AI-POWERED TOOLS IN LIGHTROOM
Redesigned interaction and interface for Lightroom's AI powered tools
ROLE
Lead Designer
EXPERTISE
UX/UI Design
IMPACT
336K+ Generative Remove users, 15% YoY growth growth
I led the UX design for Generative Remove, the first generative AI feature ever introduced in Lightroom. This project marked Lightroom’s entry into the Firefly ecosystem, following the success of Generative Fill and Expand in Photoshop, which saw record-breaking adoption and over 7 billion images generated in one year.
This milestone brought Firefly into the Lightroom ecosystem, simplifying distraction removal with smart, contextual edits. My design work on Remove directly informed Generative Expand and Image Enhancements, creating a unified, scalable UX for generative workflows across Lightroom Desktop, Classic, and Camera Raw.
Timeline
June 2024 to September 2024
Background
This project introduced generative AI into Lightroom for the first time. It required rethinking legacy workflows and creating a design system flexible enough to scale across platforms, while still feeling intuitive to photographers.
GENERATIVE REMOVE IN LIGHTROOM
Generative Remove enables precise brush selection to remove unwanted elements. Edits update in real time on the canvas, with a dedicated panel for managing, revisiting, and regenerating past removals.
GENERATIVE EXPAND IN LIGHTROOM
Generative Expand lets you seamlessly extend your photo’s boundaries, filling new areas with content that matches the original scene by effortlessly enlarging your creative canvas.
We identified challenges syncing complex AI edits across mobile, desktop, and web platforms. My goal was to design interactions that balanced technical constraints with user expectations, while reducing learning curves and preserving control.
Designing
Led the full redesign of the Remove panel with new interaction patterns for object detection and generative expand. Developed onboarding flows for Lightroom Desktop, and Lightroom Classic.
Development & Implementation
Collaborated closely with engineers to align design with cloud processing, sync limitations, and layer-driven architecture. Participated in model reviews and feature rollout planning. Contributed to feature prioritization and cross-platform design QA.
Research & Content refinement
Ran multiple rounds of usability testing with prototypes and live releases. Validated ease of both removing complex objects and expanding the canvas. Partnered with researchers to test label clarity, applied layer feedback, and user trust in generated output.
The redesigned AI-powered tools enable users to make powerful generative edits quickly and confidently. Users can now seamlessly remove complex objects, expand image bounds, and enhance photos, while all edits sync smoothly across all devices.
Generative Remove
Redesigned panel with intuitive flows for detecting and removing objects on complex backgrounds.
Generative expand
New interaction pattern allowing users to grow image edges naturally with AI filling the new space ( Lightroom Classic).
Distraction Removal
Smart detection and removal of background people, reflections, wires, and dust, saving photographers time (Lightroom Classic, Lightroom Desktop, ACR).
Generative Enhancements
AI-powered super-resolution, denoise, and sharpening to effortlessly improve image quality (Available in ACR).
These outcomes highlight the impact of the redesign and the foundation it sets for future generative capabilities.
Future-Proof Foundation
Flexible panels and interaction flows that evolve with Lightroom’s AI advancements.
Intuitive & Consistent UX
Photographers can use advanced AI across devices without steep learning curves.
Positive User Feedback
Early feedback shows high satisfaction with the new Generative Remove, and Expanding Image is seeing strong adoption in tech preview.
DENOISE IN ACR
With the AI-driven feature, Denoise, you can reduce noise while preserving detail. Ideal for photos taken in low light or using a high-ISO setting.
GENERATIVE EXPAND AND GEOMETRY CORRECTIONS IN LR CLASSIC
The Geometry panel in Lightroom allows users to adjust the geometry of a photo, such as correcting distortion and straightening lines. Now you have the ability to fill in your photo with generated content