIONS- GENERATIVE EXPAND IN LIGHTROOM
Generative Expand seamlessly extends your photo’s boundaries and fills the added space with scene-aware content, giving you a larger creative canvas.
We identified difficulties syncing advanced AI edits across mobile, desktop, and web platforms. My objective was to design interactions that respected technical constraints, met user expectations, shortened learning curves, and preserved user control.
Designing
Led a complete redesign of the Remove panel, introducing new interaction patterns for removal and object-detection. Developed onboarding flows for Lightroom Desktop and Lightroom Classic.
Development & Implementation
Collaborated with engineers to align designs with cloud-processing requirements, sync constraints, and a layer-based architecture.
Participated in model reviews and feature-rollout planning.
Contributed to feature prioritization and cross-platform design QA.
Research & Content Refinement
Conducted multiple rounds of usability testing on prototypes.
Verified that users can remove complex objects and expand the canvas with ease.
Collaborated with researchers to assess label clarity, layer feedback, and user trust in AI-generated output.
BEFORE AND AFTER OF THE LIGHTROOM HEAL PANEL
KEY UX ChaLLENGES
MY ROLE AND TIMELINE
Redesigned AI-powered tools let users perform advanced generative edits quickly and confidently. They can now remove complex objects, expand image boundaries, and enhance photos, and every change syncs seamlessly across all devices.
Generative Remove
The redesigned panel offers intuitive workflows for detecting and removing objects from complex backgrounds.
Generative Expand
In Lightroom Classic, a new interaction pattern lets users extend image edges naturally while AI fills the added space with scene-aware content.
Distraction Removal
Smart detection removes background people, reflections, wires, and dust, saving photographers time across Lightroom Classic, Lightroom Desktop, and Camera Raw.
Generative Enhancements
AI-powered Super Resolution, Denoise, and Sharpening tools effortlessly enhance image quality in Camera Raw.
These outcomes showcase the redesign’s impact and lay the groundwork for future generative capabilities.
Future-Proof Foundation
Flexible panels and interaction flows evolve alongside Lightroom’s ongoing AI advancements.
Intuitive & Consistent UX
Photographers can harness advanced AI on any device without a steep learning curve.
Positive User Feedback
Early feedback indicates high satisfaction with Generative Remove, and Generative Expand is seeing strong adoption in Tech Preview.
DENOISE IN ACR
The AI-powered Denoise tool reduces image noise while preserving fine detail, making it ideal for photos shot in low light or at a high ISO.
GENERATIVE EXPAND AND GEOMETRY CORRECTIONS IN LR CLASSIC
The Geometry panel in Lightroom lets users correct distortion, straighten lines, and adjust perspective. It now also fills empty areas with AI-generated content.