NEW TOOL IN PHOTOSHOP (IDEA TO LAUNCH)
Remove Tool on Photoshop Desktop and Web
ROLE
Lead Designer (0->1)
EXPERTISE
UX/UI Design, System Design, User research, Growth design
IMPACT
385k users of Remove in its first launch, 7% MAU increase after 2nd version release
I led the end-to-end design & launch of the Remove tool (Desktop + web), turning GAN and generative AI complexity into an intuitive, delightful interaction in partnership with PM and model scientists.
The objective was to make removing complex objects fast and seamless, saving users hours of manual retouching. It fills areas intelligently so edits look natural with minimal effort.
I designed a new patented brush+lasso interaction so users could easily brush or outline complex areas. Additionally, I shaped distraction removal workflows, integrated GAN-based technology and Firefly, and ensured the tool adapts to future AI upgrades.
Timeline
Oct 2022 to May 2024, Multiple version releases
Initial Context (challenges)
Switching tools slows user down: Removing an object meant jumping between Spot Healing, Patch and Clone Stamp.
Manual edits took hours: Precise clean-ups were time-consuming, and trial-and-error workflows.
No clear removal flow: Users struggled to discover where and how to start an object removal.
Desktop / Web parity: The tool had to deliver the same quality and speed in a browser, even on slower networks.
SOLUTIONS- FINDING DISTRACTIONS
Users can click the Find Distraction button to identify and eliminate distractions with a single click.
SOLUTIONS- BRASSO INTERACTION
When a user draws a lasso with the brush and the stroke’s start and end points are close together, the shape automatically fills with the overlay.
SOLUTIONS- ADD AND SUBTRACT BRUSH
Add and subtract-brushes, along with per-stroke removal, let users brush through complex cleanup tasks with ease.
SOLUTIONS- COMPLEX AREAS REMOVAL
Using a brush makes it easy to target and remove complex areas precisely.
SOLUTIONS- ONBOARDING
Added onboarding and worked on onboarding videos
Given the challenge of balancing powerful AI with familiar workflows, I designed a new interaction from scratch, validated by three user testing rounds and multiple prototypes.
Designing
New tool-> create visual identity, naming, IA for the new tool
Created patented brush–lasso hybrid for precise, flexible selection with add/subtract control
Built “Find Distractions” to auto-highlight clutter for quick removal
Development & Implementation
Integrated CM-GAN + Firefly with clear model-switching rules
Optimized for sub-second edits; aligned with Photoshop’s retouching tools
Managed model download/update flow and gated heavy models under 8 GB RAM
Enabled web streaming for consistent performance
Planned multi-version rollout with PMs
Research, Content Refinement, and Discoverability
Ran three user testing unmoderated studies with retouchers to validate MVP flows
Finalized name, icon, and placement from feedback
Solved a tools-panel visibility issue via identifying the problem by looking at Youtube videos from creators, which then was supported by analytics.
Designed onboarding to boost first-use success
Legal, and Ethical Review
Verified models meet Adobe’s AI ethics policy
Ensured data is ethically sourced and never trained on user or unauthorized content
KEY UX ChaLLENGES
PROCESS beforE THE MVP LAUNCH [6 months]
TIMELINE OF REMOVE TOOL, my work
The Remove tool provides a unified, resource-aware AI workflow that addresses fragmentation, optimizes performance, and respects ethical constraints.
Patented Interaction
Brush+lasso hybrid gives users precise control and flexibility.
Add and subtract-brushes, along with per-stroke removal, let users brush through complex cleanup tasks with ease.
Distraction Removal
Find Distractions highlights unwanted elements, such as wires, cables, and background people, that Firefly can remove in seconds.
Flexible Engine
Firefly processes large, complex fills, while CM-GAN handles small spots; the tool automatically chooses the correct engine based on mask size and available memory.
Resource-Aware Performance
The system lazy-loads models on demand, disables heavy GAN models on devices with less than 8 GB of RAM, and streams models in the browser to sustain sub-second interactions.
Photoshop-Tools Dialog
By analyzing usage data and YouTube-creator videos, I optimized the Tools Placement dialog and first-time onboarding for new tools. The change boosted Remove adoption by 5 percent, which translates to several thousand additional users. Because the fix applies to every future tool shipped in Photoshop, it delivers long-term impact across the entire product line.
Photoshop on the Web
Provides the same interaction on both desktop and web, optimized for different networks and device capabilities.
385 000 users in month one
The tool enjoyed strong adoption immediately after its 2023 launch, and current estimates indicate that millions of users now rely on it.
14% MAU on Web (vs. 3% for Spot Healing)
22 events per MAU, meaning multiple use by a single user
Time Saved
Users can remove complex objects in seconds rather than hours.
Future-Proof
The tool is designed to evolve with ongoing AI advancements and to expand into new retouching contexts.
New Selection Paradigm
The interaction model I built for Remove created a new selection method in Photoshop, propagated into the Selection Brush and Adjustment tools, and is now influencing other Creative Cloud experiences.
